Special Education
Oklahoma PTA is committed to Special Education and its efforts to ensure that every child, whether they have an intellectual and/or physical disability, deserves and should be provided with the tools which enable them to achieve their educational goals. Over the years PTA has supported legislation which enables children with special needs to receive the necessary educational programs. We want to encourage local PTAs to take an interest in forming a Special Education Committee or if the number of students on IEP’s in the district warrant it a Special Education PTA (SEPTA). OKPTA and the Special Education Chair would like to provide Special Education Committees at the local unit level or Special Education PTAs (SEPTA) with resources and information that would be helpful to parents of children with disabilities. Those resources could include workshops/trainings/information on IEPs, Special Education law, Information and Resources for Families, Bullying, etc.
There are always issues in Special Education which warrant support from child advocacy groups, and the PTA is definitely at the forefront of these organizations. Whether they are the laws which enforce accessibility or the compliance of Individuals Disability Education Act which govern certain guidelines for No Child Left Behind, you can be sure PTAs are adding support. Right now we are advocating for full Federal funding for IDEA in the effort to alleviate the states’ and districts financial burdens.
For additional information on NCLB: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
For additional information on IDEA: http://idea.ed.gov
The single, most important process, in which a parent of a child with special needs participates in, is their child’s Individual Education Program (IEP). One of the most informative websites available to parents which concentrates on Special Education law is www.wrightslaw.com. On this website you will find a wealth of information on different topics as it pertains to IEP’s and Special Education law. Also, the Oklahoma Disability Law Center brings Pete Wright, ESQ here to OKC every December to present a Wrightslaw Conference. Below is the upcoming training date.
December 5, 2013: Oklahoma City, OK - Special Education Law and Advocacy Training sponsored by the Oklahoma Disability Law Center and Partners in Education Advocacy. Speaker: Pete Wright.
To visit the Oklahoma State Department of Special Education Services Parent and Family Resource Page, click here: http://ok.gov/sde/parent-and-family-resource-page
Click here to learn about Key Terms regarding Special Education and Disabilities. Also available in Spanish.
http://ouhsc.edu/thecenter/products/documents/AlphSoup_Jan2013_electronic.pdf
http://ouhsc.edu/thecenter/products/documents/AlphabetSoup_Span_web.pdf
If you are a parent raising a child with a disability or special health care need and you need assistance in finding resources and services in your community, please visit the Sooner SUCCESS website at http://soonersuccess.ouhsc.edu/ or contact our information and referral specialist at 1-877-441-0434
OTHER RESOURCES
Visit this website to learn more about Developmental Disabilities Services here in OK. http://www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/dd/
Oklahoma Family Network- www.oklahomafamilynetwork.org
The Oklahoma Family Network (OFN) Family-to-Family Health Information Center informs and connects individuals with special health care needs and disabilities, their families and professionals to services and supports in their communities.
Oklahoma Parent Center- www.oklahomaparentscenter.org
What is Oklahoma Parents Center? The Oklahoma Parents Center is the statewide parent training and information (PTI) center serving parents of children with disabilities.
For More Information about Special Education
Contact:
Lori Wathen
OKPTA Special Education Chair
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
