Understanding the special-ed system

By Suzanne Sataline, Globe Correspondent | August 1, 2004

Sometimes letters come slowly, sometimes the meaning of the words.
Sometimes a 6- or 7-year-old just seems slow, unfocused like a lens.
Sometimes it will be a teacher who first raises the suspicion that the
child just cannot keep up with the class.

If a child is diagnosed with a learning disability, his family has
entered a branch of education that can bolster the child's abilities
and
launch him on a path to achieving -- but can also disintegrate into a
fractious process that drives a wedge between educators and parents,
even when everyone believes they're doing what's best for the child.

To best help their children, specialists say, parents need a clear
understanding of how the special-education system works, and what
benefits and options are likely.

''Parents need to be reminded that they are equal partners in the
process," said Andrew Lavash, a former special-education administrator
and now an educational consultant in Hopkinton.

For full story, go to:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/01/understanding_the_\
special_ed_system/