Advocates to help parents understand child's IEP

JACKSON - Parents of students who receive special education services can sometimes find the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process to be confusing and stressful.

The Jackson Parent to Parent support group is holding a special IEP clinic where parents can talk one-on-one with an advocate about their child's IEP and discuss related services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy with licensed therapists.

Sessions with an advocate are for 30 minutes, and sessions with therapists are 15 minutes. The therapists are volunteers from A-Z Pediatric Wellness, Children's Specialized Hospital and other local private practices.

This session of the Jackson Parent to Parent support group will be held on April 19 from 6-8:30 p.m. Jackson parents of children who are already receiving special education services and have questions about their child's IEP should call Pattie Carollo at (732) 886-9584 to register.

Jackson Parent to Parent support group meetings are held monthly in the Crawford-Rodriguez Elementary School IMC (library) at 1025 Larsen Road. The Crawford-Rodriguez school is behind the Johnson Elementary School on Larsen Road.

According to a press release, the Jackson Parent to Parent support group is dedicated to serving the special education needs in Jackson. The mission is to provide a forum where parents and those providing care can find emotional support on the challenges of raising a child with special needs and a venue for information on matters related to special education.

This is accomplished through encouraging, facilitating and educating parents and caregivers in addressing and resolving issues related to special education and empowering them to be effective advocates on behalf of their children and others with special needs.

The Parent to Parent support group promotes collaboration with the Jackson school district as effective partners in improving educational outcomes for all students. The group also provides resources and educational workshops.

To register, send an email to jacksonparent2parent@yahoo.com or contact Pattie Carollo at (732) 886-9584.