Disabilities that are most commonly found in the school system are often disabilities that are not visible. Students with learning disabilities present themselves as a typical student in the public school system. Learning disabilities are often the most misunderstood disability by educators. It has been our experience in working with parents of students with disabilities that their involvement in the educational process and programming of their child helps make the school experience for their child a positive one. Parents need to serve as an integral part of the student's IEP team and inform themselves of the rights their student has to an education program.
Many parents collaborate and receive support from other parents of students with disabilities.
In addition, there are many statewide conferences and in-services to assist parents in the skills and knowledge they need to be a member of their child's education team. Because many strategies for working with students with learning disabilities are not known by general education teachers, many students with learning disabilities have an unsuccessful school experience. Resources in the public school system should be pursued first. Many students with learning disabilities benefit from teaching strategies and interventions, which can be implemented by educators with specialized training. Often times, this occurs outside of the general education classroom, for example, in a resource room setting or through a collaborative consultative model in which a teacher with a special education background consult with the general education teacher.