Office of Special Education
Frequently Asked Questions - General Questions

Frequently Asked Questions
Excerpted from National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)

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.