I have worked with children and families for over a decade and the one thing that I’ve found through the years that parents are least knowledgeable about regarding their children is how to access special educational services for them. In fact, it might surprise you to know who actually qualifies for these services. It is not just the learning disabled or physically disabled student, but the student with emotional struggles as well, which includes, but is not limited to, depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress.
Children’s educational rights seem to be unknown to parents until that child begins to show some struggles in school. Unfortunately, the academic or behavioral problems that arise for some kids aren’t shared with their parents until it’s too late. “Too late” for some kids may be failing grades. For others it may be truancy, suspension, or even expulsion from school. Whatever the case, if parents do not know what services may be available to their children, then the services are often not granted. In some cases, they’re not even offered because it’s easier to rid the school of the problem child than it is to try to find a solution that may take extra time, effort, and manpower that our schools do not have.
There are two laws, which provide educational services to students with special needs whose disability adversely affects their educational performance. I’m going to talk about the first law in this article and the second one in an article to follow.
The first law is IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), which is generally referred to as special education. The term “special education” means instruction that is specially designed to address the unique needs of the student that result from the disability and to ensure access to the general curriculum. Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate, to the needs of an eligible child the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction. There are several different ways that a child may be eligible for special education services. They can qualify under one of thirteen categories in which their disability adversely affects their educational performance.
Specific Learning Disability.
A severe discrepancy exists between the intellectual ability and achievement in one or more of the following academic areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculations, mathematics reasoning, or dyslexia.
Or, the district may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention.
Hearing Impairment.
A permanent or fluctuating impairment that impairs processing of linguistic information through hearing even with amplification, which adversely affects educational performance.
Hearing and Visual Impairment.
If a child has both hearing and visual impairments, the combination of those causes severe communication, developmental, and educational problems.
Language or Speech Impairments.
An articulation disorder that significantly interferes with communication and attracts adverse attention.
Visual Impairment.
Even with correction, this adversely affects a pupil’s educational performance.
Severe Orthopedic Impairment.
Adversely affects a pupil’s educational performance.
Other Health Impairment.
The pupil has limited strength vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems including but not limited to heart condition, cancer, leukemia, etc. This includes ADHD and can include Bipolar disorder.
Autism-Like Disorders.
Any of the pervasive development disorders ranging from Autism to Asberger’s Syndrome that adversely affect the pupil’s educational performance.
Mental Retardation.
Serious Emotional Disturbance.
A child exhibits one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time, to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance:
- An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors
- An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
- Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances exhibited in several situations
- A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
- A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems
