I have included subsections to this section; however, I feel that it is important that you read this introduction to Special Education so I have not included links to the subsections until the end of this introduction. If you have been here before and have already read this introduction, you can simply scroll past this information or go to the Site Map.
First let's cover what it's not. Special Education is not a place, it is not a life-sentence, and it is not the end of all hopes and dreams for your child. Through the Federal Laws which have been adopted over the years, Special Education is simply educational rights for people with disabilities which ensures equal access to an appropriate education while recognizing the special needs of the individual.
Special Education means something different for each individual student with a disability. Also, the federal regulations encourage states to provide support services within regular education that do not require a child to be determined as a child with a disability nor need an Individualized Educational Program. For instance, there are many children within the regular education system which have the need for speech and language services and these services are often provided as support services within regular education. Such students are often referred to as "504 students" as these services come under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The goal of Special Education is to provide the services appropriate to the individual needs of the child. The annual review process is designed to review the needs of the child and make appropriate changes. As a child with a disability progresses in his abilities, less and less services are recommended. If your child reaches the point where he is no longer classified as a child with a disability, your school district is likely to recommend "Declassification Support Services" to ease the transition from Special Education to regular education.
Specific services available depend on the age of your child. For children ages 3-5, see the section on Preschool Special Education. For children 5 and older, see School age Special Education. But first, let's briefly cover Least Restrictive Environment.
It sounds pretty technical but basically all it means is that the needed services are delivered to the child in whatever setting he would typically be in rather than bringing the child to the services. In some instances, determining the Least Restrictive Environment might not be that cut and dry though, for educational services are to be provided in the environment in which the child's educational needs will best be met. For the sake of keeping this introduction to Special Education as brief as possible I will use two basic examples. For a preschool-age child, special education services would usually be delivered to the child where ever he normally spends his days -- at home, day care center, Head Start Program, Nursery School, etc. However, some circumstances dictate that the Least Restrictive Environment would be to place the student in a self-contained Special Education classroom. Circumstances that may lead to this decision may be the student needing such a wide range of services that it would be less intrusive, and many times an area that the child needs help with is the area of social development which often is best met in such a classroom. Please keep in mind, though, that decisions are completely based on each individual child and his very individual needs. Services for school age children are most often delivered at the school which the child would normally attend but it must further be decided whether the child would best be suited by being in regular education classrooms, a self-contained classroom or, most often, the combination of these and other services.
Regardless of whether your child is already receiving special education services or if you simply have questions about your child's development, and regardless of whether your child is at the Preschool or School-age level, it is important that parents become familiar with the Federal and State Education Laws. I will provide you with basic information about the Federal Education Laws and Links to more information on these laws. Further, since I live in New York State, I will occasionally state how things work here in New York State. To find out about your State Education Laws, a good place to start is National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY).
The Federal laws that you should become familiar with are:
"Sec. 601 d) PURPOSES -- The purposes of this title are:
A) to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living;
B) to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of such children are protected; and
C) to assist states, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities; "
Students covered under IDEA are classified as a child with a disability. For preschool children the classification is simply "Preschool Child with A Disability" . School-age children are classified into one or more of thirteen disabling conditions. After being deemed eligible, and Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is written specifically for the child.
It is this Act that you should become most familiar with if your child has a disability. IDEA is what spells out the Special Education law, however, Section 504 (below) is also very important.
This entitles people with disabilities equal access to services and programs that receive federal funds. Although Section 504 also covers children who qualify for IDEA entitlements, one commonly hears of "504" separately. This is because "504" covers children who may not be eligible for IDEA entitlement.
Examples of potential 504 handicapping conditions not typically covered under IDEA include communicable diseases, medical conditions (asthma, allergies, diabetes, etc.), temporary medical conditions due to illness or accident, behavioral difficulties, and other conditions. Children are not classified with a disability and do not have an IEP. However, this Act enables them to receive related aides and services, reasonable accommodations and more.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
This ensures that people with disabilities are not discriminated against at work, school, or other aspects of community living. It is this Act that has made it so that public buildings must be accessible to people with disabilities.
[School-age Special Education]
[The IEP]
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