SPECIAL NEEDS
ARD at Work Advocating for your child’s education when they have special needs INTERVIEW ALEXIS PATTERSON
For families who are just starting this process, can you provide some background on ARD meetings?
DUSTIN RYNDERS: All decisions about the education of a student receiving special education services are made by an ARD committee that includes the parent. The committee determines academic and behavioral goals, accommodations, the amount and focus of any related services, and where 12
2021 / guide to education
the services will occur. The committee can also determine if a student needs assistive technology, such as a laptop, and if the student needs any compensatory educational services to make up for any time when instruction didn’t meet a student’s needs. ARD meetings occur at least once per year but can occur more frequently when needed. Parents or the school can request an ARD meeting whenever the student’s plan needs to be reviewed or changed.
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IF YOUR STUDENT HAS SPECIAL NEEDS, you’re probably familiar with admission, review and dismissal (ARD) meetings, which bring together school and family stakeholders to make decisions related to a child’s special education services. But are you making the most of that process and advocating for your child the best way you can, especially since COVID-19 began? Dustin Rynders, supervising attorney at Disability Rights Texas, shares what parents need to know.
