Do you have a 17 or 18 year old child with a disability receiving special education services? Have you been told that your 17 or 18 year old with autism or a learning disability will receive a certificate of attendance? Have you also been told that your child will no longer be eligible for special education services if they receive a certificate of attendance? This article will discuss a new tactic by special education staff to convince parents that their child is no longer eligible for special education. The tactic is certificates of attendance and they will be discussed.
Several months ago I heard from a parent in Pennsylvania who used this tactic on her. She contacted me and asked what she thought about this issue.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states the following: The obligation to make available to all children with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) shall not be applies with respect to the following: Children with disabilities who have graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma.
The truth is that a Certificate of Attendance does not make a child ineligible for special education services. IDEA also establishes that children with disabilities have the right to be educated from the age of 3 to 21 years. As long as the child does not accept a regular education diploma, she is eligible to receive special education services.
Another thing that parents need to keep in mind is the importance of functional skills in addition to academic skills. When IDEA was reauthorized in 2004, Congress added a section on functional skills. A child’s IEP must now include current levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Make sure your school district is testing your child in the area of ​​functional performance.
For children over the age of 13 I recommend the Independent Behavior Scale. It is done using a parent survey, which means that parents answer questions about what their child can and cannot do. This scale covers: activities of daily living, communication, functional skills, work skills, etc. Impressive measure of the functional capacity of a young person.
Additionally, the purpose of IDEA is: to prepare children with disabilities for higher education, employment, and independent living. If a child who is 17 or 18 is not ready for post-school learning, a job, or independent living, she may need additional years of education. Parents often overlook functional skills when advocating for their children’s education.
If your school district tries to tell you that a Certificate of Attendance ends your child’s right to receive more special education services, consider filing a complaint with your state board of education. In my experience, the more parents object to insincere special education staff, the less they try to get away with it. Don’t let your child’s life be ruined by the deceptions of some special education staff. Good luck, keep fighting!