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Education and the Disabled – Your Rights

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For those who have children who are disabled, it is often very difficult to find a balance between giving that child the protected environment you want to provide and giving them the education they need. However, you do have rights. It is a good idea for parents to take steps to understand what those rights are.

Disabled Children and Rights

For most who live in the United States, going to school is a given. It is a constitutional right, in fact. Keeping this in mind, you may wonder what happens with disabled children. How do they get the care they need?

  • Talk to your city’s educational superintendent. This is the person in charge of the schools. Find out what your school does for disabled children when cannot attend school as everyone else does.
  • Do consider the advantages of teaching at home. Homeschooling can be a good option for many disabled teachers. Your school district may supplement that for you.
  • It can be a good idea to turn to an attorney if you just are not getting help and support. If you find your school or state is not willing to provide what your children need, now is the time to get help from an attorney.

In most cases, you have options. You need to simply ask for the help that is available. It is a good idea to know what to expect before taking your child into a typical classroom. Counselors and specialized teachers can often help and provide important information to you.

 

Filed Under: Education, Students Tagged With: , ,

Reining in Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities come in many varieties. Some of the students may have difficulties not even diagnosed with a specific name yet. All that is known is that the student fits in this broad range of challenges that prevent students from learning at a “normal” pace. One of the remedies that is just as broad is therapeutic horseback riding. Or a close cousin, hippotherapy.

Hippotherapy involves a registered physical therapist and mostly involves using equitation (horseback riding) to stimulate, stretch or strengthen muscles. Therapeutic horseback riding is most efficiently provided by those specifically trained in the unique benefits of this modality (form of treatment). A national organization called North American Riding for the Handicapped (NARHA) trains and monitors facilities and therapists to promote and improve this field of therapy.

rider going around colored cones

The benefits to students with learning disabilities are numerous. One of the largest problems and almost universally present with this population is low self esteem. There is nothing like being in control of a 1200 lb. animal and having it do what you tell it to boost self esteem. Students have fun while they play games or complete tasks using skills they need to develop. They may be reading as they ride through an obstacle course or counting, or using math. The skills they can improve are only limited by the imagination of the instructor.

Students begin to see themselves as learning abled rather than learning disabled and see that even though they may learn in differnent ways than other students, they still are capable of learning and achieving success. There is nothing more effective with children than therapy that appears to be play!

Filed Under: ESE Classrooms, Students Tagged With: , ,

Toys For A Handicapped Child

Disabled children learn important skills through playing with toys just as any child does.  It is more important with disabled children.  This is how they learn some fine motor skills as well as how to extend the skills they already employ for everyday use.  You want to make sure that the toys you are getting are not only appropriate for the child’s individual needs but that it also meets the age level too.

Touching, hearing, and seeing objects are important developmental tools for handicapped children.  A child who cannot hear will benefit from toys that are very bright and visual.  It would do no good to get a deaf child a talking doll if they can’t hear it.  However, shapes that light up when you touch them would be a good toy for a deaf child.  The same goes for a child that has no sight.  A light up toy would be pointless to a sightless child.  But, a toy that is loud and that has different textures on it is an appropriate toy for the sightless.  The toy should fit the handicap and should entertain the children as well as teach them.  No one wants to play with a boring toy.

Depending on your child’s mental as well physical ability depends on what age level the toy should be.  If your child tends to put things in their mouth, then the toys should have no small parts on it.  A child with a severe mental handicap will not benefit from a toy that is very complex.  The toy should be interesting and fun for the child.

Filed Under: Parents Tagged With: , ,

Charity Funding for Disabled and Less Fortunate Children

Many people, especially those who have free time, become involved in charities. There are plenty of worthwhile charities that do a great deal of work for issues, people and other areas of society like Kars for Kids. However, there are often some misconceptions involved with charities.

One of these misconceptions is in regard to funding. Many people believe that they should not get involved with donating money, as there is a steady stream of donations. However, this is not the case for many organizations. Indeed, many charities and non-profit organizations that support a wide variety of causes struggle to carry on their work because of a lack of monetary donations.

Unfortunately, this dynamic is applied to funding for disabled and less fortunate children. As this is an important cause, many are led to think that funding is abundant. Yet, some of these organizations are not doing well and have difficulties supporting the youth who are dealing with disabilities.

With what means are available to you, take the time to donate to organizations. As an example, Kars for Kids is an organization that helps learning disabled and physically disabled children. This is certainly one of many well-received and respected organizations that deserve more attention and action. You can help it in several ways.

