HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Education Overview for School Board 11-04-19SPECIAL EDUCATION
OVERVIEW
JANET BUBERT
UNDERWOOD LAW FIRM
OVERVIEW
•IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
•Child Find
•Assessment, Eligibility, FAPE and the IEP Process
•LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) and the
continuum of educational placements
IDEA PROVIDES ELIGIBILE STUDENTS:
•A free and appropriate public education (FAPE)
•Placement in the least restrictive environment
•Opportunity for parent participation
These rights are protected by:
•Individualized Education Program (IEP)
•Due process procedures
CHILD FIND
All children with disabilities including homeless or wards
of the state, who are enrolled in elementary and
secondary schools and private schools, including
parochial schools, regardless of the severity of their
disabilities, and who are in need of special education and
related services shall be identified, located and assessed.
REFERRAL TO SPECIAL EDUCATION
•A pupil should be referred for special education
instruction and services only after the resources
of the regular education program have been
considered and, where appropriate, utilized.
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI )
•RtI is a systematic and data-driven set of interventions used in the general education
environment to identify and intervene with students having academic or behavioral
difficulties. Interventions must be research-based and delivered with fidelity.
•There are three levels or tiers in the RtI model:
•Tier 1 –All students
•Tier 2 –Students not showing progress with Level 1 interventions. Small groups,
more intensive
•Tier 3 –Students not showing progress with Level 2 interventions. Smaller groups,
most intensive
WHO IS AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT WITH A
DISABILITY?
•Between the ages of 3 -21
•Meet the definition of one or more of the categories of
disabilities
•Need special education and related services as a result
of a disability or disabilities
IDEA DISABILITY CATEGORIES
•Autism
•Deaf
•Deaf-Blindness
•Emotional Disturbance
•Hearing Impairment
•Intellectual Disability
•Multiple Disabilities
•Visual Impairment
•Orthopedic Impairment
•Other Health Impairment
•Specific Learning Disability
•Speech/Language Impairment
•Traumatic Brain Injury
WHAT IS SPECIAL EDUCATION?
•Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the
parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with
a disability.
•Special education is a service, not a place.
•Modifications vs. Accommodations
RELATED SERVICES
•Speech/language
•Orientation/mobility
•Transportation
•Adaptive PE
•Occupational therapy
•Physical therapy
•Assistive technology
•Counseling
•Behavior support
•Audiological services
•Health and nursing services
•Parent counseling/training
FULL INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION (FIE)
•Used to determine eligibility for special education
services and creating an appropriate IEP
•Must be sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the
student’s special education needs, whether or not
commonly linked to the disability category in which the
student is classified
•Must be completed by qualified evaluators
FULL INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION (FIE)
•Reviewed by an ARD (Admission, Review & Dismissal)
Committee to determine if student is eligible for special
education services under the IDEA
•If eligible, ARD committee develops an IEP
ARD COMMITTEE
•Parents of the child
•Administrator
•General Education teacher
•Special Education teacher
•Individual who can interpret the instructional implications of
evaluation results
•Other individuals with knowledge or special expertise about
the child, including related services personnel as appropriate
•Whenever appropriate, the child with the disability.
THE IEP
•A written, individualized statement
•Developed and reviewed by the ARD Committee at
least annually
•A commitment of appropriate services for student to
make progress in the curriculum
•The IEP does not guarantee educational outcomes, but
should be reviewed if student not making progress
KEY CONCEPTS OF LRE
•Must be determined based on a student’s individual
needs
•The general education class is always the first
choice considered
•If student cannot be successful, then consider a
continuum of more restrictive placements.
PLACEMENT OPTIONS FOR LRE
•Mainstream
•Resource room
•Self-contained classroom
•Contracts with other school districts
•Nonpublic day school
•Home instruction
•Residential treatment facility
FAPE
•Special education and related services reasonably
calculated to enable a student to make progress
appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.
•IDEA does not guarantee any particular level of
education and does not promise any particular
educational outcome.
LIABILITY STANDARD
•Did the school comply with the procedures set
forth in the IDEA?
•Is the IEP reasonably calculated to enable the child
to receive educational benefits?