IEP & 504 Plan Info and Useful Links
What you should know about Child
Find:
· The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act includes the Child Find mandate. Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This obligation to identify all children who may need special education services exists even if the school is not providing special education services to the child.
Wright’s Law: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.index.htm
State of Ohio Board of Education: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Child-Find
Ohio Board of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Procedures-and-Guidance
This LINK shows the OBOE Process from Child Find, to Evaluation, to IEP, Discipline and other relevant information.
Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
· Child is evaluated.
· Eligibility is decided.
· Child is found eligible for services.
· IEP meeting is scheduled.
· IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.
· Services are provided.
· Progress is measured and reported to parents.
· IEP is reviewed.
· Child is reevaluated.
What you should know about I.D.E.A.:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
US Department of Education: ED.Gov: http://idea.ed.gov
Formerly National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
Now: Center for Parent Information and Resources: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/idea/
US Department of Education: I.D.E.A. (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Confidentiality Provisions: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/pdf/idea-ferpa.pdf
Ohio Department of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Whose-IDEA-Is-This-A-Parent-s-Guide-to-the-Individ
What you should know about F.A.P.E.:
Free Appropriate Public Education is an educational right of children with disabilities in the United States that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973[1] and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under Section 504, FAPE is defined as “the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet individual needs of handicapped persons as well as the needs of non-handicapped persons are met and based on adherence to procedural safeguards outlined in the law.”
Under the IDEA, FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit. The United States Department of Education issues regulations that define and govern the provision of FAPE.
To provide FAPE to a child with a disability, schools must provide students with an education, including specialized instruction and related services that prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living.
US Department of Education -ED.gov: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504.html
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-rights/what-is-fape-what-can-it-mean-my-child
What you should know about 504 Plans: Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met.
Section 504 states that: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...” [29 U.S.C. §794(a), 34 C.F.R. §104.4(a)]
Difference between 504 Plans vs IEP Plans: A 504 plan, which falls under civil-rights law, is an attempt to remove barriers and allow students with disabilities to participate freely; like the Americans with Disabilities Act, it seeks to level the playing field so that those students can safely pursue the same opportunities as everyone else. An IEP, which falls under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is much more concerned with actually providing educational services. Students eligible for an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, represent a small subset of all students with disabilities. They generally require more than a level playing field -- they require significant remediation and assistance, and are more likely to work on their own level at their own pace even in an inclusive classroom. Only certain classifications of disability are eligible for an IEP, and students who do not meet those classifications but still require some assistance to be able to participate fully in school would be candidates for a 504 plan.
Resource link: http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s/f/504faq2.htm
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/articles?52
A Parent’s Guide to 504 in public schools: http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-rights/868-section-504.gs
Comparing 504 Plans to 504 I.D.E.A: National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ncld.org/disability-advocacy/learn-ld-laws/adaaa-section-504/section-504-idea-comparison-chart
Understanding Special Education: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/understanding-special-education
IEP’s- Individualized Education Plan: is a formal, legal document that must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability. The team that writes a child’s Individualized Education Program includes the parent(s), regular education teacher(s), special education teacher(s), other individuals from the school and district and the student when appropriate.
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep
Ohio Department of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Individualized-Education-Program-IEP
Top 10 Things you should know about IEP’s
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/top-ten-iep-special-education-facts
Ohio Department of Education: Policies on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support including policies on Seclusion Rooms and Restraints, Anti-Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/School-Safety/Building-Better-Learning-Environments/PBIS-Resources/Ohio-Positive-Behavior-Interventions-Network-3
Accommodations and Modifications how they are different
Accommodations are changes that make it easier for your child to learn. They don’t change what your child is learning. They change how your child is learning. It’s a way to make sure your child’s learning and attention issues don’t get in the way of showing what he knows.
Modifications are changes to what’s taught to or expected from a student. In some cases, a skill that would normally be taught at a certain grade level is changed, eliminated or postponed.
Understood.com: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/accommodations-and-modifications-how-theyre-different
Ohio Department of Education: Accommodations Manual
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Special-Testing-Accomodations/Accommodations-on-State-Assessments/Accommodations-Manual-February-2011.pdf.aspx
Ohio Department of Education: Statewide Assessments Accommodations Fact Sheet
https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Special-Testing-Accomodations/Accommodations-on-State-Assessments/Statewide-Assessment-Accommodations.pdf.aspx
National Center for Learning Disabilities: State Testing Accommodations- A look at their value and validity
http://ncld.org/images/stories/OnCapitolHill/PolicyRelatedPublications/StateTestingAccomodations/StateTestingAccommodations.pdf
Ohio State Board of Education: Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Special-Education/News/2014-Ohio-Operating-Standards-for-the-Education-of/2014-Ohio-Operating-Standards-for-the-Education-of-Children-with-Disabilities.pdf.aspx
Disability Law and Other Local Resources
The following are guides that provide general information about the laws that pertain to people with disabilities.
