What are my rights as a parent in regards to a child with autism?

Question

What are my rights as a parent in regards to a child with autism?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_righ...

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageS...

Answer 2

I would assume you have the rights that all parents have in your state. Unless there is contention that you are not providing adequate care, your rights as a parent are not relational to an illness or disease that your child may have.

What are the rights of parents who have a child with cancer?

No different than the rights of a parent with a healthy child. You should consult area autism networks for support on issues specific to raising a child with autism. Also consider consulting your area Human Services or County Department if you are looking for programs in your area such as respite care.

Answer 3

The same as your rights in regards to any other child.

Answer 4

I'm not sure if you are familiar with the different laws regarding children with disabilities.  One is IDEA and the other is Section 504.

Your child has the right to have a free and appropriate education in a public school.

If they need special services such as occupational therapy or speech therapy, these sessions should take place in the classroom, in the least restrictive environment as possible.  How old is your child?

Under IDEA Part C, your may qualify for services from infancy to 3 years old.  After that, the IDEA Part B will be put into place.  A lot of these services now are given through the school (like occupational therapy and speech therapy) and are focused much more on academic progress.

I think getting in touch with a society in your area that is either a support group or provides education for parents with children who have autism is one of the best ways to begin learning about what your rights are, and what is best for your child.  Good luck!

Answer 5

If you would, please provide more details with your question.  I am very glad to answer it, but you have so many rights that without knowing the specific issue I might waste your time.  For example, are you interested in your rights regarding choice of educational method, location of education or related services, wanting to observe in school, wanting to have custody or visitation...?  I look forward to learning more about your circumstances.

Answer 6

I am the parent of a child with autism and I have the same rights with her as I do with my other children. Perhaps it would help if your question was more specific.

Answer 7

You have a right to a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) for your child under I.D.E.A.

This includes early intervention pre-school and possibly therapies like speech and physical therapy.  

Check with your local Regional Center or contact a local autism organization like the Autism Society for local service contact info.

Answer 8

My schools have always handed the parents a copy of their rights and responsibilities (it's  a packet of papers, maybe 10 or 15 pages) at each re-evaluation (every three years) as well as at every yearly meeting if the packet has changed within the year.  You should have or definitely get something like this.