5 Educational Advocacy Tips for Parents

Most parents who have a child with special needs want to home school their child. They choose to do so in order to keep their child safe from peer pressure and close to themselves, for their child's safety. This can be a daunting process, if you choose to educate your child yourself. However, it is not insurmountable. Check out the following steps that can make the process easier:

1. Know what suits your child best
You as a parent know the best for your child. If you feel that your child has a certain disability, you can help them cope with it. You understand your child best so you decide better what can help them learn. You can use different visuals, cues and other fun learning ways to educate your child.

2. Use letters to communicate important matters
Communication through email or telephone doesn't work really well. Letters help you keep track of the entire history of communication. You may need to look back at your child's documents later in case you fall into a disagreement with the educational advocate. You may create "minutes of the meeting" and send a copy to the personnel later, in case you have a face-to-face conversation.

3. Ask the educational advocate if you feel something is wrong
Your child's advocate may suggest something that you may disagree with. You have all the right to ask for the details about the policy regarding that matter. It is important that all parents know about the policies for children with special needs. If need be, you can also ask for proof of the policy that your child's advocate may suggest, for the benefit of your child.

4. Know the special education and disability laws in your state
It is important that you know all the laws related to special education and disabilities. This is important for your child's education and future. You can avoid going misinformed by the special education personnel. The personnel may not communicate important matters that can affect your child's education process.

5. Know the rights that your child has under special educational services
It is essential to know what sort of special care and service your child is entitled to. You can talk to your child's advocate; do some self-research too, in order to provide the best education for your child. Educational advocacy services are of great help, as they make sure your child's needs are fulfilled and your child receives proper education.

Tips For Parents of Specials Needs Children

ou can get a very good, quality education for your special needs child within the school system. You do need to take heed of some important aspects when dealing with disabilities and the school district.

Educate yourself before you go into a meeting with the professionals in the school district:

* Learn all you can about your child's specific disability (classification)
* Learn your rights & responsibilities (for you & your child)
* Learn the rights & responsibilities of the school district
* Find an advocate through the state dept. of education
* Find a support group or start one of your own
* Find online support groups- they have a wealth of information that you may need.

You will never learn all the laws of special education as there are several notebooks (about 4 inches thick) filled with these laws. You can, however, learn the laws that pertain to your child and their specific needs.

Your child is entitled to a FREE & Appropriate Public Education!!!

Always keep a record of any and all meetings (IEP or private) dealing with your child. Document every call you have with the school, teacher or district official, with the date, time, name(s) of those involved & the specifics of the conversation. Do this with all meetings as well (general or IEP specific). Any notes sent home should also be kept in this file for reference at a later date, if necessary.

The school &/or district does not usually freely offer the information to all that you feel your child needs. Before attending any meetings with the school personnel, write a list of questions to ask about the things you feel your child needs to achieve his/her maximum potential in his/her school career.

When attending an IEP meeting, make sure the goals & objectives to reach those goals, are realistic & achievable within the year they will be worked on & monitored. If you feel there are other needs your child has, bring them up at this meeting so they may be added to the IEP & another meeting won't have to be convened to change the IEP. If it's not on the IEP, chances are, it won't be worked on in the classroom. Be sure you stay on top of what your child & their teacher are doing at least weekly. If you wait until marking periods end, you've lost valuable time that could have been spent working on viable goals for your child's success. Become involved in your child's education by volunteering in the classroom.

What Advantages of Distance Learning Programs?

Distance learning is gaining prominence among students eager to upgrade themselves for better career prospects. Distance courses serves as an alternative for students looking out for further education without undergoing any form of conventional classroom learning. With the rising competitiveness in the market, more and more adults are taking interest in pursuing higher education. Considering the rise in interest for higher education via distance program, education providers are looking forward to offer new technologies in order to meet this demand.

Distance education courses, no doubt, offer much of freedom and flexibility. Most students enrolling for distance education courses are working full-time and are not in a situation to quit their jobs. They need a source of income to run their family's expenses and quitting jobs mean inviting financial problems. Hence, in order to upgrade their educational qualifications along with a job, they prefer taking up distance learning courses.

Benefits of Distance Education Programs:

Distance learning has a number of benefits as compared to classroom learning, which include:

    The student gets an opportunity to learn at his own pace.
    Classroom learning allows you to listen to any class lesson only once. But with distance courses, the learner has the freedom to replay that portion of the audio or video tape or re-read a particular module which he/she is not clear about.
    In classroom learning, the time spent on a particular module depends on the teacher, which is not the case with distance learning. Here, student can decide the amount of time to be spent on any particular module.
    Distance programs offer students the flexibility to use time according to their requirements
    Another added benefit is that students have access to learning any where and at any time with no limitations and restrictions time and location of study. It gives students ample time to spend with their family and work.
    Above all, distance education saves the time and cost incurred in travelling.

