The ABC's of Special Ed

 

Q. Parents who try to navigate the choppy waters of special education really need help. What's available online to learn about this complex subject so that you can advocate better for your own child and others?

 

Here are some of the best websites that can help:

 

www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/edpicks.jhtml?src=ln (U.S. Department of Education site)

 

www.wrightslaw.com/info/advo.index.htm (special education advocacy for parents)

 

www.reedmartin.com/specialeducationresources.htm (good links section)

 

www.kent.k12.md.us/kent/depart/special/definit.htm (special ed terms defined)

 

www.ncld.org/content/view/900/456084/ (National Center for Learning Disabilities parent guide)

 

www.ideadata.org (government data under the Individuals With Disabilities Act, IDEA)

 

www.cec.sped.org (Council for Exceptional Children)

 

www.csef-air.org (Center for Special Education Finance)

 

www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/14/91/1491.htm (Education Commission of the States, special education finance and other facts)

 

www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues43.html (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, article on inclusion)

 

www.ascd.org (see "Inclusion" under "Education Topics")

 

www.spense.org (special education personnel)

 

www.ldonline.org (learning disabilities)

 

www.adhdfraud.com (physician crusades for different approaches to what looks like learning disabilities, but may not be)

 

www.ReadByGrade3.com (parents and teachers crusade for better reading instruction in the early grades to prevent reading dysfunction and the learning problems that come with that)

 

www.ablechild.org (parents for label- and drug-free education)

 

www.pacer.org (Minnesota-based group for parents of SPED children; good parent training on IEP's, communicating with educators, dealing with assessments)