Author Archives: grace

For parents raising children with disabilities – the best story you will read today

Posted on August 3, 2010 by grace

Mom, city schools never gave up on student diagnosed with autism thedailynewsonline.com A mother’s advice “As the mother of a student with special needs, Debbie Larson has been more than a mom. She has been a source of motivation, his … Continue reading →

Posted in Special Education Advocacy | Leave a comment

Cal Alumni and Students: Ever wonder what the inside of the Stanford tree smells like?

Posted on May 30, 2010 by grace

This week I happily joined the ranks of published authors, as this Cal anthology came out after months collaborating with 34 other Cal grads and two motivated editors. When I Was There: Life at Berkeley 1960-2010 is now available via … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative writing | Tagged Cal alumni, Cal Anthology, UC Berkeley | 1 Comment

When they throw an IEP Party and Nobody Comes

Posted on May 20, 2010 by grace

For the first time ever, I went to an IEP meeting with a client and the educational team wasn’t there. Details on the communications snafu are being investigated by the big boss, but I thought it useful to write up … Continue reading →

Posted in Special Education Advocacy | Tagged IEP team, special education | Leave a comment

Attention Parents: Educators are Not the Experts of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. You Must Become the Expert!

Posted on April 27, 2010 by grace

Attendees at my “You Gotta Know the Rules if You’re Gonna Play the Game” seminars have heard me say this, but here’s a few examples of what the words in this blog post title really mean. I’m quoting administrators and … Continue reading →

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5000 School Psychologists’ Reports Surveyed….the article

Posted on March 23, 2010 by grace

Those of you who have attended my seminars have heard me refer to this Wrightslaw article and the subject study of 5000 school psychologists’ reports. This article is a MUST READ for every parent with a child with a disability … Continue reading →

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Behaviorial problems and Suspensions of Children with Disabilities

Posted on March 16, 2010 by grace

The topic of suspensions of children with disabilities has been heavy on my mind lately. Apparently it’s common practice for teachers and principals to treat children with disabilities, with IEPs in place, as if they had no disabilities or IEPs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Special Education Advocacy | Tagged discipline, IEP, suspension | Leave a comment

NBC 11 TV Interview: Latino Leadership Summit on May 15th

Posted on March 12, 2010 by grace

On a recent “Comunidad del Valle” show, Damian Trujillo featured the organizers of this inaugural event: Frank Carbajal, Margarita Quihuis and me. Did you catch it? After we talked about the upcoming summit, the family of Cesar Chavez came on … Continue reading →

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Verifying a teacher’s credentials

Posted on March 4, 2010 by grace

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing maintains a database for public use. Once there, click on the Search for Credential for a Public School Teacher link and type in the teacher’s first name and last name. Remember the example I … Continue reading →

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Prior Written Notice (PWN)-a Powerful Tool When Skillfully Used

Posted on March 1, 2010 by grace

You’ll want to read this Wrightslaw post about Prior Written Notice (PWN) and article and print out several copies of this nice little form with you. Whenever you ask for something in an IEP meeting (as assessment, a placement change, … Continue reading →

Posted in Special Education Advocacy | Tagged advocate, IEP, Prior Written Notice, special education | Leave a comment

Patient Money – Nudging Schools to Help Students With Learning Disabilities