If you live you in New York City and have a child with special needs A Parents Guide to Special Education in New York City and the Metropolitan Area by Laurie Dubos and Jana Fromer will be your bible. Especially if you are going through the Turning 5 process. I purchased this book the year before I began the Turning 5 process. And it's one that I always recommend to parents.
This guidebook provides the information parents need to advocate for their child successfully and to choose a suitable school. The authors, one a co-founder of the Gillen Brewer School in New York City and the other a parent of a child with learning disabilities, share their personal and professional experiences and insights as to how the special education system operates and the various options parents can pursue.
So what's so great about this book? Well...it's broken up into 4 parts. Pay attention, these parts are important.
Part I provides an overview of special education in New York City. Talks about the children entering kindergarten and how they may be identified. It goes through the evaluation and referral process and the types of evaluations that are needed when applying to private schools. It also explains the difference between a Psychoeducational and a Neuropsychological. It breaks down the IEP and explains parents rights.
Part II talks all about private school placement and the application process.
Part III is all about the schools. It provides all the key factors of the school - whether it's graded or ungraded, if it's 10 or 12 months, what kind of classifications they accept, what related services they offer and other critical information. If you don't know how to find a school - this is a great place to begin.
Part IV provides local resources: evaluation centers, therapists, medical professionals, websites and more.
A Parent's Guide to Special Education in New York City is a must have for parents searching for an appropriate school placement for their special needs child and even for special education administrators and teachers.
Labels: Amazon affiliate, Autism Book Reviews, Autism Parenting, Special Education, Turning 5
