Special Education in Georgia For Parents and Caregivers QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Created by Ann Pritchard Lori Rader Joyce Reid

Why has my child been referred for special services testing? It is apparent that your child needs additional help in the general classroom. A referral is a formal request to school officials or the student support team (SST) for your child to be tested for eligibility for special education services. Who can refer my child? A teacher, the students group of teachers, or you, the parent may request testing. A referral needs to have the following: state the reason for the referral a request for special education testing include background information on the child, including reasons you think he may have a learning disability Include copies of any additional information related to your child's educational difficulties such as copies of test results, grades, information from a doctor, or outside assessments if available. Upon parent request, when must a system evaluate a student? The GA DOE states, if the system agrees with the parent that the child may be a child who is eligible for special education services, the system must evaluate the child. If a system declines the parents request for an evaluation, the system must issue a prior written notice as required which states, written notice must be given to the parent of a child with a disability a reasonable time before the public agency refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or

educational placement of the child or the provision of free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child.

What happens next?

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed by the SST which includes parent(s). IEP
What is an IEP?

According to GA DOE, an IEP is a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting.
What happens in a determination meeting?

Upon completion of the assessments and other measures, the SST, including the parent of the child, determine whether the child is a child with a disability and the educational needs of the child.
What are possible placements for Special Education services my child may need?

Some of the most prevalent placements are being the resource room, Least Restricted Environment, which is getting extra instruction in the classroom, and selfcontained classroom.
What are Related Services?

Related services are support services to help your child. Services include: speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, early identification, transportation, school health services, and social work services.

What are your rights as a parent of a child with disabilities? Participation You must be invited to attend meetings about your child such as eligibility, re-evaluation, or IEP meetings You must be given opportunities to participate in any decision-making meeting regarding your childs special education. You must be invited to any meeting that is held to discuss your childs disability, evaluations, reevaluations, placement of your child, and his/her IEP and its contents. You are entitled to have IEP meetings held at a time and place mutually convenient to you and other members of the IEP Team You are to receive copies of all documents about your childs education program and can have them explained to you Consent The school cannot test/evaluate or re-evaluate your child without your permission/consent. The school cannot place your child in special education or change your childs program placement without your permission/consent. The school system cannot release your childs records without your permission/consent except to certain individuals identified in law. You have the right to not give your permission/consent. You have the right to take away your consent to special education and related services once you have given permission; you must do it in writing. Revoking consent means your child will no longer receive any special education services.

What is IDEA ? Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law enacted in 1990 that ensures all students, regardless of ability, will receive a free public education. The law covers students between the ages of 3 and 21 and accounts for a wide range of disabilities including autism, vision and hearing impairment, mental retardation, serious emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, speech and language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and any other health impairment.

How does IDEA affect me as a parent? FAPE or Free Appropriate Public Education under IDEA states that a child should receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to address the childs specific educational needs. Students are to be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) which is the regular education classroom, unless their disability is so severe that they cannot meet the demands of that classroom even with special aids and services

What is Due Process? Due Process protects the rights of the child under IDEA and sets forth policies and procedures for schools to follow to ensure each child has a quality education.

Who does Section 504 pertain to? Section 504 is a segment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which protects against discrimination based on disability in federally funded programs. Section 504 covers people between the ages of 3 and 22 with either a physical or mental impairment.

What accommodations are available with 504? The accommodations to students provided by Section 504 include assistive technology, behavior intervention plans (BIPs), preferred seating, oral testing and directions, and any other accommodation that allows a student to function in a regular education classroom.

Who is responsible to implement a 504 plan? Local school districts are responsible for implementing Section 504. It is required by federal law that they provide these services.

RTI
What is RTI? Response to Intervention (RTI), is an data driven approach used in identifying the early signs of learning disabilities in children before academic and behavioral issues cause the child to fall behind. With RTI parents, teachers, and trained staff work closely together to assess, monitor, and assist students on a regular basis in order to make educated decisions as to the childs individual needs. RTI is comprised of four tiers. What are four tiers involved in RTI? Tier 1 implemented in the general education classroom with instruction tailored to individual differences by trained staff and the parents. support is offered in the classroom, at school functions, and at home. Progress is monitored through communication between students, parents, teachers, and staff; and through the students benchmark results.

Tier 2

 targeted academic and/ or behavioral interventions for students who are struggling. parents work with the students and the Student Support team through team meetings. Information can be attained from the childs teacher about the referral process. Progress can be monitored through records of interventions, which can be supplied through the school or at the team meetings. Tier 3 a more intensive strategy used to identify individual students needs Several of the methods in tier 2 are also implemented in tier 3 but with more intense research-based interventions. If little or no progress is being made in tier 3, a referral to the Comprehensive Building Team (CBT) may be necessary to determine if your child has a physical or mental learning disability. Parents will be required to give consent to implement special services. Tier 4 identifies students who are eligible for special education and provides support through the Individualized Education Program (IEP). An IEP team, working with parents will evaluate recent reports from the school and the CBT to place the child in the appropriate program based on their individual needs.

RESOURCES
Durheim, M. (2010). GreatSchools. Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-

rights/section-504.gs?content=868 If you are a parent, you need to know what public schools are legally required to provide to your special needs child. This is your guide to what rights your child has in the public school system and what services they are eligible for. National Resource Center on AD/HD. Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.help4adhd.org/education/rights/idea This website provides information on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A comprehensive history is given along with an explanation of applicability and specific terminology. Find out what IDEA means for your child and how you can stay on top of your childs educational rights. Voice Nation. Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.voicenation.com/resources/generalresources/article-library/special-education-resources.shtml This website is full of useful links for all things related to special education. Specific disabilities including behavioral, hearing and vision disabilities, learning disabilities, and autism are covered with additional links to parent resources, assistive technology, nationalorganizations, and support groups. Parent to Parent of Georgia, 2010. Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.p2pga.com This is a great resource for parents. It includes information, support, and training for parents about children with disabilities. Parents can twitter, blog or facebook with other parents about concerns.

GA DOE, 2010. Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_exceptional.aspx? PageReq=CIEXCAdoptedRules A website that lists all the Special Education rules and

regulations including definitions to help parents understand the education language and special education process.

CEC, 2010, Retrieved June 2010, from http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home A professional website suited for parents, educators, students and related service professionals. Dedicated to the improvement of educational practice for students with disabilities and the gifted. A true advocate for the people.