Special Education: The Nuts & Bolts

Special Education 

Q &A

Hopefully, this basic information will help you be an active member of your child's educational team. If you read this, still have questions, or a gnawing feeling, don't ever hesitate to contact the classroom teacher, special education teacher, or principal!

Q:  If the school does not initiate an evaluation for my son/daughter, how can I make this  request?

A:  To request an evaluation for your son/daughter you must submit a written request to the classroom teacher or principal. The school has 10 days to respond to your request, and set up a meeting.

Q: How does my son/daughter become eligible for special education?

A: The following are 14 areas in which a student can become eligible for special education:

• Developmental Delay (ages 3-9 years)
• Speech/Language Impairment
• Specific Learning Disability
• Other Health Impairment
• Emotional Disability
• Intellectual Disability
• Multiple Disabilities (Intellectual disability & _____)
• Visual Impairment Including Blindness
• Hearing Impairment
• Deafness
• Deaf-Blind
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Autism

Q: When I give consent for an evaluation for special education, how do I know what 

      information will be collected?

A:  During the meeting, prior to giving consent, the educational team will review several potential 

      areas in which information can be collected. These include:

• Academic Performance
• Functional Performance
• Cognitive Functioning
• Health
• Hearing/Vision
• Speech
• Motor
• Social

Q: How long does it typically take to complete an evaluation?

A:  Schools are entitled to 60 "school days" to complete an evaluation, but typically can have it completed earlier, depending on how much information is being collected.

Q:  What can I do to be prepared for the meeting?

A:  There are some basic steps you can take to be prepared. First, asks for copies of reports in advance. Read them, and highlight words, phrases, and ideas that seem important. Google these terms online and see what's floating around in cyberspace. From this, generate a list of questions, and bring them to the meeting.  When the meeting is over, review your questions, and make sure  all of them have been answered. 

Q: My child becomes eligible for special education, now what?

A:  The educational team will write what is called an Individual Education Program. It is a document that contains goals, accommodations, minutes of special education services, and eligibility for extended school year.  This document is reviewed annually, and a student is reevaluated for  special education every 3 years.

Q:  What are my rights as a parent once I agree to evaluate my child, and they become eligible for special education services?

A:  When you sign consent for an evaluation, you will be given a huge, nebulous, packet outlining your parental rights. In a nutshell, the school cannot test your child or make programatic changes without your written consent.  You also have a right to call a meeting at any time to discuss your child's progress or programming. In addition, you can terminate services at any point, effective immediately.

Q: How much will my child be pulled out of the "regular" class?

A:  The answer to this question is "it depends".  Where, and how, your child receives special   education services is outlined in the IEP.  Some students are pulled out for an academic subject,like reading, writing, or math, while it is happening within their classroom. Some students receive their special education services within the classroom, in the form of co-teaching or small group instruction. Yet others, may get support minutes and be pulled out of the classroom during non-core (reading, writing, math) time.

Q: How will I know if my child is actually making progress?

A:  School districts are required to provide progress updates of IEP goals every marking period (when a report card goes home); however, a parent can request an update at any time.  

THE END