Family Resources for Children with Exceptional Needs ERIKA GUIDRY

Key Points  Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  Response to Intervention (RTI)  Individualized Education Program (IEP)  Additional family support

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  Federal law, passed in 1990, stating that ALL children with disabilities will receive free public education that is suitable to their unique needs.  This applies to all children/youth between the ages of 3 and 21.  This law stands regardless of nature/severity of disability (Hallahan, 2014).

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Cont.  For more information regarding IDEA please visit  IDEA requirements followed by public schools  Read IDEA’s exact words by either downloading copy/reading online  Guidance from Special Edu. Programs at U.S. Department of Edu.  Training materials/information

Response to Intervention (RTI)  Tool used to determine a child’s eligibility for special education programs, using several levels of support in general education before being referred to special education services.  The teacher gathers data and then decides whether the student is benefitting from instruction.  Records change in academic performance and behavior (Hallahan, 2014).

Response to Intervention Cont. Tier 1 All students screened to identify students who may be at risk At risk students are monitored weekly Tier 2 Small group instruction by teacher/highly trained assistant in areas of difficulty This instruction occurs 3 to 4 times a week for 6 to 8 weeks Tier 3 More intense intervention by special education teacher Students progress is monitored more frequently

Individualized Education Program (IEP)  Legal document describing the educational services that a student should receive  Format of IEP will change depending on the child’s needs and the school district  Individualized program plan designed to meet the needs of the student  Document should be useful, clear, and legally defensible (Hallahan, 2014)  For Indiana’s state guidelines visit

Individualized Education Program Cont.  Families of students with special needs should know the importance of the development of the IEP before placement is ever administered. A common issue is students being placed where there is availability, before the IEP is written. The IEP should be developed based off the students individual needs, and then the student should be placed in an environment in which the needed services can be provided (Hallahan, 2014).

Additional Family Support  This website offers a list of resources and support groups across Indiana -  For a list of 10 different resources for special needs families visit  List of links to a variety of different support group websites  This website provides ideas for child care, helpful websites, and tips for special needs families -

WHY? I chose to highlight these specific topics because I feel that they are really important for families, with children who have special needs, to be educated about. It’s important for families to know that their children have the right to receive an appropriate education. They should know the process that is carried out to make decisions. It is also important for families to know about the IEP that is developed based off their children’s needs, so they can refer to it and make sure that their children are receiving the education developed for them. It’s very beneficial for these families to know where they can go for support. The families of special needs students should be informed about their rights and the services available to them. This way they know if their child isn’t being treated fairly.

References Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman J. M., Pullen P. C. (2014). Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education (13 th ed.). University of Virginia: Pearson Education Inc. IDEA – The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2014). Center for Parent Information and Resources. Retrieved from Indiana Department of Education. Retrieved from