Disability Rights Ohio: (formerly Ohio Legal Rights- Free Legal Advice on Disability Law
http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org//sites/default/themes/disabilityrightsohio/dro/index.html
Disability Rights Ohio: http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/topic-special-education
State Board of Ohio- Office of Exceptional Children: (Monitors and Enforces IEP Compliance)
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Office-of-Exceptional-Children-Contact-Information
Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities
http://fcbdd.org/
Ohio Department of Education: The State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/State-Performance-Plan/State-Advisory-Panel-for-Exceptional-Children-SAP
OCALI: Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence: http://www.ocali.org/
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities: http://ocecd.org/index.php State Resources EdResourcesOhio.org
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities
Ohio Department of Education - Students with Disabilities
National Resources
· The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act includes the Child Find mandate. Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This obligation to identify all children who may need special education services exists even if the school is not providing special education services to the child.
Wright’s Law: http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.index.htm
State of Ohio Board of Education: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Child-Find
Ohio Board of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Procedures-and-Guidance
This LINK shows the OBOE Process from Child Find, to Evaluation, to IEP, Discipline and other relevant information.
- Child Find
- Confidentiality
- Procedural Safeguards
- Evaluation - The Ohio ETR Process (Education.Ohio.Gov: https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Evaluation/etr_process_chart-1.pdf.aspx
- Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Discipline
- Parentally Placed Nonpublic School Children
- Preschool
- Federal and State Funding
Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.
· Child is evaluated.
· Eligibility is decided.
· Child is found eligible for services.
· IEP meeting is scheduled.
· IEP meeting is held and the IEP is written.
· Services are provided.
· Progress is measured and reported to parents.
· IEP is reviewed.
· Child is reevaluated.
What you should know about I.D.E.A.:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
US Department of Education: ED.Gov: http://idea.ed.gov
Formerly National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
Now: Center for Parent Information and Resources: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/idea/
US Department of Education: I.D.E.A. (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Confidentiality Provisions: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ptac/pdf/idea-ferpa.pdf
Ohio Department of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Whose-IDEA-Is-This-A-Parent-s-Guide-to-the-Individ
What you should know about F.A.P.E.:
Free Appropriate Public Education is an educational right of children with disabilities in the United States that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973[1] and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under Section 504, FAPE is defined as “the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet individual needs of handicapped persons as well as the needs of non-handicapped persons are met and based on adherence to procedural safeguards outlined in the law.”
Under the IDEA, FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit. The United States Department of Education issues regulations that define and govern the provision of FAPE.
To provide FAPE to a child with a disability, schools must provide students with an education, including specialized instruction and related services that prepares the child for further education, employment, and independent living.
US Department of Education -ED.gov: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504.html
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-rights/what-is-fape-what-can-it-mean-my-child
What you should know about 504 Plans: Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 is an anti-discrimination, civil rights statute that requires the needs of students with disabilities to be met as adequately as the needs of the non-disabled are met.
Section 504 states that: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...” [29 U.S.C. §794(a), 34 C.F.R. §104.4(a)]
Difference between 504 Plans vs IEP Plans: A 504 plan, which falls under civil-rights law, is an attempt to remove barriers and allow students with disabilities to participate freely; like the Americans with Disabilities Act, it seeks to level the playing field so that those students can safely pursue the same opportunities as everyone else. An IEP, which falls under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is much more concerned with actually providing educational services. Students eligible for an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, represent a small subset of all students with disabilities. They generally require more than a level playing field -- they require significant remediation and assistance, and are more likely to work on their own level at their own pace even in an inclusive classroom. Only certain classifications of disability are eligible for an IEP, and students who do not meet those classifications but still require some assistance to be able to participate fully in school would be candidates for a 504 plan.
