Special Ed Resources
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"Special Ed" includes specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism, deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. Governor Patterson's office has confirmed that he signed A11463, AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to special education programs and services provided to home-schooled students , on 7 July 2008. It became effective immediately and is now law. If you have a special needs child and want to get services from your district for the coming school year, the new law requires that you file a written request for services with your district's board of education before June 1. To cover your bases, some people suggest that you send copies of your request to the board of education, your district superintendent (see list of Community and High School Superintendents (pdf format), How do I find out what school district I am in?), and your Committee on Special Education (CSE). This new requirement is the same that is required of children who are enrolled in public or private schools.
"Special Ed" — or Something Else?Not all diagnoses of "Special Ed" are correct. Read about Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and a couple of examples from my own experience: My son struggled with reading and writing during his formative years. My sister, an occupational therapist, told me he had "Lego finger syndrome." This afflicts boys who obsessively play with Legos, instead of having a well-rounded roster of play activities including throwing and catching a ball. His fingertips were over-developed, while the muscles in the palm of his hand were under-developed. At age nine or ten, my son received a year of physical therapy for small motor control before he could hold a pencil properly. After a year of following exercises described in the introduction of Loops and Other Groups, by Mary Benbow, he developed the dexterity and stamina to write for a reasonable length of time. He counted paper clips one-handed, rolled a pencil up and down between the fingers and palm of one hand, made clay mushroom shapes one-handed, and played jacks. After a year he could write, and we had clay figures all over the house. My son's reading problem was more mysterious. He still couldn’t read independently at age 11. His eyesight tested 20/20 with his annual check-ups. It wasn't until he had a serious eye exam at the SUNY College of Optomtery that we were able to assess the problem. (I have heard from parents who were disappointed with a recent exam here.) Then we found a good vision therapist, followed by a year and a half of what I called "eye calisthenics." Today my son does not wear glasses, is an avid reader, and has chosen writing as his profession. I could not be more surprised! Many parents in Manhattan rave about the work of an eye doctor and vision therapist located in the West Village, Dr. Joseph Shapiro. He is the only eye doctor in NYC who uses syntonics, a new form of vision therapy, as well as other methods. Dr. Shapiro's website. Hearing and Listening ProblemsVisit the website of Dr Tomatis, a Canadian physician who is doing cutting-edge research into listening problems and hearing disorders that are often diagnosed as learning disabilities.
Visual Impairments
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A friend with a special ed daughter tells me that she has never submitted any reports to the homeschooling office. They get progress reports from their SETSS provider that they submit to the IEP team every spring when they meet to determine their daughter's IEP for the next school year.
You request your special ed services from your CSE. Since your son will no longer receive services at his school, you want to make sure he will get some SETSS tutoring in the home. You should ask for at least five periods per week and they should provide tutoring in whatever subject areas are needed. With an autism dx you might even be able to get eight to ten periods per week if you want it. Some parents feel they can limit the number of sessions, or double them up, which allows them to do more group activities, field trips, and other stuff. People whose kids are needier will get more tutoring periods.
If you have a special needs child and want to get services from your district for the coming school year, the new law requires that you file a written request for services with your district's board of education before June 1 of the current year. To cover your bases, some people suggest that you send copies of your request to the board of education, your district superintendent, and your Committee on Special Education (CSE).
In school year 2007-08) services to special ed homeschoolers were denied, but were reinstated. You can read the new law at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11463&sh=t.
You must act by June 1 in order to secure services (supplied free by the city of New York) for your child during the following school year.
If your child is not currently receiving special ed services and has never received them, you need to request an evaluation from your local CSE in writing. The CSE will then schedule it within 30 days of the written request. That's the law. Once the results are available (that can take a month as well), they will schedule a meeting to determine whether the child needs services and what they recommend. If the parents are not happy with the result of that meeting they can then get their own private evaluation at their own expense (CSE evaluations are free and the people who do the testing have a good reputation, producing results that have been consistently confirmed as accurate). Some folks want more services than what is offered or disagree with certain aspects of the evaluation, so they pay privately for their own evals. It can be a time-consuming process to get through the system but seeking private evaluations can be very expensive. Also note that even when the CSE makes a recommendation for services, parents are not obligated to follow the recommendation. For example, if they recommend counseling, and the parents already have a therapist for their child, they can decline services.
Parents are never obligated to accept DoE services, HOWEVER, if your child's tests/year end assessment indicate that he or she is more than one grade level below standard, or below the 33rd percentile in score, and you can't prove to the DoE that you are addressing the problems privately, then you can be charged with educational neglect and put on probation for homeschooling if you continue to refuse services.
