Help me help my disabled child. She has no legs?

Question

I am a teacher and have a little girl in my class you came to me with no legs. She has a little bit of a stump on one side. An organization like docoters with no borders got her to the US from Mexico. My school is not helping me in the least with this little girl. Yesterday she came with a prothesis and a walker but the little girl has a hard time putting them on and I don't no how to help. She also speaks no english and I don't speak spanish. What can I do to help this little girl get the services she needs. No one is helping me. This little girl is only 5. Please help!

Answer 1

Like Sera, I was under the impression that the child was yours.

You may still make the first referral for services.  If you are in a public school and the administration is refusing to help, go to the district special ed director.  Since the family speaks Spanish and is from another country, they will not know about special ed law.

In IDEA there is a provision called "Child Find."  It says that the school is obligated to find all students who need services.  Your admins are in danger of a civil right suit.

As I said in your other post, you are still the best advocate for this child.  Good luck.

I agree with the previous poster who said to contact the Shriners.  They are a wonderful organization that helps kids for no cost to the parents.

Answer 2

Contact the Schriners.

Answer 3

First and foremost she needs an IEP. This is done through the school's principal, who contacts the local IEP facilitator who can arrange for a committe which includes the parents, the student, the special ed and general ed teacher, a rep of the local education agency and a family services co-ordinator, and any other necessary folks..all these people meet and decide on the best course of action for this child, what modifications and accomodations are available for her, what she needs in order to be afforded a free and appropriate public education, which means she gets an education on the same level as all other children on her grade level.  She is guaranteed this IEP under the IDEA act of 1971.

You need to start the ball rolling now, and get her what she is due.

Good luck!

Answer 4

The school is required to provide access to this child under Section 504:

No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service....”  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€Â”29 U.S.C. § 794(a) (1973).

Answer 5

Please let me know what I can do to help..

Answer 6

Your first question I answered led me to assume this was *your* own child. Unless the parents request an IEP, and unless they ask for the school's help, nothing can really be done. There's not much you can do without parental consent short of a court order.