Distance education is available for a wide spectrum of courses. Some of the IT based distance learning courses that have gained prominence over the years include BCA, MCA, PGDCA, MScIT, MComIS and so on.

BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application)

Distance learning BCA course helps students to apply computer science principles to crack problems created by the interface connecting technology and business. Recently, the communication systems and IT sector have become a vital component in every company's strategic plan. Hence to take advantage of the latest IT techniques and communication systems, firms look out for professionals well versed in this field. Distance learning BCA is an undergraduate program that exposes students to assorted computer applications thereby keeping pace with the latest developments in the industry.

Master of Computer Application [MCA]

MCA Distance Learning is specially designed to develop excellent managerial skills in computer professionals. This course offers special emphasis on study of various application-oriented subjects and cover diverse methods of developing software products without any errors and efficiently.

Some Tips That Will Help You Save For College

As tuition payments rise seemingly every single year, many students are finding it harder and harder to figure out how they are going to pay for college. If you are about to embark on furthering your education and you are worried about the huge expense that comes with getting a degree, here are some tips to help you save.

1.   Budget - if you've heard of the "Ramen Noodle" diet, it's for a good reason. Most college students are on extremely tight budgets as most of their funds get spent on tuition, books, and other education necessities. Budgeting is going to be a huge part of learning how to manage your money properly so you can spend your money in the right places. You may need to find other options to expensive salon haircuts, buying the top designer clothing, and other things that will no longer take priority during your college stay.

2.   Dorm vs. Apartment - you might be surprised to know that renting an apartment may be far cheaper than signing up for a dorm. This will all depend on the area you go to college, and if you can find a roommate to split the expenses of an apartment.

 3.  FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is what you will need to fill out in order to apply for financial aid. Depending on your particular circumstances, you may be given grants or loans that will help you pay your tuition.

 4. Scholarships - scholarships are not just for athletes. You can receive scholarships based on your academic achievements, financial needs, volunteering time, or even based on your race or gender. There are thousands and thousands of scholarships available, some even through your own high school and university. A quick search online will bring up a plethora of websites where you can apply for specific scholarships to help you cover your costs.

 5.  Extra Credits - the best way to cut your tuition bill is to graduate early. If you take a few extra classes each semester you will be able to accumulate enough credits to graduate a semester or even a year early. This will be made even easier if you take a few AP courses in high school which will also add credits to your total accumulations.

How Making Friends at University?

University is a fantastic place to meet new friends. Freshers' Week is one of the greatest times to simply go up to people and say 'Hey!' The first people you will encounter will most likely be your housemates (unless you don't live on campus), but you will also get the opportunity to make friends on your course, in a society that you join, or in part time employment. Don't think that you have to make all of your friends in the first week that you arrive, or even in your first year. Some of the greatest friends you will make, might not be the first people that you meet!

Being with a new group of people can be really exciting; you will do a lot of talking in your first day as you chat to the new people around you! The best way to make friends in Freshers week is to just be yourself; be friendly, open minded and enjoy what other people are talking about. Ask lots of questions too!

What if I commute or live off campus?

If this is you, you can still make some fantastic friends even if you live with your folks. Join some societies and meet people here, and stick around after your lectures or seminars to have a drink with your fellow students. A lot of people make great friendships through their classes and societies and this is ideal for home students. If your friends go on a night out and you want to get involved, ask if it would be alright if you kip one someones floor or sofa.

Good conversation topics

- Wear something random if you dare, like a really bright hat. People will admire you for it, and it will prove a great conversation starter!

- Hobbies. Everyone has them! Ask what people do for fun, and whether they will be joining any societies. You might find that you have something in common with one of your new friends.

- Has anyone been on a gap year? Almost always someone in your group will have done. Get them to showcase their photos and tell their stories.

- Where you come from, what you studied, what you are studying at Uni. You might find that someone from your flat is on the same course as you, or that they live near to you back home.

- Put on some low music as you unpack your stuff on the first day; someone is bound to pop their hand in who loves the same song!

What if I am shy?

If you are worrying about University because you are shy and quite quiet, don't worry. A lot of people are shy, and a lot will feel exactly the same, and it is completely normal. When it comes to meeting people in the first few days, no one will know anybody else, so you wont be the only new kid on the block.

Most people will leave their bedroom doors open when it's the first day of Freshers; do the same, even if your bedroom is covered in bags of clothes and stuff your Mum packed you. People will be walking down the corridors heading to their new room, so holler out a hello! They will be pleased you made the effort. Introduce yourself with your name; you don't have to waffle out everything about yourself straight away as if you're on Family Fortunes - "Hello my name is Chris, I'm 18 from Manchester!". Start with your name and work it from there. Just try and relax. The person you are saying hello to might come across as confident, but they might be feeling exactly the same inside!