Steps to Getting a Child Designated as a Student with Disability Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Red flags that Student May be a Student with a Disability Child is having issues at school Academic Retained Poor grades Behavioral Suspensions/Expulsion Restraints Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Diagnosis Provide all diagnoses to the school If child does not have a diagnosis, get a diagnosis from the child’s doctor Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Request Evaluations Students must be evaluated prior to receiving special education services Request that child be evaluated in ALL suspected areas of disability Put your request in writing Email is best! Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Consent The school must obtain written consent within 20 days of your request for an evaluation The consent form must be signed before the school can begin the evaluation process Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Evaluation Timeline Evaluations must be completed 60 days from the date the consent form was signed Refusal to evaluate The school must provide the parent with a written notice explaining the school’s refusal to conduct the evaluation. This must notice must be provided within 20 days   Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Eligibility School must schedule an eligibility meeting once evaluations are completed to determine: If child is eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The child’s specific educational needs What special education services and related services are appropriate for addressing the student’s needs Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Eligibility contd. If the child is found to be eligible for services under IDEA, an Individual Education plan(IEP) is created to address all the child’s educational needs IEP should include: The Child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance Goals Accommodations Related services Conference notes Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Areas of Eligibility (Florida) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) Ages Birth-5 Years Birth Through Two Years Established Conditions (EC): Ages Birth Through 2 Years Old Developmentally Delayed (DD): Ages Birth Through 2 Years Old Ages Three through Five Years Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Areas of Eligibility con’t. Developmentally Delayed (DD): Ages 3-5 Years Dual-Sensory Impairment (DSI): Deaf-Blind Emotional/Behavioral Disability (E/BD) Gifted Homebound or Hospitalized (HH) Intellectual Disability (InD) Language Impairment (LI) Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Areas of Eligibility con’t. Other Health Impairment (OHI) Orthopedic Impairment (OI) Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Speech Impairment (SI) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Visual Impairment (VI): Blind and Partially Sighted Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) A specific learning disability is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic learning processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest in significant difficulties affecting the ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematics. Associated conditions may include, but are not limited to, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, or developmental aphasia. A specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of a visual, hearing, motor, intellectual, or emotional/behavioral disability, limited English proficiency, or environmental, cultural, or economic factors. Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined to be a range of pervasive developmental disorders that adversely affects a student's functioning and results in the need for specially designed instruction and related services. Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterized by an uneven developmental profile and a pattern of qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication, and the presence of restricted repetitive, and/or stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.  Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Other Health Impaired Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems. This includes, but is not limited to, asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and acquired brain injury. Likely applies to diagnoses of mental illness. Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

Emotional/Behavioral Disability (EBD) A student with an emotional/behavioral disability has persistent (is not sufficiently responsive to implemented evidence based interventions) and consistent emotional or behavioral responses that adversely affect performance in the educational environment that cannot be attributed to age, culture, gender, or ethnicity. Community Legal Services of Mid-FL

If You Do not Agree with the Evaluations You may request an independent educational evaluation (IEE) if you disagree with the results of the evaluation School must either agree, pay for the IEE, or file for a Due Process hearing to show the assessment was appropriate. If granted an IEE, you may pick the provider. Community Legal Services of Mid-FL