Education & Advocacy Solutions, LLC

Going To School

Link	Link Type	Long Description
A Doctor's Perspective	Article	Here's an article from a doctor on a mom's experience in school trying to explain the problem to other parents
ADA & Child Care Centers	Article	Commonly asked Q & A about child care centers and ADA, U.S. Department of Justice.
ADA Information Telephone Line	Web Site	"The U.S. Department of Justice provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through a toll-free ADA Information Line. This service permits businesses, State and local governments, or others to call and ask questions about general or specific ADA requirements including questions about the ADA Standards for Accessible Design."
ADA Regulations for Title II & Title III Original Text	Web Site	"ADA Regulations for Title II as printed in the Federal Register (7/26/91). The Department of Justice's regulation implementing title II, subtitle A, of the ADA which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in all services, programs, and activities provided to the public by State and local governments, except public transportation services..."
ADA Summary by Dept. of Justice	Web Site	"SUMMARY: This rule implements subtitle A of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Pub. L. 101-336, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities. Subtitle A protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in the services, programs, or activities of all State and local governments. It extends the prohibition of discrimination in federally assisted programs established by section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act..."
Anaphylaxis in Schools and Child Care Settings	Article	Occurrences in schools of anaphylaxis, symptoms, and treatment. It also discusses strategies for managing food and insect allergies.
Anaphylaxis in Schools and Other Child Care Settings	Medical Web Site	Incidences of anaphylaxis, symptoms, education of staff, reducing the risk.
Asthma at School: Communication	Article	How will you know what kinds of triggers will cause Alan to have breathing problems? Or remember what Marissa's warning signs are? Or be able to make sure Sean is taking the right medication when he wheezes on the football field?
Asthma at School: Emergency Treatment	Article	All persons with a known life threatening allergy or a history of very severe symptoms should own and carry an adrenaline kit - an Epipen® or Anakit®.
Back To School With Food Allergies	Web Site	Tips and Guidelines on Anaphylaxis for Parents, Schools and Childcare Staff.
Caring for Allergies & Asthma in School	Article	Colorado Allergy & Asthma Centers.
CT FOIA Frequently Asked Q&As	Web Site	"Q: Is there a form that a person requesting access to public records must use to make requests? A: No. There are no required forms. However, an agency may ask a person requesting copies of public records to complete a form prepared by the agency..."
Education & Advocacy Solutions	Web Site	Phone consultations are available to serve parents and caregivers of children with severe food allergy and asthma across the country. Rhonda Riggott Stevens’ work and advocacy efforts with food allergy and asthma management have been cited by school districts, used in college courses, and written about in various books, magazine and newspaper articles nationwide. Since she has taught in all levels of education, she has a unique and comprehensive perspective on the disability designation process and the inner workings of classrooms and schools for children of all ages.
Education & Advocacy Solutions	Web Site	PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATIONS FOR SCHOOL STAFF & CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS FOR STUDENTS Rhonda Riggott Stevens’ work and advocacy efforts with food allergy management have been cited by school districts, used in college courses, and written about in various books, magazine and newspaper articles nationwide. Rhonda Riggott Stevens was a member of the committee that drafted the Guidelines to Managing Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Connecticut Schools in 2006, and the chief organizer of the Food Allergy in Schools Summit. She is the President of the Food Allergy Association of Connecticut and a Connecticut certified public school teacher. Rhonda Riggott Stevens has taught children at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and is the parent of two children with severe allergies. Given her professional and personal experience, she has a unique and comprehensive perspective on the challenges that educators face when managing the special needs of children with severe allergies in school.
FAAN's School Guidelines for Managing Students with Food Allergy	Support Group Web Site	“Food allergies can be life threatening. The risk of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced in the school setting if schools work with students, parents, and physicians to minimize risks and provide a safe educational environment for food-allergic students.” The article addresses management in terms of family's, school’s and student’s responsibility.
Food Allergies and School Buses	Article	Strategies for keeping kids with food allergies safe while riding on the school bus.
