If you’re a parent of a child who has learning or attention issues, it’s going to be important for you to know whether they’re eligible to receive what is known as ‘Special Education’. This is where your child will receive extra classes, mentors, resources or services that can help them achieve to the best of their abilities.
However, it’s important to note that not all children with these difficulties are entitled to these benefits and will depend on a lot of independent factors. To help you with this process, today we’re going to explore the three simple steps you need to take to find out where you are and what resources you have access too.
Step #1 – The Medical Diagnosis
The first thing you need to do is acquire an official diagnosis of your child’s disability. The chances are you’ve already got this, but for those of you who haven’t, you’ll need to start by booking an appointment with your doctor who will go through and conduct the appropriate tests.
This can take several weeks, sometimes several months, so you’ll want to make sure you’re starting this process as early as possible. During this time, your doctor should begin to speak with you about how this will affect your child’s education and what resources and services, such as the Miracle-Ear Bluetooth hearing aids, could be available to you.
Step #2 – An Educational Evaluation
Once the first step is out of the way, you’ll need to partake in educational evaluation. Just because your child has a certain condition, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s restricting to their ability to learn. After all, everybody is different, and the condition will affect people at different intensities.
Most likely, a team of professionals will carry out this test and may include people such as educators and even a psychologist.
In the end, the team will write up a report that will detail the findings from the test and will then set about making suggestions to help you in the future; as well as listing strengths, challenges, and possible requirements.
Step #3 – An Eligibility Program
If the test above states that your child will need help and assistance while in a learning environment, the final step you’ll need to take is to find out what kind of services and resources they are entitled to.
This is an evaluation that will take place via the school your child is attending, although external professionals may be invited to contribute. Based on the evaluation from Step #2, and the way the school policy operates, they’ll decide what is available to you.
This is completely up to the school, and if they don’t feel like your child needs special assistance, there are always other options and can talk and discuss with the examination board to appeal the decision at your own discretion.
Summary
If you don’t receive special assistance for your child, this can be quite a blow and may leave you feeling worried, or even panicked. However, the best thing to do is remain calm and always put the interests of your child first, ensuring they’re happy and with appropriate support and intervention, people with learning disabilities can achieve success in school, at work, in relationships, and in the community.
