Providing specialized consultation to families.
Angela D. Keef, M.Ed.
Education Consultant

Our mission is to provide information and assistance to parents and families regarding special education law, advocating for the special education needs of your child in school, and consulting to those home schooling children with special needs.  It is our strong belief that all children can learn, given the appropriate strategies, tools and support. The system of special education can be very confusing and overwhelming.  In order to get the appropriate special education services for your child, you must become an expert in special education law yourself, or reach out to trustworthy experts in the field. 

Angela Keef has been in special education for over 15 years.  As a special eduction teacher, case manager, administrator, tutor, and advocate, she has worked with many families to assist them in navigating the special education system and getting appropriate services for children and adults.  Based in NH, Angela has developed strong relationships with school districts and area administrators, as well as families.  This experience allows Angela to assist families and schools in developing appropriate programs for students.  Angela Keef is available to assist you via email and telephone.  Whether you are looking for a half hour phone consult or a more comprehensive evaluation review and report, Angela is ready to assist you in the special education process.  Contact her via email at: angelakeef@hotmail.com.

It is IEP season, are you ready?

 

With many schools reviewing and writing new IEP’s for the next school year this spring, are you ready to be an active, contributing member of the team?  Here are some tips for parents in preparing for the important meeting……

1.  Make sure you have your documentation ready to go.  Be prepared with all IEP progress checks, report cards, and any other testing information like the NECAPs etc.

2.   Review what these documents say, and make sense of them before you go to the meeting.  What do the results all mean?  Is your child making progress in a way that is measurable and functional?  Can you tell that he or she is making progress or not?

3.  Write a list of any questions that you have so that you don’t forget to ask them.

4.   Make sure that when the teachers review progress at the meeting that they are using specific examples and measurements of progress.  Just saying that “he has come a long way”  or “ she is doing great in class” doesn’t cut it.  By how much have they improved?  Has his reading level gone up ½ a year?  Can she multiply fractions or not…to what degree can she do it?  Etc…  Remember to always ask for measurable and specific examples of progress.

5.   Make sure the IEP is updated appropriately.  Present levels of performance need to reflect the year’s growth (or lack thereof), add new strengths and needs as approriate and make sure that all goals and objectives are rewritten.  An IEP shouldn’t be the same year to year—progress is not being made if it is, signifying that the programming is not appropriate.

6.  Do you have concerns about regression of skills over the summer?  If so, make sure you have a discussion about Extended school year services.  If your child will regress during the summer months without school programming, make sure you ask for specifically what you think is appropriate for your child.

7.   Remember….document, document, document.  Take your own notes from the meeting and get copies of the school’s notes.

8.   If you are uncomfortable going into a meeting alone, remember that you can bring someone with you to the meeting for support.

9.   Remember, you have 14 days to sign the new IEP.  Do not sign on the spot.  Take the document home and review it and make sure you are comfortable with it.  Have someone else look at it and give you a second opinion.

See the resource page for more great books and other resources.  The items listed on this page are reliable sources from well known experts in the field of education, special education, and special education law.


PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL IS KEY TO CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC SUCCESS!!!  Use the tips below to become a more involved parent.
  1. Introduce yourself to the classroom teacher as soon as possible and discuss with them any special circumstances about your child.
  2. Attend and participate in open houses, parent teacher conferences, IEP meetings and back to school nights.
  3. Volunteer in the classroom if at all possible.
  4. Check in with teachers using short chats, phone calls, or written notes.
  5. Be proactive—if there is something going on with the child that will affect school performance let the teacher know before hand.
  6. Take part in Parent Associations.
  7. Be a chaperone of school events or field trips.
  8. Attend your child’s sporting events, concerts, plays, etc.
  9. Ask questions—find out all the information and don’t jump to conclusions and overreact to situations.  There are 2 (sometimes more) sides to every story.
  10. Communicate with school about both positive and negative things.  Don’t contact school only about the bad things.
  11. Use of a communication log or book for students with special needs can help teachers and parents understand what has happened with the student during the day or evening.
  12. Ask questions and address situations right away.  Don’t ignore problems or wait for the issues to build up before discussing them.  The school won’t know if there is a problem if you don’t mention it, and they may be caught off guard with a huge issue that could have been “nipped in the bud” right away.

Copyright . angelakeef@hotmail.com. All rights reserved.