It’s All In The Details

written by Jared Price

Imagine you have just witnessed the birth of your new baby boy or a girl. This is supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life as a parent. You have such high hopes for your child that he or she will go far and take on the world and find their place within it. They will go and obtain an education, find a job, and have their own family.

You find out from the doctor that your baby is almost 2 months premature. You then take your baby in for a routine checkup. You notice that your baby is not meeting appropriate milestones your perfect little bundle of joy has just been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

For many parents finding out that their child has a disability is a shock, to say the least.

Now what do you do? Do not lower your expectations. Disability or not, your child can still succeed. It is your job to be your child’s voice and advocate. Take the opportunity to learn all you can about your child’s specific disability. Learn about treatments and develop a plan. Join parent support groups and learn from other parents. Build a support system around yourself and your child. Get involved with your local Center of Independent Living. Look for other agencies that can help support you and your child as they age. The Bureau of Developmental Disability Services or the Agency on Aging are two examples. If your child’s needs are significant, check to see if they qualify for a waiver. Waivers can help address complex medical needs and care.

Once your child is old enough, enroll them into school and request that they be evaluated for an Individualized Education Plan, (IEP). This is a legal document between the parent and the school regarding the special education and related services that will be needed to ensure that your child who has a disability will receive a free and appropriate public education. This will be provided at no cost to you in the least restrictive environment possible. The ultimate goal behind the IEP is to consider your child’s unique needs to help prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. Parents play key role in the development and revision of the IEP.

To learn about Special Education and your rights in Indiana consider reading:

Navigating The Course: Finding Your Way Through Indiana's Special Education Rules.

Parents have the right to request an independent education evaluation be conducted for their child at no cost to them. This assessment will use a variety of testing and make suggestions based on the research to meet the unique needs of your child. You and the case conference committee can take all of this information under advisement when developing your child’s IEP. You can even have the evaluator present to answer questions.

Once your child turns 14, The school will start what is known as the transition IEP. The purpose of this IEP is to begin to implement strategies and goals to help to prepare you and your child to begin transitioning to adulthood. This means looking at colleges and universities, employment opportunities or giving your child skills to live independently. Many schools also have pre-employment training service programs available. These programs can teach your child how to function in a workplace environment. So, as part of the IEP make the case that your child needs to take part in this program.

Vocational rehabilitation services is a wonderful resource for students with disabilities. Their primary goal is to find and place people with disabilities into jobs. VRS has a wealth of information and resources at their disposal. This can include things such as work trial opportunities, employment consulting, job coaching and much more.

In Conclusion

Please understand that plans can always change. Nothing must be set in stone. The above resources are here as a guideline. Parents and family members play a key role in the lives of children with disabilities. It’s up to you to assume your role as your child’s advocate. The greatest gift you can give your child is an education.

About the writer

Jared Price was born with Cerebral Palsy and is legally blind. He holds a Bachelor of Science in History from Indiana State University. He has both volunteered and worked at The Wabash Independent Living and Learning Center, d.b.a. The WILL Center, since July of 2013. He began working at the Center full-time in March of 2015 as the Youth Transition Coordinator.

Jared is a 2017 graduate of the Indiana Partners in Policy Making Academy. This program is hosted by the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities. The program aims to help people with disabilities and their family members develop their advocacy skills and use their voice to influence policy to bring about change for the Disability Community. Jared is also a Certified Benefits Liaison through Indiana University’s Indiana Institute of Disability and Community.

Jared enjoys spending time with his family, going on cruises, and traveling. Jared owns his home with his partner Derek, Leader Dog Middleton, and Winston the Corgi.

If you have questions, please contact Jared via email: jared@thewillcenter.org or by calling 812.298.9455 ext. 213.

Jared Price, Youth Transition Coordinator at The WILL Center