The Top 10 Basics of Special Education

This module looks at : … Steps in the special education process … Principles to know … Additional Principles

Key Provisions of IDEA Guess what 6 components are so important, they made this list

I ndividuals with D isabilities E ducation A ct Our nation’s special education law IDEA

All Children MUST be Served – No Exceptions! Childfind ensure that we seek out children with disabilities Zero Reject

Must use a variety of assessment tools No bias in race, culture or ethnicity Administered in native language Non Discriminatory Assessment

F ree A ppropriate P ublic E ducation What States must make available to all eligible children with disabilities FAPE

Key Principles L east R estrictive E nvironment LRE Children with disabilities are to be educated with children who do not have disabilities, to the maximum extent appropriate

Continuum of Services Level 1: General Education Classroom Level 2: General Education Classroom with consultative services Level 3: General Education Classroom with instruction, co- teaching, or other services Level 4: General Education Classroom with resource room services Level 5: Full-time special education classroom Level 6: Special School Level 7: Special facilities, nonpublic school (day or residential)

System geared/biased toward families Parents are involved in all levels of planning and decision making – nothing can be done without parental consent Due Process

Schools are partners with parents! Parental input and consent required for all decisions Parent Participation

Result of Special Education for All Individuals: I ndividualized E ducation P rogram Every public school child with disabilities receiving IDEA-funded special education must have one IEP

Basics about the IEP  I ndividualized  Written plan for a child’s education  Written by parents and school staff together  Lists the special education the child will receive, and more  Is both a document and a process

Principles Four Principles Added to IDEA

Schools are partners with families! Amendments to IDEA is 1986 and 1990 provided service to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities serving BIRTH to School Age. Early Childhood

Amendment added in 2004 Students with disabilities must participate in general state-and district-wide assessment programs. State Assessments

2004 amendments to IDEA 15% of the funding local education authority receives from the federal government can be allocated to students not currently identified for special education but who need academic and behavioral supports in the general education setting. Early Intervening Services

Amendments from 1997 and 2004 All 16 year old students with disabilities must be provided with a Transition Plan Transition Services

Definitions Key Terms in Special Education “Language”

C hild with a Disability Definition (a) General. (1) Child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with §§ through as having mental retardation, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this part as ‘‘emotional disturbance’’), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. (2)(i) Subject to paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section, if it is determined, through an appropriate evaluation under §§ through , that a child has one of the disabilities identified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, but only needs a related service and not special education, the child is not a child with a disability under this part. (ii) If, consistent with §300.39(a)(2), the related service required by the child is considered special education rather than a related service under State standards, the child would be determined to be a child with a disability under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(1)Child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with §§ through as having… …and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. autism deaf-blindness deafness emotional disturbance hearing impairment mental retardation multiple disabilities orthopedic impairment other health impairment specific learning disability speech or language impairment traumatic brain injury or visual impairment (including blindness)

Who, by reason thereof…

S pecial Education Definition …specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability…” This includes: “(A) instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and “(B) instruction in physical education”

R elated Services Definition § Related services. (a) General. Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also include school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training. (b) Exception; services that apply to children with surgically implanted devices, including cochlear implants. (1) Related services do not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of that device’s functioning (e.g., mapping), maintenance of that device, or the replacement of that device…

R elated Services Definition Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services… …as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education…

R elated Services Definition …and includes— speech-language pathology and audiology services interpreting services psychological services physical and occupational therapy recreation, including therapeutic recreation early identification and assessment of disabilities in children counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling orientation and mobility services medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes school health services and school nurse services social work services in schools parent counseling and training

H ow in the world would you decide which related services a child needs?

R elated Services Exception; services that apply to children with surgically implanted devices, including cochlear implants Related services do not include: a medical device that is surgically implanted; the optimization of that device’s functioning (e.g., mapping); maintenance of that device; or the replacement of that device…

S upplementary Aids and S ervices Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate in accordance with §§ through …

T ransition S ervices (a) Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that— (1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; (2) Is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes— (i) Instruction; (ii) Related services; (iii) Community experiences; (iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and (v) If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation. (b) Transition services for children with disabilities may be special education, if provided as specially designed instruction, or a related service, if required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.

Transition services are intended to help youth with disabilities make the transition from the world of secondary school to the world of adulthood

T ransition S ervices Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that— (1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including— postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation

T ransition S ervices (a) Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that— (1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; (2) Is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes— (i)Instruction; (ii)Related services; (iii)Community experiences; (iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and (v)If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.

T ransition S ervices (a) Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that— (1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process… (2) Is based on the individual child’s needs… …and includes— (i)Instruction; (ii)Related services; (iii)Community experiences; (iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and (v)If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 1. Step 1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 1. Step 1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services Step 2. Step 2. Child is evaluated

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 3. Step 3. Eligibility is decided Parents are part of the group that decides eligibility

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 3. Step 3. Eligibility is decided Step 4. Step 4. Child is found eligible for services Yes

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 5. Step 5. IEP meeting is scheduled

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 6. Step 6. IEP meeting is held, and the IEP is written

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 7. Step 7. Services are provided

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 8. Step 8. Progress is measured and reported to parents

Steps: The Basics of Special Education Process under IDEA Step 9. Step 9. IEP is reviewed Step 10. Step 10. Child is reevaluated

Tired yet?

You’ve just consumed practically the entire platter of special education and IDEA’s most essential concepts and principles.

P asture T ime, here we come.