General Special
Education Questions
I think my
child may need special help in school. What do I do?
Begin by finding out more about special services and programs for
students in your school system. Also, find out more about the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law gives eligible children
with disabilities the right to receive special services and assistance
in school. These services are known as special education and related
services. They can be important in helping your child at school
What is special
education?
Special education is instruction that is specially designed to meet
the unique needs of children who have disabilities. This is done at
no cost to the parents. Special education can include special instruction
in the classroom, at home, in hospitals or institutions, or in other
settings.
Over 5 million children
ages 6 through 21 receive special education and related services each
year in the United States. Each of these children receives instruction
that is specially designed:
· To meet the child's unique needs (that result from having a
disability); and
· To help the child learn the information and skills that other
children are learning.
This definition
of special education comes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA), Public Law 105-17.
Who is eligible
for special education?
Certain children with disabilities are eligible for special education
and related services. The IDEA provides a definition of a "child
with a disability." This law lists 13 different disability categories
under which a child may be found eligible for special education and
related services.
· Autism · Multiple disabilities · Speech or language
impairment
· Deafness · Orthopedic impairment · Traumatic
brain injury
· Deaf-blindness · Other health impairment · Visual
impairment, including blindness
· Hearing impairment · Serious emotional disturbance
· Mental retardation · Specific learning disability
According to IDEA,
the disability must affect the child's educational performance. The
question of eligibility, then, comes down to whether the child has a
disability that fits in one of IDEA's 13 categories and whether that
disability affects how the child does in school. That is, the disability
must cause the child to need special education and related services.
