Special Education Law Blog

Toasts with a Twist by Lori Miller Fox

For me, certain times of the year seem to be fraught with emotion; my children’s birthdays, annual IEPs, and the coming of each new year. Like the changing of some apparitional guard, marked passages of time often highlight the unmet goals, untimely milestones, and overdue achievements. Sometimes, the kindest thing we can do for our children and ourselves, is to let go. Release the old and as fearlessly as possible, welcome the new. So here are my toasts to welcome in the new challenges and new successes of the New Year !

Holiday Humor

Always an incredibly useful resource is specialchildren.about.com. During this stressful season for many, this site brings much needed humor to get through to the new year.

Your IEP is a Transition Plan

IDEA 2004 emphasizes the need for planning for real life outcomes after public school. While transition planning has for many years been a part of the law, this new emphasis is welcome and long overdue.  The transition parts of the law are not just in the narrow section of the law which talks about THE transition plan. From the purposes section and throughout the new law the emphasis is on functional goals and concrete steps to achieve post high school outcomes.  This new emphasis in the law has caused me to rethink my view of the IEP itself.

T’was the Night Before Christmas Break by Lori Miller Fox

T’was the night before Christmas break, when all through my head,
I knew nothing was scheduled, but worry, and dread;
The boredom was lurking around the corner with fear,
The anxiety of knowing vacation was near;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
After putting on their orthotics, and getting their meds;
And me with my ice cream and dad with his beer,
Were worried, so worried that vacation was near.

Working On a Miracle

Many of you have written wondering what's up with the blog; no postings in 6 weeks. Well I have two pieces of good news--I am back and intend to be more regular in my postings, and the other news is that I have been away working on a miracle of sorts.  No I do not mean one of the big miracles involving lamp oil lasting for 8 days, or the parting of the water variety, but something much more tangible in my life today.