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The Arc@School Releases Report on Special Education Advocacy and The Arc’s Chapter Network

/in /by The Arc

School may be almost out for the summer, but The Arc@School is still in session. Now in its second year, The Arc@School continues its mission to build the capacity of The Arc’s nationwide network of chapters to provide individual advocacy that helps students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) navigate the special education system. Equal access to education is a fundamental right for all citizens and an important building block for a strong society. For students with I/DD, a high-quality education can make an enormous difference in the quality of life and degree of independence they enjoy in adulthood. Special education advocacy is instrumental in ensuring that students’ rights are respected and that they receive the services and supports necessary to graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education and employment.

With these ideals in mind, The Arc@School conducted an investigation of existing special education advocacy practices and published a report entitled Special Education Advocacy and The Arc’s Chapter Network: Findings from The Arc@School. Students with I/DD, parents, educators, and advocates can find:

  • A brief overview of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the growth of non-attorney lay advocacy in special education;
  • A description of the curriculum, length, and cost of current advocacy training programs, such as Wrightslaw and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA);
  • A description of The Arc networks’ current capacity for providing individual special education advocacy;
  • A summary of the current limited academic research on best practices in special education advocacy; and
  • A list of program recommendations that The Arc@School intends to implement in the coming years, such as a suggestion that The Arc@School collaborate with the COPAA, PTI Center, and protection and advocacy networks to ensure that scarce special education advocacy resources reach as many families as possible.

To read the report, please see Special Education Advocacy and The Arc’s Chapter Network.

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Navigating School: The Arc@School Launches Website to Help Students With Disabilities and Their Parents With Special Education Advocacy

/in /by The Arc

“The secret in education lies in respecting the student.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have come a long way since children were warehoused in institutions with no future or a real education. One giant leap forward was the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, which for the first time required schools to educate all students with disabilities—including students with I/DD.

The IDEA lays out a process that schools must follow to identify which children with disabilities require additional services to learn, and which supports and services a child needs. That process often leads to the development and implementation of an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP is the roadmap for that child to succeed. The IDEA has led to a generation of people with I/DD whose education opened doors to employment and meaningful lives in the community. However, far too many families and students do not experience an IEP process where their role and their rights are clear and respected. Instead, they feel left out of the process, which is often overwhelming and confusing.

So in 2016, The Arc launched a new initiative, The Arc@School, to build the capacity of The Arc’s nationwide network of chapters to support students with I/DD and their families in developing and implementing IEPs that will help students with I/DD graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education and employment.

Many students and their families seek advocates to help them understand the IEP process and their rights, and many chapters of The Arc provide lay special education advocacy services for students with I/DD and their families. The Arc@School’s newly-launched website aims to be an online resource for students with disabilities, their parents, and advocates that includes information, best practices, and a resource directory, where you can find links and contact information for chapters of The Arc, protection and advocacy programs, parent centers, and state education agencies in your state.

A successful IEP is the foundation for a future in the community, leading a life of one’s own choosing. If we are to improve outcomes for students with I/DD, we must follow Emerson’s guidance and focus on an IEP approach that respects the student’s goals to achieve his or her dreams.