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Editor

Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D.

I am an attorney at law and licensed psychologist (PSY 11415) in California.

I have had over thirty five years of experience with disabled adults and children.

I have created this site to help provide useful news and information for parents, educators and advocates. I am retired from professional practice, however if you need further information you may contact Pause4KIDS my affiliated non-profit organization here.

Specific Disabilities

Autism
Visual Impairment
Cerebral Palsy
Hearing Loss
Developmental Delay
Down Syndrome
Emotional Disturbance
Epilepsy
Intellectual Disability
Learning Disability
Speech-Lanugage
Spina Bifida
Brain Injury
Other Health

Training Links

It is important that parents have opportunities to enhance their knowlege about their children and the services that are available for them. Here are a few links to orgainizations that provide training.

COPAA
CAPCA
TASK
PEATC
WrightsLaw

Articles

Psychology License
ADHD
Child Advocacy
Special Ed
Dyslexia

Films

ARTS: A Film About Possibilities, Disabilities and The ARTS

Welcome to California Special Education Advocacy Training

These pages contain training for parents and professionals who need to advocate for special needs children. The curriculum is divided into nine units. Each unit is approximately two hours. This seminar was recorded live over three days of instruction.

Please note that this is a California specific curriculum. The lectures refer to California statutes and regulations that may not be similar to other states. However, since special education is a federal program, each state should have similar systems to what has been adopted in California.

Although there is no charge for this training, all students must agree agree to our course dislcaimer before proceeding with any of the units of instruction below.

Unit Topic
Unit 1: Introduction to special education advocacy. Demographics, glossary and acronyms. Eligibility assessment criteria. Comparisons with DSM-IV diagnostic categories.
Unit 2: Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), the Rowley decision. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Aids and Services.
Unit 3: Life Span goals and objectives, developing the big picture for the child.
Unit 4: De-mystifying and understanding the math, purpose and goals of psychological and educational assessment tools in educational settings
Unit 5: Survey of specific psychological and educational assessment measures of ability (IQ), achievement and adaptive skills.
Unit 6: Forensic issues. Preparing your report. Testimony on direct and cross examination at hearings.
Unit 7: The IEP team process, goals and objective writing, and measuring success or failure. Behavior problems, special discipline rules, stay put orders, and the functional assessment of behavior
Unit 8: Dealing with due process litigation.
Unit 9: Integration with other systems. Regional center issues and the IPP. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The ADA, and more.