The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that guarantees all children with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This includes children who need special education and related services.
To determine whether a child qualifies for special education, the school district must conduct a comprehensive evaluation.
This evaluation will assess the child’s academic, social, and emotional functioning.The evaluation will also look at the child’s developmental history and medical records.
The evaluation team will use the results of the evaluation to determine whether the child has a disability that adversely affects their educational performance.
If the team determines that the child has a disability, they will then need to determine whether the disability requires special education and related services.
How to Determine Whether a Child Qualifies for Special Education
The following are some of the disabilities that may qualify a child for special education:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Intellectual disability (ID)
- Learning disability (LD)
- Speech or language impairment (SLI)
- Emotional disturbance (ED)
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Multiple disabilities
- Visual impairment (VI)
- Hearing impairment (HI)
- Deaf-blindness
- Other health impairment (OHI)
If the child is found eligible for special education, the school district will develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for them. The IEP is a written plan that outlines the child’s educational goals and the special education and related services that the child will receive.
The IEP team will include the child’s parents, teachers, and other professionals who work with the child. The team will meet at least once a year to review the IEP and make changes as needed.
If you are concerned that your child may have a disability and need special education, you should contact your child’s school district. The school district will be able to conduct an evaluation and determine whether your child qualifies for special education.
We hope this article has been helpful. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
