Two public hearings on the proposed regulations will be held. The first hearing will be held on Monday, August 30, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT, Room MCR3.  The second hearing will be held [...]]]> The Connecticut State Department of Education has proposed amendments to the special education regulations.

Two public hearings on the proposed regulations will be held. The first hearing will be held on Monday, August 30, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT, Room MCR3.  The second hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 25 Industrial Park Road, Middletown, CT, Room MCR3.

The public hearings are open to all members of the public and provide parents, advocates, and others with an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed changes and to propose changes of their own.  If you testify in person, you should bring a written copy of your testimony to submit to the State Department of Education. 

If you can’t attend a public hearing, you can submit written comments to Attorney Theresa C. DeFrancis, Education Consultant, Bureau of Special Education, P.O. Box 2219, Hartford, CT 06145. The deadline for submitting written comments is September 22, 2010.

The [...]]]> The Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut will be holding a series of seminars on learning disabilities and appropriate educational programming for children with difficulty learning.  The seminars will include information about reading disabilities, speech and language impairments, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, educational evaluations (including neuropsychological evaluations),  special educational law, the IEP process, due process hearings, and more.

The series begins on September 16, 2010 and will occur on Thursdays from 9:30 to noon at the Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut (LDA of CT), located in Hartford, CT.  For more information, visit the Learning Disabilities Association of CT (LDA-CT).

Effective today, children placed in foster care or other out-of-home care by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) can stay in the school they were attending when they were removed from their home, rather than changing schools based on where they are placed.   Until [...]]]>  

Effective today, children placed in foster care or other out-of-home care by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) can stay in the school they were attending when they were removed from their home, rather than changing schools based on where they are placed.   Until now, children who entered state care were required to enroll in school in the town in which they were placed.  Because placement changes are common for children in DCF care, this meant that many children repeatedly changed schools within the same school year and over the course of many years.   Children with disabilities, including children identified as in need of special education, were particularly disadvantaged as they moved from school to school, falling further and further behind their peers.  Public Act 10-160, puts an end to this practice and ensures educational stability for children placed in DCF care.

The new law creates a presumption that it is in the child’s best interest to remain in his or her “school of origin,” defined as “the school the child is attending at the time [DCF] removes the child from his or home or the school the child is attending at the time of any change in the out-of-home placement.”   DCF and the school must collaborate to ensure that the child will be transported from his or her placement to the school of origin.  DCF is responsible for any extraordinary transportation costs. 

 When it is not in the best interest of a child to attend his or her school of origin, the law requires “immediate and appropriate enrollment and attendance” in the new school.  Moreover, the school of origin is required to transmit to the new school, within one business day, all essential educational records including the child’s individualized education plan, behavior intervention plan, any other document necessary to determine appropriate class placement and provision of educational services.    

The new law, implementing mandatory provisions of the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, is the result of much hard work and collaboration by the Office of the Child Advocate, Center for Children’s Advocacy, Connecticut Voices for Children, Department of Children and Families, State Department of Education, and state legislature.

According to National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 13% of children ages 8 to 15 have at least one mental disorder.  Mental illness can have a profound affect on a child’s educational experience.  If your child is struggling in school because of his or her mental health needs, [...]]]> May 6, 2010 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day!

According to National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 13% of children ages 8 to 15 have at least one mental disorder.  Mental illness can have a profound affect on a child’s educational experience.  If your child is struggling in school because of his or her mental health needs, consider requesting an evaluation to determine if your child has special education needs. 

Some parents think children with mental illness aren’t eligible for special education services.   That is simply not true.  Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Anxiety Disorders, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Personality Disorders, and other mental illnesses may qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Whether your child qualifies depends not upon your child’s diagnosis, but upon whether he or she has a disability that adversely affects educational performance.

 If your child qualifies for special education, the school must provide special education and related services designed to meet your child’s needs so that he or she can be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum.   This may include counseling, modification of class schedules, classroom aides, tutoring, or a behavior intervention plan.  The services your child receives depend on your child’s individual needs and are determined at a planning and placement team (PPT) meeting in which an individualized education plan (IEP) is written.

To learn more about special education, including how to request an evaluation to determine if your child needs special education and related services, visit Special Education Resources.  If you’ve advocated for your child and the school is still not meeting your’s child’s needs, you may need the help of an advocate or attorney with experience in special education law. 

For more information on mental health, visit the National Institute of Mental Health or the Connecticut affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI-CT.