If you are looking to become involved in such an organization, look at some options. Even if you don’t have much money to give, perhaps you could donate items of value or your time. Talk with your family to come up with ideas and plan to devote time and resources to a worthy cause.

Many organizations struggle to take care of children. Think of how you can make an impact. With some small steps, communities, and society in general, can support disabled and less fortunate children. Don’t allow a misconception to keep you from giving to a charity.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , ,

How Schools Identify A Special Needs Student

There are many ways that schools can identify a potential learning disability.  Parents usually know that something is wrong before the child goes to either daycare or school.  If a parent has several children they will be able to spot a disability more easily than they would with only one child.  When a parent is unable to note a possible disability it is usually caught either in a daycare facility or during kindergarten.

Most teachers have seen enough normal development in children and can more easily suspect a learning disability.  Most children learn at different levels, a special needs child could possibly be quite far behind other children their age.  However, some special needs children have no problem with keeping up, they have more emotional issues.  Some may still be able to function in a traditional classroom setting, while others may need to go to a special needs classroom.

Most school districts employ screening tests for suspected special needs children on a large scale.  If there is a potential learning disability found, then an individual assessment is done.  Usually a parent approaches the teacher or school counselor when a handicap is suspected, but more often than not it is caregivers and teachers who first recognize the handicap.  This is why the school employs these screening tests.  If a child has problems with fine motor skills, speech, hearing, or understanding simple direction this may indicate a possible learning disability.

Once a disability has been recognized the school will generally invite parents to the school to discuss their findings.  This gives the parent the opportunity to ask questions, voice their concerns and provide additional information to help solidify the schools findings.  Some parents find it hard to believe that their child may have a learning disability no matter how slight it may be.  Instruct the parent to seek the advice of a medical professional.

Filed Under: Education, Students Tagged With: , ,

How To Help Children Cope With Disabilities

No matter if a disability is physical, learning, or whatever else in nature. The one universal truth about disabilities is obvious that they can be very difficult to deal with for those involved. Children are the ones. Who seem to hurt the most. Because of the overwhelming reality of having a disability that does challenge them. Nonetheless, these very special children, need to be made aware by those who care. Just how very special they are in their own ways and not simply due to their disability. Children are still children. This applies if they have a disability. Deep down inside. There are just as needing as other children are. In some cases. People tend to treat children with disabilities as though they are not normal. They are still normal. Except with regards to where their specific disability does lie. They are no less feeling or less anything else. That any other normal and healthy child is.

How to help children cope with disabilities is to accept them on all fronts. You cannot change the fact that they have a valid disability. Therefore, the first step is acceptance, and then you go from there step by step. Part of helping special children to cope with their disability is to show them you can cope with it too. This applies to parents and teachers alike. Displaying acceptance will help children to display their own acceptance in their own way. Another way of helping children to cope with their disabilities is helping them to understand their specific disability more.

There are different types of disabilities from physical to learning to others. Therefore, being able to know one’s disability more intimately, will assist the child in learning all they can on how to live with such a disability. They will come to know and realize that one does go on in the world. Survival with a disability is possible. Just like eventual happiness is with it too.

Filed Under: Education, Teachers Tagged With: ,

Education On Disabilities Brings Understanding For Special Children

Helping children to understand what disabilities are and what special education will do for them in the event of a diagnosed disability. Is something that will help afflicted children to cope with the reality of their disability in the long-term of things. Because it is the unknown that a lot of us do fear the most and the “unknown” about disabilities is truly something that can make special boys and girls uncomfortable. The unknown aspects of a specific disability can be a very scary thing to the young mind. This is why education on disabilities is needed as much as possible. Therefore, if and when, a child is diagnosed with a certain kind of disability. The child should then be informed about his or her disability in full. No more. No less. All the facts will make a difference and help to lessen the fear. A child will no doubt feel as the result of a life-changing disability.


Once a diagnosis has been arrived at for a child’s particular form of disability. Parents are expected to understand what the diagnosis is all about and how the diagnosis can be something that will affect their son or daughter’s overall education/life. Students who have disabilities have the same rights as other students who do not have a disability. This is something that a parent of a special student must make sure to enforce to the fullest extent of the law. The right to getting an education must be protected just like the special child too.


