Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) and IEP services

A parent asks how she should approach the school district about the proper implementation of her child's IEP.
Q
My 14-year-old has an IEP for CAPD. How do I approach the school district about the proper implementation of her IEP? The past seven years of school have been a constant fight. Only when I threaten state intervention do I get any results. I have a qualified doctor's evaluation available for reference, but this seems to fall on deaf ears. Please help.
A
Sounds like it's time for you to contact an advocate to help you to fight these battles. Read Attorney Lawrence M. Siegel's book, The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child.

You can also contact the Learning Disabilities Association of America at 1-888-300-6710 to see if there is a branch of this parent advocacy group near you. The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities at 1-888-GR8-MIND can also direct you towards local advocacy groups. You need someone to help you to navigate through the system to get appropriate supports for your daughter.

For more than 20 years, Eileen Marzola has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and with their parents and teachers. She has been a regular education classroom teacher, a consultant teacher/resource teacher, an educational evaluator/diagnostician, and has also taught graduate students at the university level. Marzola is an adjunct assistant professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.

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