Are you feeling overwhelmed when it comes to attending to your child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings at school? Don't worry, Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy training is here. It prepares parents to become more effective advocates for their children.
Plan to attend this one-day workshop on Thursday, March 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville. Nationally-known expert Pete Wright will bring his gold-standard training to help parents, educators, health care providers, advocates, and attorneys who represent children with disabilities better understand special ed law.
"I knew the rules of the game but didn't know how to use effective advocacy skills to apply the law to my sons' IEPs," shares Treva Maitland, mother of twin boys and project specialist for The Arc Tennessee. "After attending Wright's Law training, I learned to view my sons' IEP meetings as business meetings where I was there to negotiate a contract for their educational services. I left my emotions at home and advocated for my boys."
Planning your children's education can sometimes seem beyond your reach, notes Maitland, particularly when you're feeling overwhelmed by your chlid's medical or physical issues. This is where Wrightslaw comes in handy, as a guide in the process.
The workshop will target four areas:
• Special education law, rights, and responsibilities
• Tests and measurements to measure progress and regression
• Developing a SMART IEP
• An introduction to tactics and strategies for effective advocacy
Maitland strongly recommends this training and truly believes that effective advocacy is a necessary evil for parents of children with disabilities. It's important parents model these skills so that as children mature and develop their own self-advocacy skills, they can carry the baton.
Register by February 21 and receive the $70 early bird rate. The fee is $100 from February 22 to March 10. Admission includes a continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and Wrightslaw curriculum books: Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, and Wrightslaw: All About IEPs. Participants will receive a copy of each textbook (a savings of $62.85 plus shipping) for use during and after the workshop.
Registration is non-refundable. All participants MUST pre-register. NO walks-ins will be admitted. Register by contacting Carrie Hobbs Guiden, executive director of The Arc Tennessee, at (615) 248-5878 x14, or cguiden@thearctn.org For more: wrightslaw.com/speak/14.03.tn.htm