Welcome to the world of acronyms. OMG, there's so much to know. :)
In dealing with all of the issues we had during Ben's 4th grade year, I did a ton of research, met with special ed lawyers, went to the school board, etc.
The most important source of information for me was Wright's Law. This is the Holy Grail of advocacy and legal rights of special needs children. The site, along with books, videos and many other resources are the work of Pete and Pam Wright. Pete is a special needs attorney and Pam is a psychotherapist.
Their website has information about anything and everything you need, but for my purposes, the case law regarding education was a lifesaver. I learned everything I could about FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), more about IEPs than I ever knew and other critical parental protection rights.
I was armed and ready and it served me well. In the end, I decided to pull Ben out of public school because I thought it was in his best interest, but I fought for his rights and made sure the administration knew kids were slipping through the cracks and being misunderstood and unfairly punished for misbehavior that is a manifestation of their disability. This ruling and ability to have a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) is something every parent facing any kind of issue with the school system should know inside out.
There are a lot of other laws and processes you should know if you don't already, including information about Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).
I'll be posting a list of other really great resources.
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