Homeschoolers may find that the administration at the DoE is cumbersome and inefficient, but the providers (therapists and tutors), once you get them, have proven to be incredibly caring, dedicated, and knowledgeable people who relate wonderfully well to children.
If you child has been receiving special ed services and you want to continue for the upcoming school year, parents need to send a written request before May 31st for the upcoming school year. This procedure was not required prior to the new law -- A04915 that was passed in June, 2008.
Here is a link to the law.
Here is part of the law that applies to this request:
Such a request shall be filed with the board of education of the school district in which the parent, guardian or persons legally having custody of the pupil resides on or before the first day of June preceding the school year for which the request is made; provided that, in the case of education for students with disabilities, where a student is first identified as a student with a disability after the first day of June preceding the school year for which the request is made and prior to the first day of April of such current school year or when a student with a disability establishes residence in the school district after June first of the preceding year and prior to April first of the current school year, such request shall be submitted within thirty days after such student is first identified or establishes residence in the district, as applicable.
For students first identified or establishing residence after March first of the current school year, any such request for education for students with disabilities in the current school year that is submitted on or after April first of such current school year, shall be deemed a timely request for such services in the following school year.
If I apply for Special Ed services for my child, is the request forwarded to the original parties they were first sent to? The law is vague - the VESID office (Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities) advised we submit to the dist. supt. but since homeschooling in NYC is administered by the central office of homeschooling (whereas in other parts of NYSit is administered by the dist. supt. office) I have sent my letters to the dist. supt, Wm. Harrington at the homeschool office, and my CSE chairperson, to cover all bases. I sent the one to my CSE via regular mail, return receipt requested.
My child receives related services as specified by her IEP (Individualized Education Plan). However, we have not been given SETTS (or SETSS: Special Education Teacher Support Service). When attempting to receive SETTS from our zone school, I was told that they were told by the Central office of Homeschooling that by opting to homeschool I had forfeited SETTS. Was this info correct?
ABSOLUTELY NOT CORRECT. VIOLATION OF LAW.
Those who say you've forfeited SETTS by homeschooling are misinformed. You are still entitled to SETTS. The new law that I helped put in place last year specifically states that homeschooled children can receive services in the home!! The problem is finding a provider. Your CSE (Committee on Special Education - NYC)) district should be sending you a list of SETTS providers. It's also available on their website somewhere but it's a huge list. My daughter gets SETTS so I have been through this.
You should get a P3 or P4 letter at the same time you get your RSA papers from your CSE. This letter is just like the RSA and will state how many hours of SETTS you get. You need to go thru the list and call all the ones in your area and keep notes as to whether or not they are available, called back, won't accept BoE rates, etc. You must keep this documentation and submit it as evidence. Note the time and date that you called and whether or not you left a message and if they called you back. Then you have to file for an impartial hearing to request SETTS at an enhanced rate of pay because you were unable to find a provider.
Now if you live outside Manhattan you might be able to find a SETTS tutor but we live in NYC and were not. I have a friend in Sheepshead Bay who has found one at the BoE rate so if you can find one at that rate, you are very lucky.
Once you prove you can't find a SETTS provider at the BoE rate, you call a private agency like EBL Coaching (that's who we use) and ask them if they can provide you with one in your home. Then you file your impartial hearing and state that you want the ENHANCED RATE OF PAY for SETTS and that you found a provider (EBL or any other agency or person you can find) who can provide the services at $XXX rate. You'll get a hearing date.
I have had to go to hearings a few times, and a few times they've settled without a hearing. You don't need a lawyer. It's pretty straightforward because what you are asking for is something that's already written in your child's IEP. . If not how would I go about appealing this decision? Did Harrington or the school send something in writing? They were wrong in telling you that, but I was told when I took my daughter out of public school that she couldn't get ANY services unless she was attending school so for three years we got no services until I discovered otherwise. They simply don't know and don't have the time/energy to try to find out what's right. Harrington knows we get services! I've sent him copies of the law. Your zoned school most likely won't be able to provide you with SETTS because there is a shortage of teachers. Besides, you want someone who will come to your house and work with you on the things you are doing, specific to your child. You are entitled to get that. I got it and I know others who have gotten it too. you just have to hang in there and fight for it. Good luck!
— enhances the lives of blind and visually impaired people by providing the opportunity for participation in sports and physical activity.