<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

To all those parents who have children in public schools in the USA

There is a federal law which makes it mandatory for school systems to meet
the needs of children who have special health problems. They do not have to
have any learning difficulties.
I would certainly support any and all cooperative interactions with the child's teacher.
The official route would be to send a polite request to the Superintendent of Schools with a copy to
the School Principal, the School Nurse, and the Director of Special Needs. A
meeting should be held which would plan accommodations for your child. You
would need to have an official letter from a physician documenting the
diagnosis. A letter from a dietitian describing how to meet the needs would
be helpful.

At the planning meeting the School Food Director should be present. You
might request that a dietitian be available to consult with food staff,
which the school should pay for. The child's teacher should be present and
it might be helpful to have someone like a school psychologist or school
counselor to be present so that she may understand and help with any social
issues. The meeting should generate an Individual Health Plan. While formats
or terms might differ by state, the basic law is federal. I will send
further details on request.( see section 504 of the Rehabilitiation Act of
1973 which mndates equal opportunity for educational benefits-- it can be
enforced by the Office of Civil Rights. -information from 1995 article-.)

I recently retired from a school system and I am very familiar with the
accommodations that were made for children with a variety of medical
conditions. We had full time nurses in schools which had a child with a bee
sting allergy. No one could bring any peanut butter to school in a school
where a child had a peanut allergy. Ramps were built and elevators were
installed when children had mobility problems. Physical therapists were
hired when children needed massages.

By all means be polite and informal, but know your child's rights. This is a
civil rights issue.

Irma De Bruyn,
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Licensed Educational Psychologist MA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Corinne Alexander" <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
To: <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 7:42 PM
Subject: School suggestions: Summary


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