Education on disabilities brings an understanding for special children. If parents and teachers make it a first priority to make sure that the afflicted child is told in detail about their specific disability. Disabilities are life-changing yes. But this does not mean a special child can not lead a normal life. Parents and teachers should stress this fact to the maximum. Life will indeed go on and so will the child. He or she can achieve and will achieve with the right helping hands.

Filed Under: Education, Specialty Schools Tagged With: , , ,

How Teachers Should Teach Exceptional Children

Teaching exceptional children is definitely. A truly big challenge for any educational teacher to take on. However, the flip side to the big challenge task at hand, is other the big rewarding side that teaching will afford in the end. Exceptional or special children are special in description due to their individual disabilities. This in itself demands nothing less than exceptional teaching that will be able to reach them from an educational standpoint.

Part of teaching exceptional children is realizing what his or her individual and educational needs are. Because students are different and so are their overall educational needs to learn effectively in the classroom. Each exceptional child is exceptional for a reason and has their own exception that is their own.

Teachers can best teach their exceptional students by looking into his or her area that is defined as being exceptional. This area of exception is about the exceptional student’s particular disability. It does not matter what the nature of the specific disability is. What matters is that the special student get all the specialized teaching that they can for their disability.

The overall education for exceptional children at one time. Was something that was minimal in nature and the opportunity for participation in schools was limited. However, the tide has turned, and now the door to education for exceptional children is opening wider. Educators are now seeing the increased requirement to have education be more readily available for special needs students to access. Exceptional children are not defined as being disabled alone. There are also gifted children. Who are looked on as being just as equally special. Therefore, the gifted boy or girl is exceptional too. A child who goes away from the norm can also be classified as exceptional in addition.

How teachers should teach exceptional children. Is something that begins with the teacher-student relationship and goes from there. Exceptional learning can only be achieved through the best exceptional teaching.

Filed Under: Education, Teachers Tagged With: , , ,

What Is ESE Learning?

What is ESE learning? It is no other than a specialized form of education called Exceptional Student Education and it is used to educate exceptional children. Exceptional children are defined as those. Who are very special students in that they require special learning for their specific type of disability. Any special children who live in the state of Florida are looked on as being exceptional students. Therefore, they require help to progress in their school studies, because of an existing disability that they do possess. ESE learning allows an exceptional child to get the very exceptional learning that they need to be the very best student in school that they are able to be.

ESE learning is used mainly to benefit students. Who suffer from some form of disability that can range from physical to emotional to mental to learning disabled in scope. Nonetheless, it can also be applied to other students as well. The other students who can learn from it are the gifted, the hearing and visually impaired, to those with ADHD. The learning that goes under this category of specific learning is broad and very diverse in delivery. It is a form of learning that seems to reach exceptional and other types of students very successfully in its own way.

ESE learning is also something that is required by special students. This is because. It is the very thing. Which will help to prepare them for the educational road and life beyond that road. Any child. Who is thought to qualify for ESE learning. Must first be approved by a special group of individuals. That will evaluate the child in their own way to determine what him or her needs are from an ESE perspective. Part of this evaluation team assembly is the parent or parents of said child in question. This evaluation will try to use some specific strategies first where the child is concerned. If the specific strategies fail. The team will then sanction an individual assessment for the child.

Filed Under: Education, Specialty Schools Tagged With: , , ,

Making a Classroom Wheelchair Accessible

One of the hardest things to do, if it has not been done before is to make sure that your classroom is completely wheel chair accessible. While it seems odd to think that in an age where we know that students in wheelchairs need to be able to attend class that we wouldn’t already have been assured that a class is accessible it can happen. Mostly this will occur in small towns where that simply wasn’t that big an occurrence or in much older schools that were built when students that were disabled to that degree simply didn’t attend school regularly.

The first order of business when trying to make sure the school and classroom is accessible to wheelchairs or crutches is to take a little tour of the place in a wheelchair or on crutches. See just how difficult it can be to get around using one of those devices. Be sure to take notes and even pictures if you have someone with you to do that. Doors in schools and classrooms should all be 36 inches wide in order to accommodate wheelchairs and you should document whenever it seems to be a really tight squeeze for the child with special needs.

The same 36 inch separation for rows should be made when you are setting up the desks in any class that is going to be trying to accommodate a wheelchair bound student. Really the final step in making sure that you have a classroom and school that is routinely accessible for wheel chair or crutch bound students is to make sure that there is nothing laying on the floor where the student might need to go. Other students have to get out of their chairs to help the wheel chair student is only going to cause more problems and distractions in the long run.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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