San Diego Education Law Blog

Parents of children with special needs typically appreciate all the support they can get. Certain programs offered through the school district help students focus on their abilities, develop communication skills and learn through individualized plans. They also help parents understand their child’s capabilities.

The personalized attention provided through special education programs can weigh heavily on district resources. Potential cutbacks recently raised concern among parents involved with San Diego’s Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program. While administrators may have financial concerns, you may question the potential long-term effects budget cuts could have on children’s development.

Every parent worries about their children. You want the best for your kids, so you love, protect and guide them as they explore the world in which they live.

Children often do not know how to express themselves or handle their emotions, so you might consider their efforts to communicate as behavioral problems. However, if consistent patterns arise, you might question whether a neurodevelopmental disorder factors into your son's or daughter’s actions. If that is the case, you should see what kind of services your school district provides.

With an individualized education plan (IEP), a student with an intellectual, cognitive or behavioral disability receives an education made for his or her special needs. Sometimes the IEP has the student in the classroom with other students. Sometimes it takes the student out to a specialized classroom. But how do IEPs address students with both disabilities and gifted academic talents?

Gifted children with disabilities - often called twice exceptional, or 2e - make up about 6% of all students with disabilities. These children excel in certain academic areas but struggle with a disability that may prevent them from learning in a regular classroom.

A new study finds no basis for the controversial Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) that some claim helps autistic people communicate. Proponents say RPM aids communication with autistic people or others with special needs through pointing, typing or writing.

Critics say it resembles another discredited technique, called facilitated communication, where an autistic person shares their thoughts using a board or tablet after another person applies pressure to their hand or arm. Studies conclude the results are controlled by the facilitator, sometimes with harmful consequences.