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Education
Information and resources to help understand the education system, special education law and procedures, and current and best practices. For more information on educational grants or programs, click here.
FAQ's
My child is not doing well in school and seems to be falling behind – what should I do?
If you believe your child needs special services, you can ask that the school evaluate him or her. If the evaluation shows that your child qualifies for special education services, the school is required to provide them at no cost to you. If your child is not eligible for special education, she may be eligible for other accommodations through Section 504. Some examples of accommodations include tape-recording textbooks, making changes to homework assignments, and allowing extra time to take tests. Document meetings, phone calls, conversations with teachers, principals and school authorities. You may be asked to explain the requests you’ve made, the interventions you've tried and the instructions you’ve given to a teacher.
If you need help with the special education services you believe your child needs, you can contact Missouri Parent’s Act for assistance.
Are there any laws or procedures I should be aware of?
The Special Education process and the associated laws can be complicated. It is important to educate yourself, know the laws, and know what your rights are as well as the responsibilities of the school district. Missouri Parent’s Act provides information and training to help you.
I wish I could talk to another parent who understands the special education maze and understands what I am going through – is that possible?
Parents of children with disabilities face challenges every day that other parents don't have. It is often difficult to navigate the maze of special services and create a plan that will help children achieve successful outcomes through education. But how do we reach these goals? How do we know what choices to make for and with our children? Missouri Parents ACT can help answer your questions about the special education process. In addition, Sharing Our Strengths can help connect you with other parents in your area who have shared similar experiences.
Resources
Missouri Parents Act (MPACT)
MPACT assists parents to effectively advocate for their children's educational rights and services by providing parent training, information and peer support.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) – Special Education Division
The Division of Special Education administers state and federal funds to support services for students and adults with disabilities.
Center for Innovations in Special Education (CISE)
CISE is a collaborative program of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Education, which provides professional development services and resources to families, educators, administrators, providers and students.
Wrightslaw
Wrightslaw is a website that provides parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys with accurate, up-to-date information about special education law and advocacy for children with disabilities. You will find articles, cases, newsletters, and resources about dozens of topics in the Advocacy and Law Libraries.
Reed Martin
Reed Martin provides a website as an educational resource where parents, advocates, attorneys and school personnel can come for accurate up-to-date information & strategies to secure rights of children with disabilities.
Sharing Our Strengths
SOS is a statewide support network of parents, family members, people with developmental disabilities and professionals who are matched with peer mentors to share experiences, offer emotional support and to network with others.
Free Resources from the Net for (Special) Education
A Treasure Chest of Free Stuff. There is a wealth of free digital educational resources available on the internet to anyone who seeks it out. There are countless stand alone programs as well as many websites offering quality online activities or resources that can be downloaded.This website offers a growing collection of these free programs and online resources. The site exists to facilitate exploring and sharing these free resources. Most listed resources, however, are of value to any student.
Disability.gov has a variety of self-advocacy resources to help teens begin to express their needs and wants by participating in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. These meetings assist teens in learning ways to talk about their disability with others, set goals, and practice other self-advocacy skills.
Parents' Bill of Rights
Check out the newly developed Parents' Bill of Rights document from DESE. Foreign language translations and an American Sign Language version are also available.
