Reed Martin Conferences -Any feedback?

Personally, I don’t care for his approach or style (okay, I start with trouble with his website which is a great example of forty-seven things NOT to do!), though I am sure he has helped many people. My experience has been that the Wrightslaw “From emotions to advocacy” angle is better in the long run for both sanity and results.

Ditto, but I am a teacher. The flavor on Wrightslaw is balanced, though pro-advocacy and services for disabled students. Reed Martin’s site is bordering on angry, almost anti-school. Plus, some of the parents on that site give questionable advice and if you suggest that anything a parent on that site asks for or wants may not be supported by legal precedent, even if caselaw does not support them, you are a troublemaker. On Wrightslaw you can get advice and you can be told when something probably won’t hold up legally. No one attacks you.

Reed Martin is a full-inclusion advocate. His seminars tend to encourage parents of all students to demand full-inclusion for all students, no matter the need or the severity of issues.

You can certainly spend your money on Reed Martin. He may be helpful to you. However, I tend to agree that Pete and Pam Wright’s book may be a worthwhile investment for many parents, perhaps more cost effective in the long run than Reed Martin.

…maybe that’s why I preferred Wrightslaw more than Reed Martin, but never knew exactly why…

Run don’t walk to that seminar..He is awsome.
As a parent, I feel Reed Martin’s advice is far more user friendly than Wrightslaw. I attended a Reed Martin seminar last fall and he cuts to the quick. It looks like the other posts here seem to find that hostile. He is not a full inclusion advocate as stated in another post. He constantly qualifies his statements with the words “as -practical”.
I have used his advice and have gotten the school to pay for assessments they tried to refuse without good reason. When I followed his instructions, I got what my child needed. he shows how to force the school district to justify refusels foir requests for service. I wish I had found our about him years ago.
I have been following wrightslaw for years and gotten no where because they don’t show you how to use the LAW! They try to teach you how to act an IEP and when you are dealing with a district who does not follow the laws or play fair, it is a huge waste of energy and a great cause of frustration.

I agree with everyone above:-) While I love some of Reed’s advice,Wrightslaw’s book on IDEA is a must,especially if one want’s to write a very hostile state complaint:-)Emotions to Advocacy is a good book also,but if you had to pick,get his first book,first. Mainly because all the laws are in there. 504 ADA and IDEA are all in there,and an easy cross referenced bibliography to help anyone find what federal law protects what subject or situation. Reed I find very good with Autism Services,and other specific needs,but both are in essence very good at what they do. They are NOT teacher’s,they ARE special education rights attorney’s.Wrightslaw does it in a more technical way in regards to his website,while Reed Martin does it in more user friendly manner. Both have bulletin boards that can be quite helpful. When you need and require laws,rights,and ammunition,visit either site:-) I love Peter and Pam’s article regarding how to understand evaluations scores. I love Reed’s article on making grade level equiv. on the IEP goals. Peter Wright does a great job at conferences.Reed Martin does specific workshops at reasonable prices.

I was able to order both of the Wrightslaw books as a package on amazon. Great resources, wish I had gotten them sooner.
Amy

>Reed Martin is a full-inclusion advocate. His seminars tend to encourage parents of all students to demand full-inclusion for all students, no matter the need or the severity of issues. <

This is totally untrue. He points out how forcing most LD students into the mainstream and forcing them into a one-size-fits-all RSP programs can be in fact a very restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment is the one where a student is able to learn and succeed socially, emotionally and academically. Hence, full-inclusion often is a very restictive enviroment that does not meet the needs of LD kids. LD kids have equal or superior intllegence therefore they should be at grade level and in all probablility they will never achive it while in the mainstream. Schools are used to these kids falling and staying grade levels behind and rarely address how to acelerate these children to their proper grade level.

This view is not anti-school, it is pro child.

My child has lived thru this hell. Now that he is in a private LD school, he is now achieveing socially, academically and emotionally. They are accelerating him, he is now a “smart kid” not the “slow one” any more.