Resource link: http://specialchildren.about.com/od/504s/f/504faq2.htm
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/articles?52
A Parent’s Guide to 504 in public schools: http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/legal-rights/868-section-504.gs
Comparing 504 Plans to 504 I.D.E.A: National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://www.ncld.org/disability-advocacy/learn-ld-laws/adaaa-section-504/section-504-idea-comparison-chart
Understanding Special Education: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/understanding-special-education
IEP’s- Individualized Education Plan: is a formal, legal document that must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability. The team that writes a child’s Individualized Education Program includes the parent(s), regular education teacher(s), special education teacher(s), other individuals from the school and district and the student when appropriate.
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-iep
Ohio Department of Education: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Federal-and-State-Requirements/Procedures-and-Guidance/Individualized-Education-Program-IEP
Top 10 Things you should know about IEP’s
National Center for Learning Disabilities: http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/top-ten-iep-special-education-facts
Ohio Department of Education: Policies on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support including policies on Seclusion Rooms and Restraints, Anti-Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/School-Safety/Building-Better-Learning-Environments/PBIS-Resources/Ohio-Positive-Behavior-Interventions-Network-3
Accommodations and Modifications how they are different
Accommodations are changes that make it easier for your child to learn. They don’t change what your child is learning. They change how your child is learning. It’s a way to make sure your child’s learning and attention issues don’t get in the way of showing what he knows.
Modifications are changes to what’s taught to or expected from a student. In some cases, a skill that would normally be taught at a certain grade level is changed, eliminated or postponed.
Understood.com: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/accommodations-and-modifications-how-theyre-different
Ohio Department of Education: Accommodations Manual
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Special-Testing-Accomodations/Accommodations-on-State-Assessments/Accommodations-Manual-February-2011.pdf.aspx
Ohio Department of Education: Statewide Assessments Accommodations Fact Sheet
https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Testing/Special-Testing-Accomodations/Accommodations-on-State-Assessments/Statewide-Assessment-Accommodations.pdf.aspx
National Center for Learning Disabilities: State Testing Accommodations- A look at their value and validity
http://ncld.org/images/stories/OnCapitolHill/PolicyRelatedPublications/StateTestingAccomodations/StateTestingAccommodations.pdf
Ohio State Board of Education: Ohio Operating Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Special-Education/News/2014-Ohio-Operating-Standards-for-the-Education-of/2014-Ohio-Operating-Standards-for-the-Education-of-Children-with-Disabilities.pdf.aspx
Disability Law and Other Local Resources
The following are guides that provide general information about the laws that pertain to people with disabilities.
- A Guide to Disability Rights Laws (U.S. Department of Justice)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act Questions and Answers (ADA National Network)
- Disability Law Handbook - available in English and Spanish (DBTAC Southwest ADA Center)
Disability Rights Ohio: (formerly Ohio Legal Rights- Free Legal Advice on Disability Law
http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org//sites/default/themes/disabilityrightsohio/dro/index.html
Disability Rights Ohio: http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/topic-special-education
- Communicating with Your Child's School Through Letter Writing
- Frequently Asked Questions about Special Education
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA)
- Medicaid in Schools Program fact sheet
- Negotiation Skills For Parents: How To Get The Special Education Your Child With Disabilities Needs
- Rights of Students Who are Homeless and Eligible for Special Education Services
- Students with TBI - Thriving Beyond Injury
- Transition Services Planning
State Board of Ohio- Office of Exceptional Children: (Monitors and Enforces IEP Compliance)
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Office-of-Exceptional-Children-Contact-Information
Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities
http://fcbdd.org/
Ohio Department of Education: The State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/State-Performance-Plan/State-Advisory-Panel-for-Exceptional-Children-SAP
OCALI: Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence: http://www.ocali.org/
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities: http://ocecd.org/index.php State Resources EdResourcesOhio.org
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities
Ohio Department of Education - Students with Disabilities
National Resources
- Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Disability.gov - Education
- Education.com
- Educational Resources Information Center
- Family and Advocates Partnership for Education
- Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities
- Heath Resource Center
- IDEA Partnership
- Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School And Home
- Learning Opportunities For Your Child Through Alternate Assessments
- National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education
- National Center on Educational Outcomes
- National Center for Learning Disabilities
- National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
- Office for Civil Rights
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
- OSEP Ideas that Work
- OSEP Spanish Glossary
- PACER Center
- Project Participate
- Questions and Answers on the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 for Students with Disabilities Attending Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
- Special Education Scorecards
- The Advocacy Institute
- U.S. Department of Education - ED Pubs
- Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act The Impact on Students with LD and AD/HD (PDF file)
- Wrightslaw