November 14, 2017
7:00 pm: Advocating for Your Child: What you need to know to be an effective partner in the 504 and IEP process.
with Richard Weinfeld
Parents can be effective and powerful advocates for their children. In order to do so, they need to understand the key parts of the process where their input is critical. Parents also need to understand their rights in these educational processes. The presenter, Rich Weinfeld, a special educational consultant who serves the Annapolis and Eastern Shore areas, will share what he has learned in over 4 decades “on both sides of the table,” advocating for student with special needs.
Bio: Richard Weinfeld directs Weinfeld Education Group, LLC, a group of over 40 educational consultants, psychologists, and a variety of related student service providers, located in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. Mr. Weinfeld also directs the work of Weinfeld Education Group LA, LLC, a group of five special education consultants located in the Los Angeles, California area.
In addition to directing the work of the two companies, Mr. Weinfeld provides direct special education consultation services to families of students with special needs. Mr. Weinfeld also does extensive parent and staff training and consults with schools about appropriate programming for students. He has long been an advocate for quality educational programs for all students.
Twenty-six years of his thirty-year career, with Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools, were spent in a variety of leadership roles in special education. Mr. Weinfeld has expertise in working with students with a wide range of disabilities including learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and emotional disturbance. He served as Montgomery County’s first full-time coordinator of programs for students who are simultaneously gifted and learning disabled.
Mr. Weinfeld’s books include, School Success for Kids with High Functioning Autism, Smart Kids with Learning Difficulties: Overcoming Obstacles and Realizing Potential; Helping Boys Succeed in School; School Success for Student’s with Asperger’s Syndrome; and Special Needs Advocacy Resource Book. He has also co-authored several articles on a variety of special education topics, including Legal Issues in Identifying and Serving Twice-Exceptional Gifted Learners.
He was co-host of a weekly Internet radio show, “Teach Your Children Well: Hot Topics in Education.” Mr. Weinfeld presents at numerous national conferences. He has instructed at Johns Hopkins University, served on the Maryland State Department of Education's Gifted Advisory Committee, and served on the board of directors for the Association for Educators of Gifted Underachieving Student (AEGUS).
Also tonight:
8:30pm - 9:20pm: Parent Support Group with Carol Robbins, Ph.D.
8:30pm - 9:20pm: Adult Support Group with Matt Cahill
