Over six million American families are involved in special education, and the numbers are growing. The complex web of laws, regulations, personalities and stresses, combined with anxiety over raising a child with a disability, have made special education advocacy an impenetrable maze to many parents. This book presents the complexities of the process in a simple-to-understand way and offers practical tips, checklists and strategies on how to make the system work to … More >>
Special Education: A Parents Guide for Childrens Success
Tags: Childrens, education, Guide, parents, special, Success
Whether you are new to the world of disability and the challenge of supporting your child to achieve his or her full educational potential, a long time parent advocate, or even an adult with a disability (and a political analysis) who wants to understand what parent advocacy looks like at its best you must have this book. Michael Bailey has given this book to the community of people with disabilities and our families as a gift. His knowledge of the law and how it is implemented in school districts, as well as his firsthand experience as parent and a seasoned system advocate make this book a powerful tool for anyone committed to making the promise of education real for students with disabilities. Beyond the practical strategies Bailey’s deep personal commitment to his daughter and the larger struggle to advance justice for all people with disabilities is woven throughout this book through stories that will move you, and move you to act with confidence.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a great guide for any parent/teacher. Mr. Bailey has years of experience as a lawyer and is an active and passionate parent for his two daughters. The book is about learning to advocate for any young person in order to give them the best education possible.
He and his daughter, Eleanor, are very active in the movement to make education inclusive. His step by step guidelines and advice are priceless.
Easy to read and follow.
Rating: 5 / 5
Michael Bailey writes with wisdom and clarity. His book which is for new parents of a child with a disability provides a framework for all those who need to access services and create a life of inclusion for their child. The tone of the book is generous and giving- Michael avoids sentimentality and instead provides parents with a voice of hope, reason and joy. He does this by including his own personal experience throughout the substantive body of legal and educational input. This skilled presentation makes the book accessible, easy to read and a must have for any new parent.
Rating: 5 / 5
Michael Bailey has written an engaging and extremely helpful book. Parents who have a child with a disability and thus who face the daunting task of negotiating with the public school system know only too well about the personalities, meetings, and jargon that even in the best of circumstances can be intimidating. Mr. Bailey, a former attorney, assures readers about the laws that are in place to benefit the children and presents clear and detailed ways to maintain records and prepare for meetings; he offers numerous checklists and great advice for dealing with the levels of bureaucracy that comprise the special ed system. The book is laced with wonderful, personal stories — both from Mr. Bailey’s own experiences with his daughter and with helpful, funny, and sometimes moving tales from other parents. For parents who have felt rebuffed, “managed,” or intimidated by the school system, this book will be a boon. For parents of infants who will face the system soon enough, the book will give them the foundation that will help them prepare for that aspect of parenting. This guide performs the service that parents would want from such a book, boosting both knowledge and self-confidence for the ongoing process of working with the schools on behalf of their child.
Rating: 5 / 5