Food Allergy Education	Web Site	Food Allergy Education, Support for the parent, Teaching material for the teacher, & hopefully a sigh of RELIEF for the food allergic. It may not always be easy to deal with food allergies; however, with the help of "FoodAllergyEducation.com", it CAN be easy to convey this message to others.
Free School Posters	Article	Free Posters for schools: cute and tastefully done.
Freedom of Information Statutes by State	Web Site	This excellent site allows you to quickly access Freedom of Information Statutes by state.
Guidelines for Managing Life-Threatening Allergies in Connecticut Schools	Article	“Food allergy is a growing food safety concern in the United States and creates a challenge for our schools. Approximately 6 percent of school-aged children have a significant food allergy and may be at risk for anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Currently, there are no medications that cure food allergy. Therefore, strict avoidance of the food allergen is the only way to prevent allergic reactions. Deaths have occurred in schools because of delays in recognizing symptoms and not responding promptly or effectively. Plans that focus on food allergy education, awareness, avoidance and immediate treatment of allergic reactions are critical to saving lives.”
Harassment Based On Disability is Wrong and Illegal	Web Site	U.S. Office of Civil Rights web site - "The U.S. Education Department today marked the 10th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a letter reminding schools, colleges and universities that prompt action must be taken if harassment of a student based on disability interferes with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the school's program."
Letters of Understanding	Article	"There is a very useful tool that can clarify your understanding of a conversation as well as clarify the other person's position. It is called a letter of understanding. A letter of understanding becomes especially important when verbal communication does not seem to be working."
Massachusetts BSEA Finds in Favor of Parents & Child in Peanut Allergy 504 Case	Article	"Mass. Bureau of Special Education Appeals Ordered: Mystic Valley Regional Charter School shall implement the following accommodation under Student’s 504 Plan: 1. No peanut/tree nut products are allowed in the Students classroom. 2. All other accommodations accepted by Parents shall continue to be implemented. 3. Child must have access to all classroom activities such as the celebration of Chinese New Year, accommodated accordingly ie., no restaurant prepared food, food preparation not to include peanut oil, etc. 4….”
National Association of School Nurses	Web Site	"School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well being, academic success, and life-long achievement of students. To that end, school nurses facilitate positive student responses to normal development; promote health and safety; intervene with actual and potential health problems; provide case management services; and actively collaborate with others to build student and family capacity for adaptation, self management, self advocacy, and learning."
OCR's 1993 Letter to Zirkel	Article	Does the ADA's reasonable standard apply to Section 504? Is there a limit on what schools have to do and spend to meet the needs of students with disabilities? Dr. Perry Zirkel, Law Professor, asked OCR, and a high ranking official responded: 'The key question in your letter is whether OCR reads into that Section 504 regulatory requirement for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) a "reasonable accommodation" standard, or other similar limitation. The clear and unequivocal answer to that is no.'
Overview of ADA, IDEA, and Section 504 by Kelly Henderson	Article	Analysis of the three laws in the format of: Type / Purpose, Who Is Protected, Responsibility To Provide A Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Funding To Implement Requirements, Procedural Safeguards, Evaluation/Placement Procedures, Due Process.
Politics of Peanuts in Schools	Web Site	Canadian school address issues surrounding peanuts in school from the point of view of administrators, school staff, support staff and parents, with sample materials.
Preschooler's Guide to Peanut Allergy	Web Site	The reading level for this book is preschool. The author wrote this book to educate her two-year old daughter who is allergic to peanuts.
Questions Swirl about Boy's Death During a School Fieldtrip	Article	If you think that your child is safe in school, read this article. Most districts do not take the problem of food allergies seriously, and kids are dying. When will the allergy community realize that school issues are the biggest hurdle?
