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Fall 2007 Table of Contents
Versión Español de este artículo (Spanish Version)

Book Reviews

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition,and
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition,
by Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright

Reviewed by Tricia and Calvin Luker, parents and advocates, Royal Oak, MI

Abstract: this book review by Tricia and Calvin Luker discusses the valuable information provided in these books that were awarded the Exceptional Parent Symbol of Excellence.

Key Words: blindness, visual impairment, Wrightslaw, Peter and Pamela Wright, Exceptional Parent, IEP, special education, IDEA, No Child Left Behind, advocacy.

It is the night before Jessica’s first big IEP Team meeting and her parents are scrambling to find something – ANYTHING – that can help them prepare for the meeting. Try Wrightslaw. Sally’s advocate is packing her briefcase as she heads out the door for the IEP Team meeting. She checks for her most critical resource. Wrightslaw. Susan, a school district attorney, checks her bag before heading off to her next meeting. Yup. Wrightslaw. Is there no one who hasn’t heard of Wrightslaw?

Actually, we are sure that many readers have not, so today we review two new books from Wrightslaw. Both are second editions of books Pam and Pete Wright first released several years ago. The Wrights have updated both books to reflect the 2004 changes to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] and its implementing regulations. We use both books in our regular course of business and highly recommend them to parents, educators, advocates, attorneys and anyone else who has a need for quick but comprehensive manuals on special education law.

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition [Wrightslaw] is a wonderful and ready resource for all who want to be able to find and then quote chapter and verse of IDEA law and regulations. The book includes the complete text of all four parts of IDEA as enacted in December, 2004. Wrightslaw also contains the complete implementing regulations for IDEA that became effective in August, 2006. These texts alone are worth the cost of the book.

But Wrightslaw does not stop with the IDEA statute and its implementing regulations. Wrightslaw also includes the complete text of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act [FERPA]; the text to Section 504 [the Rehabilitation Act of 1973]; and the text of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. These inclusions ensure that the Wrightslaw user always has the key educational laws right at her fingertips at a moment’s need. We have cited our Wrightslaw at IEP Team meetings, due process hearings, client meetings and the like.

Pam and Pete Wright make Wrightslaw even more valuable by including commentary on how to apply the included laws to typical special education circumstances. They talk about the No Child Left Behind Act and show how it fits into the special education law scheme. They cite and include the text of the major court cases that have shaped how special education law should be interpreted and implemented. And they have included a glossary of special education terms and acronyms with a user-friendly index.

We regard Wrightslaw as an essential resource in our practice. We believe the book should be part of every parent’s (and educator’s, advocate’s, attorney’s) special education library because of its rich and vital contents.

We also heartily recommend Pam and Pete’s second book, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition. The Wrights call this book “The Special Education Survival Guide.” And well it is. The Wrights designed this book primarily for parents who need a one-stop how-to resource that will teach them to be strong and effective advocates for their children.

We cannot say enough about the contents and organization of this book. The Wrights have divided it into five sections. Section One helps parents to organize their thoughts and ideas, creating a mind-set for them in their undertaking as advocates for their child. Section Two highlights the practice of advocacy, outlines the players, identifies common traps, and provides strategies for resolving conflicts and managing crises. Section Three gives parents nuts and bolts information needed to make parents experts on all facets of their child’s education; from file organization to testing to writing strong IEP’s. Section Four walks parents through the broad principles found in IDEA’s major provisions, touching on Section 504 and the No Child Left Behind Act. Finally, Section Five shows the now-well prepared parent how to advocate in the trenches: at the IEP Team meeting, collecting and documenting information; and managing and winning disputes.

We like From Emotions to Advocacy because it is loaded with sage advice that most parents will find easy to understand and apply. We especially like that the Wrights pull no punches in telling parents what they are in for as their child’s advocates. Their “Rules of Adverse Assumptions,” discussed in Chapter 21, are particularly powerful and to the point­—don’t expect others, especially educators, to see things your way. Plan and prepare to win your case on your own, using your own wits and resources. They then show you how.

Through Wrightslaw and From Emotions to Advocacy Pete and Pam Wright have provided a great service to parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys, providing them with hands-on resources that pack power to the punch. We proudly award both books the Exceptional Parent EP Symbol of Excellence.

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Last Revision: December 11, 2007