Report of the Food Allergy Task Force	Article	“There is a natural tendency for people to focus on the response to allergy-related emergencies, but awareness and prevention also are critically important, especially in avoiding the need for emergency responses. Each aspect of protecting student with life-threatening allergies (awareness, prevention, and preparedness) in the school is far more complex than it appears on the surface and does not lend itself to simple solutions. Protecting students with life-threatening allergies is a shared responsibility of families, schools, and the community. The emotional impact of life-threatening allergy on individual students and their family is profound and deserves respectful and enlightened attention to their concerns by the school system and its’ staff. Risk to students with life-threatening allergies in the schools cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be greatly reduced.”
Resource Packet for School Nurses and Administrators	Article	A primer to begin educating school staff about severe food allergies in the school context: seriousness of severe food allergies, avoiding allergen, anaphylaxis, symptoms and emergency health care protocol and treatment.
Sample Asthma Action Plan for Schools	Web Site	A sample asthma action card that schools and parents can fill in together to manage asthma in the school setting, also includes an emergency care plan for children with asthma.
Sample Authorization of Emergency Treatment Form	Web Site	A sample document used to identify the child with food allergies with a picture, signs of anaphylaxis and a sample emergency medical protocol.
Schools and Busing: Finding a Balance	Web Site	Article about the safety of children with severe food allergies taking the bus and issues parents should consider.
Schools on Alert for Food Allergies	Article	”Food allergies among children are gaining more attention, and so are parent-child-school initiatives to curb students’ exposures to allergy-causing food without outright bans on items such as peanut butter.”
Section 504 and State of CT	Article	Circular Letter series from the Commissioner of Education in CT to Superintendents of Schools about Section 504 and Procedural Safeguards as specified by U.S. Office of Civil Rights.
Section 504 Plan Outline for Children with Severe Food Allergies	Article	This article by Rhonda Riggott Stevens, M.A. discusses the possible accommodations that may be made when a child goes off to school. It is a fantastic resource that provides a checklist style approach to developing a 504 Plan for children with food allergy. This checklist presents a codified format that organizes the 504 Plan into discrete categories. It addresses awareness, training, prevention and emergency response protocols in the learning environment and school related environments.
Section 504 Regulations Full Text, Appendix A	Web Site	Additions and clarifications to the original law.
Section 504 v. IDEA by S. James Rosenfeld, Esq.	Web Site	"...For some children with disabilities, Section 504 may be more important -- the only legal mandate requiring education agencies to provide special education or related services to a child with a disability."
Section 504: Harassment of Children & Protection	Article	U.S. Department of Education, OCR: "The 'dear colleague' letter to educators provides an overview of the legal and educational principles involved. It emphasizes that disability harassment is defined as 'intimidation or abusive behavior toward a student based on disability,' and includes "verbal acts and name-calling, as well as nonverbal behavior, such as graphic and written statements, or conduct that is physically threatening, harmful, or humiliating."
Section 504: Understanding The Role of State Title V Programs	Article	Excellent document that discusses the differences between 504 and IDEA, accommodations and services, responsibilities of Educational Institutions and more. You will need to "register" to view the document - this just helps the folks who published it keep track of usage for grant purposes.
Section 504: Your Child's Rights	Article	Extensive Information about section 504 for parents provided by the Council of Educators for Students With Disabilities, Inc. (CESD), written Q & A format.
Special Education Law.Net	Web Site	SpecialEdLaw.net is a multidisciplinary internet resource for parents of special needs children, as well as attorneys, special education administrators, teachers, psychologists, and others with a need for information relating to Special Education law.
Understanding the Federal Court System	Web Site	This site provides links to the U.S. Federal Appellate Court System listing the Circuit Courts of Appeals (First, Second, Third, etc.) and the jurisdiction by state of each court. It also has links to the U.S. Supreme Court and other court related web sites.
Working with Parents and School Staff	Article	Information for parents when sending kids to pre-school and elementary school, sample letter to send home with other students, information for nurses, special information that teachers should read.
Wrightslaw Libraries	Web Site	Offers information about special education law and advocacy in the Wrightslaw Libraries for parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys.