# data[].attributes.body
This resource includes special education statistics and other information that may be important for parents to know such as student-teacher ratios and special education funding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Definition of special education

What is an IEP?

An Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is a program tailored to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. The program is written in collaboration with a child's school district, their parent or guardian, and sometimes, the student.
The document outlines the special educational needs based on the student's identified disability. Read more.

How many students are in special education?

In the U.S. overall, 14.7 percent of all students were special education students (ages 3-21) in 2021-22. The percentage varied by state from 11.3 percent in Hawaii to 20.5 percent in New York.

Share of special education students by state

See the percent of special education students by state in the map below:

Has the number of students served in special education increased?

Special education statistics by race

Are schools overidentifying minority students with disabilities?

Federal law requires that states monitor their districts for overidentifying students with disabilities. Several studies have found that minority students are actually being under identified for disabilities.

What are the demographics of special education teachers?

Although research has shown that students often do better in school when they have a teacher of the same race, just over 81.8 percent of special education high school teachers in public schools are white, higher than the teaching population as a whole, according to the most recent data available. But under half of all students receiving special education services are white, according to 2021-2 2 data.

Inclusion statistics

Learning disabilities statistics

Autism statistics

Which disability categories have grown the most?

The percent of students with disabilities who had a specific learning disability, like dyslexia, decreased from 36 percent in 2011-12 to 32.4 percent in 2021-22. And the percent of students with disabilities with autism grew from 7.1 percent to 12.2 percent over the same period.

How much money is spent on special education by the federal government?

In fiscal year 2018, the federal government earmarked $12.3 billion for the education of children ages 3-12 with disabilities. That's only about 15 percent of the excess cost of educating students with disabilities, compared with the cost of educating a general education student. The federal government under the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act set a goal to pay states up to 40 percent of the excess cost. It never reached that goal.

What is the student-teacher ratio for special education students?

In 2016, there were 17.1 special education students for each special education teacher in the United States. That's higher than the overall student-teacher ratio of 16.2 students per teacher.

For more information on special education, check out our Special Education topics page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Special Education: Definition, Statistics, and Trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is special education and what do we know about the student special education population and the teachers who educate them?

# data[].attributes.headline
What Parents Should Know About Special Education

# data[].attributes.subject
What Parents Should Know About Special Education

# data[].attributes.body
Information about disabilities included in special education under IDEA, special education services and referrals, and more important information is available here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Special education is in place to help children with disabilities obtain a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Special education is governed by the federal government under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA defines special education as: "Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability."

Under IDEA, there are 13 categories of disabilities that can be served in special education:

Autism
Deaf-Blindness
Developmental Delay
Emotional Disturbance
Hearing Impairment
Intellectual Disability
Multiple Disabilities
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech and Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment
What do special education services look like?
Students who receive special education are provided services depending on their needs. All these services are written in a plan called an Individualized Education Plan or IEP (we love abbreviations in special education).

In elementary schools, services are often pull-out times from the regular classroom to a small group with a special education teacher. For example, a student struggling in writing may be pulled out of the classroom during a spelling test and work with a small group of students and the special education teacher on writing skills.

In secondary schools, special education may take place in a class specifically for students in special education. It may also take place in a co-taught class. These are classes with a mix of students in special education and those who are not. The classroom has a general education teacher, as well as a special education teacher in order to meet the needs of students that may need specialized instruction.

Students with more involved difficulties may be placed in a classroom specifically for students with similar challenges. For example, some districts may have classroom for students with autism or a classroom for students with intellectual disabilities. Often, these classrooms are still in schools with mainstreamed students, and students with disabilities may participate in some activities with them.

Legally, students are required to be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). This means that if a student could function and learn in a mainstream classroom with just an hour of pull-out services each day, then this is more appropriate (and less restrictive) than an all-day classroom of students with learning difficulties.
Referral for special education.
Students between the ages of 3 to 21 with a disability are potentially eligible for special education services. Parents who are concerned about their child may refer them for special education testing to determine eligibility. If you are concerned that your child may have a disability affecting their learning, you will need to contact your child's school. Be prepared with any medical diagnoses and information about your child's medical history.

IDEA requires that states "identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services." This process is called Child Find. As a result of Child Find, many school districts will have testing for preschoolers to determine if early interventions are needed. Teachers and administrators monitor test scores for students who do not appear to be making adequate progress despite interventions. Your child's teacher may refer your child for special education assessment to determine if your child would qualify. However, testing and placement does not take place without your consent.
Special education assessment and eligibility meeting.
After a child is referred for special education assessment, you will be asked to consent to the different areas needing assessment. The "special education team" (generally a special education teacher, an administrator, your child's general education teacher, a school psychologist and other service providers as needed such as speech therapists or occupational therapists) have 45 school days to complete all testing needed.

Areas of assessment depend on the areas you and/or your child's teacher have concerns in. Testing can include an IQ test, academic testing, testing of adaptive skills, behavioral testing, classroom observations, social skills testing, speech assessment, motor assessment and more. Generally, the team will want information about your child's medical history and developmental history. The team may have you sign a medical release for them to obtain medical documents.

After assessment is complete, the team (including you as a parent) will meet to determine if your child meets the legal requirements for special education eligibility. They will be looking to see if your child fits under one of the 13 categories and if your child's disability affects educational performance.

In many areas there are parent advocates who volunteer to go to meetings with parents to help them navigate the process. Parents are always able to request testing results for their own records or to talk to a doctor. Parents should know they are considered part of the team that determines special education eligibility. They have some input as to what happens in an eligibility meeting. However, there are requirements that must be meet for a student to qualify for services.

If a student qualifies for special education, the team will review data and meet every three years to determine if a student continues to qualify. As a parent, you can request testing sooner than this if you feel there is a need. You should be able to help determine which tests are needed when the data is reviewed.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
Once it has been determined that your child meets eligibility requirements, the team will meet a second time to make a plan. This plan is called the Individualized Education Plan or IEP. The IEP will have a statement describing your child's current levels. The IEP then states goals the team will be helping your child to work on for the year. Accommodations are also included on the IEP. These can include extended time, reduced assignments, minimal distractions, adjusting grouping, etc.

The plan should also include the amount of time your child will be receiving services. The special education teacher or other providers should be able to describe to you what these services will look like. Services like speech or occupational therapy make take place during class time and your child may have to miss some things in class.

As a parent, you can provide input on what the goals and service times will look like. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask to change something. The IEP team will meet once every year to set new goals and review progress. You may request additional meetings as you feel they are needed.

You should also receive updates on your child's progress on IEP goals throughout the year. Some schools do this by sending special education progress reports home in addition to report cards. Changes to the IEP should only be done with your permission and usually only with the team in attendance.
Important things to know.
Any time you meet with your IEP team, they should offer you Procedural Safeguards. These are your child's rights under special education law. They also tell you how to proceed if you need to make a complaint.

At any time you can call a meeting of the IEP team, you can ask that testing be reviewed, and you can even revoke special education services for your child. As the parent, you have a say in what the team does and how your child's needs are meet.

Special education records are kept separately from your child's other school records. As the parent, you can access these special education records or request copies for eligibility for other services.

You will want to keep a copy of your child's IEP and eligibility documentation. These can be helpful for applying for other services including vocational rehabilitation and even taking to university disability centers.

Special education is for students who require specialized instruction. If you feel your child may just need some accommodations, like extra time on tests or having a test read out loud, then you may want to look at a 504 plan.
Parent resources.
Every state and every school district has different rules and regulations for special education. The process can be very confusing and overwhelming, especially when there are so many different rules and laws to keep track of. Here are some resources to help:

Links to each state's Special Education Department: https://www.thenccs.org/

Parent Information Center on Special Education: http://www.nhspecialed.org/

U.S. Department of Education - Special Education: http://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/edpicks.jhtml
We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor Thinkstock image by olesiabilkei here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is Special Education and What Do Parents Need to Know?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Special education is in place to help children with disabilities obtain a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Special education is governed by the federal government under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA defines special education as: "Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability."

# data[].attributes.body
This 16 chapter manual gives thorough information about special education including eligibility , requesting an advocate, and more. Each chapter has a quick link on the left side of the page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SERR - Special Education Rights and Responsibilities - This manual explains how to become eligible for special education, how to request and advocate for special education services, and what to do if you disagree with school districts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Federal and California special education laws give eligible students with disabilities the right to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This manual explains how to become eligible for special education, how to request and advocate for special education services, and what to do if you disagree with school districts.

# data[].attributes.headline
Civil Rights of Children with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
Civil Rights of Children with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.body
The information found here explains some of the civil rights issues of children with disabilities such as seclusion rooms, school and classroom design, and inclusion for all disabled people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When we think of legally segregated and unequal schools, we usually think of the Jim Crow system of "Black and White" schools. Most of us know from our social studies classes, that the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregating children by race was unconstitutional and that there were no such things as schools that were segregated and also equal. Schools for the majority group, White students, were far better resourced, better funded and had better outcomes than the schools for Black children.

Racial segregation was supposed to end in 1956. It didn't. While things have changed since 1956, we know that many students still attend racially segregated schools. We also know that even when schools are sufficiently integrated, children of color are overrepresented within the special education population and are, again, disproportionately segregated from instructional and social opportunities when compared with their White peers.

In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guaranteed the rights of disabled children to receive free and appropriate public education but, like racial integration, that guarantee, too, has yet to be fully realized.

WE NEED TO DECIDE THE LEGALITY, MORALITY, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNITED STATES TO PROVIDE EQUAL, QUALITY SCHOOLS TOwe need to decide the legality, morality, and the responsibility of the United States to provide equal, quality schools to ALL CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.Well, today, I posit that we are at a crucial junction in our country's history, where we need to decide if segregation, or "separate but equal" schools, are acceptable in our nation. This time, instead of race, all children, especially children with disabilities. Or, do we continue to discriminate and offer segregated, poor-quality and harmful schools to the more than 7 million disabled students in our public schools.

SECLUSION ROOMS ARE ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

Recently, there has been much more attention given to the many problems with the practice of forcing children with disabilities into isolated timeout rooms that were deemed dangerous. In fact, after a news story exposed the extent of this practice in Illinois, the governor took emergency measures to halt isolated seclusion. People were horrified to hear that children with disabilities as young as 3 and 4 years old were placed in padded rooms, alone, for their "protection." State lawmakers are now pushing bills to end the practice permanently.

As both a parent of a child with a disability and a disability advocate, I know that the story of seclusion rooms is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the segregation of children with disabilities in our schools. Our country is in a crisis because we have decided that it is okay to treat disabled children as second-class citizens, without the right to a proper education like their peers without disabilities.

Across the nation, children with disabilities are being forced into separate schools, and those "lucky enough" to be in "normal" schools are being forced into separate classrooms.

DESIGN WITH DISABILITIES IN MIND

There are a lot of small excuses that people use to explain how we got to this point, but I think the problem is simple and the solution is easy to implement. Schools are designed in an archaic, industrial model, and we are trying to force disabled children to fit into this mold. Instead, we need to plan for schools to be designed for children with disabilities to be a part of them.

The role of "special education" is to give the students with disabilities the accommodations they need to be successful in the normal school environment (where they are fully included, everywhere). For example, if a child needs a wheelchair, schools should have space for a child in a wheelchair. If a child has sensory needs and has a hard time sitting still for long periods or needs to jump and wiggle, schools should have diverse seating options, such as yoga balls, leg bands or even a space in the classroom where kids can pay attention while sitting on the floor.

Inclusion means children with disabilities are fully integrated into the school community. It means that children with disabilities are going to school, attending classes and participating in activities with their friends who are not disabled.

WE CAN'T HAVE FULL INCLUSION IF ALL CHILDREN AREN'T LEARNING TOGETHER WITH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

As a country that values diversity, we cannot continue to "remove" diverse students with disabilities from our schools and classrooms. We can't have full inclusion if all children aren't learning together with children with disabilities.

The traditional school model where kids sit at desks isn't an inclusive school. Trying to fit kids into this mold is setting them up for failure. It's ruining their opportunity to understand diversity.

Can you imagine how wonderful and tolerant our world would be if people were used to being around people with physical, developmental and mental disabilities? What if kids went to school with classmates who were "runners," students who stim, students who have down syndrome or cerebral palsy, or even non-verbal students?

Because of their exposure to disabled students in schools, they would know that none of those things correlate with intelligence or a disabled person's ability to participate in projects.

Imagine how this might lead to a world, where we all know to design all spaces, jobs, churches and institutions with accommodations for disabled folks.

AN INCLUSIVE AMERICA FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream of an inclusive America that included all races; I have a dream of an inclusive America that includes people with disabilities, too.

To get there, we have to dramatically reimagine schools. Instead of trying to get kids to conform to outdated norms of classrooms, we need to design classrooms that include people with different needs.

CREATE SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS THAT EXPECT TO HAVE DIVERSE LEARNERS AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN THE BEGINNING-NOT AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.The solution is simple: Create schools and classrooms that expect to have diverse learners and children with disabilities in the beginning-not as an afterthought.

Specifically, it would mean three things:

1. Physically accessible buildings, including buildings designed to reduce sensory issues.

2. Support staff and physical aides for children with sensory needs, including sensory rooms, headphones and other assistive technology.

3. Planned space for children who need to run, scream or move.

Schools need to understand that having all students see physical and mental diversity in their classrooms is a goal of a truly well-rounded education. Teachers need to understand that students with disabilities aren't just distractions. Students, teachers and school administrators need to see and understand that a disability isn't a liability.

Finally, I would like to point out a very important fact. There isn't any accommodation made for people with disabilities that doesn't support all people. I use elevators, weighted blankets and fidget balls all the time, even though those aren't my specific disabilities.

WHEN WE DESIGN SCHOOLS WITH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN MIND FROM THE START, THE ACCOMMODATIONS BENEFIT EVERYONE.

If we put in an elevator in school, you might break your leg and need to use it. And even though your child may not be on the autism spectrum, they may benefit from sensory breaks. When we design schools with children with disabilities in mind from the start, the accommodations benefit everyone. But in order to accomplish this, it requires us to look at our schools in a new way and plan very differently for the future. And it also requires the resources to redesign schools from that new perspective.

We don't have an accurate estimate of the costs to provide all these accommodations and services- yet. But it takes more than money. First, we must all believe that a better America is possible.

We need to decide we will no longer stand for segregated schools for disabled children, and in partnership with our disabled people and disability advocates, demand that lawmakers create a plan for fully inclusive schools.

We must all take MLK's dream for desegregation and include people with disabilities in that vision. We have to know that diversity in classrooms is good for all of us and fight like hell to make it a reality.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children With Disabilities Have Civil Rights, Too

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we think of legally segregated and unequal schools, we usually think of the Jim Crow system of "Black and White" schools. Most of us know from our social studies classes, that the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregating children by race was unconstitutional and that there were no such things as schools that...

# data[].attributes.headline
Meaningful Participation in Special Education

# data[].attributes.subject
Meaningful Participation in Special Education

# data[].attributes.body
This video provides more information about parent rights in special education focusing on the IEP process.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parents' Rights to Meaningful Participation in Special Education (2020)

# data[].attributes.body
Parents can find information about how to advocate for their student in special eduaction. Information in this resource is focused on IEP process but includes other important information including what to do if the IEP does not work out and monitoring student progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This document will provide you with tips before, during, and after an IEP meeting to help you advocate for your child.

This document will provide you with tips before, during, and after an IEP 1 meeting to help you advocate for your child.

BEFORE THE IEP MEETING

1. Organize Your Child's IEP Records

Before your child's IEP meeting, organize your child's IEP records. Choose an organizing way that works for you. This will help you prepare for the meeting. Make sure that you have an up-to-date record of all communications about your child, like emails with school staff about your child; all assessment requests, assessment plans, and assessment reports; copies of your child's IEP and any Prior Written Notice that you may have received; a copy of your procedural safeguards; report cards and progress reports; sample work; and if applicable, a behavior intervention plan and any behavior incident reports.

2. Request Assessments

A school district must assess a student in all areas of suspected disability. You may also request your child's school district to assess your child in any area of suspected disability. You may also request your child's school district to assess your child for any services they may need, like speech therapy. You should make all assessment requests in writing to the school district.

Once you make your request, the school district should provide you with an assessment plan within 15 days. Once you sign and return this plan back to the school district, the school district has 60 days to finish assessments and to hold an IEP meeting.

If you do not agree with the school district's assessment, you can ask the school district to pay for an independent educational evaluation or IEE. The school district must either pay for the independent evaluation or file for a due process hearing (the school district will have to show that its assessment was appropriate).

3. Ask for All Assessment Reports One Week Before the IEP Meeting

School districts are required by federal and state law to provide copies of assessment reports before an IEP meeting. But, there are no timelines that tell school districts how many days before the IEP meeting they must give you copies of assessment reports. Ask the school district early on to give you copies of the assessment reports a week before the IEP meeting. This is very important so that you can read the reports, write down questions you may have about the reports, and plan for the IEP meeting.

4. Plan for the IEP meeting with a Friend or Advocate

Planning for the IEP meeting with a friend or advocate can help you be better prepared at the IEP meeting.

Parent groups, like Family Resource Centers and Parent Training and Information Centers, may have advocates who can help you plan for an IEP meeting or go with you to an IEP meeting. Or, you can buddy up with another family and help each other out. If your child is a Regional Center client, your child's Regional Center Service Coordinator should help you with planning for the IEP meeting.

With a friend or advocate,

read all assessments reports,

identify your aims for the IEP meeting,

review your child's current IEP goals and all progress reports related to those IEP goals,

identify any areas of need that your child has, including special difficulties that your child has and that you want to bring to the school district's attention, and

identify what your child has achieved since the last IEP meeting and what you hope they will learn.

Discuss any IEP goals that you may want to suggest to the IEP team with your friend or advocate.

Also, talk about the option of full inclusion or increased integration. The law says that to the maximum extent appropriate, as decided by the IEP team, children with disabilities must be educated in their neighborhood schools and attend regular classes (with supplemental aids and services, as needed). If you are seeking full inclusion or increased integration, such as participation in field trips or extracurricular activities like clubs and sports, identify how your child interacts with children without disabilities outside of school and what makes it successful for your child.

5. Make a List of the Points You Want to Discuss at the IEP Meeting

No matter how well you have prepared for the IEP meeting, you may get nervous or distracted during the meeting. Preparing a written list of points you want to discuss and questions you have will help you not forget during the IEP meeting. During the IEP meeting, you can check off the discussion points and jot down the answers to your questions.

6. Submit a Written Notice to Record the IEP Meeting

If you want a recording of the IEP meeting, you can use a tape recorder or an audio recording app on your phone to record the IEP meeting. But, you can only record the meeting if you give the school district 24 hours written notice that you want to record the meeting. If you record the IEP meeting, the District can also record.

DURING THE IEP MEETING

1. Bring a Friend, Advocate, and/or a Person Who Knows Your Child

You can invite anyone you want to attend your child's IEP meeting. It is always a good idea to have someone with you. Consider bringing someone, such as a day-care provider, grandparent, tutor, or any other person who knows your child and his/her/their learning style. If you are planning to bring an advocate, including a Regional Center Service Coordinator, you may need to schedule the date in advance with them.

2. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions and Make Sure you Understand Any "Jargon"

IEP meetings can be overwhelming and confusing at times, even if you have attended IEP meetings in the past. Asking questions is an important way for you to be informed and prepared so that you can advocate for your child.

School districts are required to explain all findings and recommendations in easy to understand language. School district staff use the same terms every day and may forget that others do not know what they mean. If you don't understand something that has been said at the IEP meeting, don't be afraid to ask questions and ask for more information.

3. Discuss Present Levels of Your Child's Performance

The IEP team will discuss your child's present performance in different areas. This will include reviewing all reports and assessments. Your child's teacher(s) and service provider(s) will discuss their observations of your child's performance. Make sure that you discuss your observations of your child's performance, including strengths of your child and/or any concerns you have about your child.

4. Develop Annual IEP Goals and Make Sure To Set Appropriate Progress Monitoring of the IEP Goals

The IEP team will review your child's progress on past annual goals and then develop new annual goals. If your child did not meet an annual goal, the IEP team should review this goal. The IEP team should make changes to this goal so that it is appropriate for your child and/or provide additional services and supports in order to help your child make progress on this goal. The IEP team should develop goals that are ambitious and challenging in light of your child's circumstances.

Once the IEP team develops new annual goals for your child, the IEP team must let you know how often it will provide you with reports on your child's progress with his/her/their goals. If your child will be assessed using alternate achievement standards rather than the school district's general education standards (such as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress or CAASPP), the IEP must break down the annual goal into short-term objectives which are reviewed at specific points during the year to make sure the child is progressing on annual goals. Make sure that the short-term objectives are clear and have dates assigned to them for review of progress. If your child will be assessed using general education standard testing, his/her/their IEP will not include short-term objectives.

5. Identify Full Inclusion or Integration Opportunities and the Supports Needed for Success

School districts must provide additional aids and services to support the needs of students with disabilities in integrated settings. This can include a trained aide, use of a tape recorder, or a behavioral intervention plan to address behaviors.

6. Describe the Placement for Your Child and Identify Specific Related Services and Supports

Once the IEP team has developed annual goals for your child, the IEP team should talk about services, supports, and placement that will support your child's progress on annual goals. All related services, such as speech therapy, should be identified including how many minutes and how often (per day, per week, per month, per year) your child will receive the service.

In your child's IEP, placement should be clearly identified. For example, "Natasha will be fully included in second grade with a full-time aide and an inclusion specialist will support Natasha for five hours per week." You do not have the right to make the school district to provide services from a specific person in a specific classroom, but specific placement options should be discussed with the IEP team.

7. Sign the IEP Only if You Are Satisfied

You do not need to sign the IEP at the meeting - you can take it home to think about it and discuss with others. You can consent to part of the IEP so that those services you agree with can begin. If you sign the IEP and soon afterward change your mind, you can try to withdraw your consent by writing to the special education administrator. Withdrawing your consent, however, will not undo the education and services that occurred after you gave consent but before you withdrew consent. If you and the school district do not agree on a proposed IEP, the last IEP that you agreed with remains in effect while your dispute is resolved at a future meeting, mediation, or due process hearing.

AFTER THE IEP MEETING

1. If Possible, Be Involved in Your Child's Classroom/School

Parents have different amounts of time and money. You can contact your child's teacher or school to ask how you can help in your child's classroom or school. You can volunteer in the classroom during the school day, volunteer with a school activity, or if you work during the day, you may be able to prepare materials in the evening in your home. Being active in your child's classroom/school can help you become more familiar with the school and its staff, including your child's teacher, and help make your child feel special.

2. Support Your Child in Developing Friendships with Classmates

Help your child to develop friendships with classmates by coordinating play-dates outside of school. Having friendships with classmates will help your child to be a part of his/her/their community.

3. Monitor Your Child's Progress

You may want to set up a regular communication system with your child's teacher, such as a notebook that goes back and forth to school. A notebook can help you track whether your child is receiving services and supports. You may also want to set up a communication system with your child's related service providers, such as a speech therapist, to check in on your child's progress.

You should write down projected target dates for your child to learn particular skills, such as the dates of the short-term objectives in your child's IEP goals.

4. Options if Things Don't Work Out

If you believe that the school district has not followed special education laws or procedures and/or has failed to provide services required in a signed IEP, you can file a compliance complaint with the California Department of Education ("CDE"). The complaint is investigated by the school district or the CDE and a written determination of whether the district was/is "out of compliance" is made. See Special Education Rights and Responsibilities, Chapter 6 for details.

If you and the school district do not agree about your child's eligibility, placement, program needs, integration or related services, either of you may request a due process hearing. If you decide to file a request for due process hearing, you must file your request within two years from the date that you knew (or had reason to know) of the facts of your complaint. At the hearing, both parties present evidence to an independent hearing officer hired by the State of California. The hearing officer will decide on the facts and the law and issue a written decision. See Special Education Rights and Responsibilities, Chapter 6 for details.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This document will provide you with tips before, during, and after an IEP meeting to help you advocate for your child. This document will provide you with tips before, during, and after an IEP 1 meeting to help you advocate for your child. Before your child's IEP meeting, organize your child's IEP records.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rights of Students in Public & Private Schools

# data[].attributes.subject
Rights of Students in Public & Private Schools

# data[].attributes.body
Information from this resource includes key laws such as IDEA, The Rehabilitation Act, and ADA as well as key education regulations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Everyone should get a good education. A good education helps you get a job, helps you learn how things in the world work, and prepares you for living life.

Kids from ages 6-18 have the right to an education in a public school. A public school is a school for kids run by the government. A private school is a school that is not owned by the government. Some kids go to private schools. Some private schools get money from the government. When a private school gets government money, it has to follow the government's rules.

Kids with disabilities have the right to an education too. Sometimes, laws, programs, policies, or prejudice make it hard for kids with disabilities to get a good education.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is an advocacy organization that fights for the rights of autistic people. This includes the right to have a good education. We created this page and its key issue pages to tell you what you need to know to understand the fight for all students to have equal access to a good education.

On this page, we will go over the key laws and regulations you need to know about to understand the key issue pages. (We will explain what a regulation is in the "Key Regulations" section.) Each key issue page covers an important subject related to education that disability rights advocates need your help with.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law about public schools that was passed in 1990. The law says that students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). A "free and appropriate public education" means that:

The education is free. The student and the student's parents do not have to pay any money for the student to attend school.

The education the student gets helps the student learn. This is what the word "appropriate" means.

Before the IDEA was passed, many students with disabilities were not allowed in public schools. When they were allowed in school, the students sometimes did not learn anything at all.

The IDEA makes it so that all students have the legal right to learn.

The IDEA says that most students with disabilities should be in the same classrooms as people without disabilities. This part of the IDEA is called the least restrictive environment (LRE).

The least restrictive environment means that students with disabilities should be able to get anything they need to learn in the regular classroom.

Students with disabilities also get a document called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP tells the school:

what the student needs to learn

the supports they need to learn.

Schools, parents, and students can work together to write the IEP. Then, the school has to follow the IEP. If they don't follow the IEP, they aren't respecting the student's rights.

The IDEA is a very important law.

The Rehabilitation Act

The Rehabilitation Act is a disability rights law that was passed in 1973. Section 504 of that law says that the U.S. government and anyone who gets government money can't discriminate against people with disabilities. This means public schools and private schools that get government money can't discriminate.

Students have to be able to get anything they need to learn from the school. Examples of things students could need are:

iPads

computers

letterboards

large print

sign language interpreters, and

support workers.

Some students have a document called a Section 504 plan. The Section 504 plan says what the students needs in order to learn.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a disability rights law that was passed in 1990. The ADA does lots of things. It does some of the same stuff the Rehabilitation Act does, like make it so that schools can't discriminate.

Being able to say and show things to other people - and being able to learn things from them - is called communication. The ADA says that people with disabilities have the right to communicate. They have the right to communicate in the way that works best for them. They have the right to anything they need to communicate. This is called the right to effective communication.

All schools - including private schools - have to follow the ADA and the Rehab Act. You can learn more about effective communication by reading the subsection " Effective Communication: Your Right To Your Voice."

Key Regulations

Regulations are rules government agencies make. The following are important education regulations:

WIOA's vocational rehabilitation (VR) regulations help define what counts as a real job in the community. They also make it harder for schools to send us to sheltered workshops - which are places where people with disabilities do segregated jobs. They are bad.

The U.S. Department of Justice created regulations on effective communication in schools. These regulations help show what "effective communication" means. They make it easier for students to get the support they need in schools.

ASAN Toolkits and Resources on Education Rights

ASAN Position Statements and Work on Education Rights

ASAN Action Alerts on Education Rights

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Your Rights In School: A Good Education for All

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Everyone should get a good education. A good education helps you get a job, helps you learn how things in the world work, and prepares you for living life. Kids from ages 6-18 have the right to an education in a public school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Rights to Effective Communication in School

# data[].attributes.subject
Rights to Effective Communication in School

# data[].attributes.body
This resource gives important information about ways schools take away students' right to communications and how to protect your student's rights.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Students go to school to learn. To learn, students need to know what people are telling them. They also need to be able to tell other people things. Telling things to other people - and learning things from them - is called communication.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disability rights law, says that all people with disabilities have the right to communicate. The Rehabilitation Act is a disability rights law that was passed in 1973. Section 504 of that law says that the U.S. government and anyone who gets government money can't discriminate against people with disabilities.

The ADA and Section 504 cover a lot of the same things, but Section 504 covers the U.S. government and the ADA covers state and local governments and private schools. The state governments run public schools. Title III of the ADA covers private schools.

Under these laws, students have the right to communicate in the way that works best for them. They have the right to anything they need to communicate. This is called the right to effective communication.

All schools - including private schools - have to follow the ADA. On this page, we will tell you how the right to effective communication works, some threats to effective communication in schools, and how you can fight for every student's right to communicate.

How the Right to Effective Communication Works

Some people have disabilities that make it harder for other people to understand them. Sometimes people have disabilities that make it harder for them to understand other people. For example:

Being unable to see or hear

Having a hard time understanding what you see or hear

Not being strong enough to move or speak

Not being able to control the muscles that let you move or speak

Having a hard time starting any action that would make you move or speak

Having a hard time putting sentences together and remembering what words you know

Even though a disability might make things harder, everyone communicates. There are lots of ways people communicate.

Some people talk.

Some people point or move around.

Some people make faces.

The ADA says everyone has the right to communicate. The ADA says that people with disabilities have the same right to communicate that people without disabilities do.

People with disabilities have that right in public places. Public places are places like schools, shops, streets, and hospitals.

This means that:

If a public place tries to tell you something, people with and without disabilities have to be able to understand what they are saying.

If you want to tell a public place, like a school, something, the public place has to give you what you need to communicate.

People also have that right in any place run by a state or local government, like a public school.

There are lots of different ways people communicate. They can use:

Papers and textbooks in Braille

Someone typing what someone else is saying out loud and showing it to the person with a disability

Toolkits written in plain language

iPads and computers

... and much more!
Some of these things - like the iPads and computers - are called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. This means they are tools that help a person communicate.

When a public place gives a person with a disability a way to communicate, they must first try to give the person the service they want. They cannot try other things first. For example:

Jennifer uses American Sign Language to communicate. She needs an interpreter.

Her school has to give her an interpreter.

They can't tell her to just write down what she wants to say. They have to try the interpreter first.

There is an exception. Sometimes the public place can't give a person with a disability the service they want. When the public place can't, it has to be because:

It would change what they are selling or offering a lot

It would take up more resources than the public place can afford

When this happens the public place has to give the person with a disability something else that will also work instead. This should rarely ever happen. It is a small exception. The exception should not be used all the time, or just because getting the person the communication method they want would be hard.

Communication in Schools and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law about public schools that was passed in 1990. The law says that students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). A "free and appropriate public education" means that:

The education is free. The student and the student's parents do not have to pay any money for the student to attend school.

The education the student gets helps the student learn. This is what the word "appropriate" means.

The education is in the least restrictive environment. The IDEA says that most students with disabilities should be in the same classrooms as people without disabilities. The student should get anything they need to learn in the regular classroom.

To learn, some students need communication support, like AAC. A school that did not give a student these supports might not be letting them learn. This might violate the ADA. A student who doesn't have the support they need in the regular classroom might be moved to a segregated classroom. This would violate the IDEA's least restrictive environment rule.

Ways in Which Schools Take Away Students' Communication Rights

Sometimes schools or professionals do things that make it harder for their students to communicate. One way this can happen is if the school does not give someone a way to communicate that works for them. For example:

Demerian uses a computer to say things to other people. The classroom has a rule which says no one can bring computers into the room. Demerian does not bring his computer to class because of this rule. When Demerian gets into class the next day, Demerian's parents call and ask the teacher if the teacher can give him a computer to use. The teacher says that they cannot do this. Demerian no longer is able to understand what is going on in class or ask or answer questions. Demerian's right to effective communication is not being respected.

Sometimes, the school won't let someone use the way to communicate that works best for them. Instead, the school tries to make them use another method that doesn't work as well. This also violates the law. For example:

Johnny tells people things by touching a piece of paper with the alphabet on it and spelling out what he wants to say. Sometimes Johnny says the letters out loud as he does it. Sometimes someone holds the piece of paper for him. This works for Johnny. He is able to say things this way.

When Johnny goes to high school, the school does not let him use the piece of paper he has. The school says Johnny is not really saying things. The school puts Johnny in another classroom. That classroom has only people with disabilities in it. The school gives him a different piece of paper. It only lets him say things like 'I need to go to the bathroom.' The school tries to make him speak. Johnny does not like it there. He does not learn much. Johnny cannot say as much as kids with disabilities without his communication method. His right to effective communication is not being respected.

Ways to Protect Students' Right to Communication

ASAN has fought hard for student communication rights. We advocate against rules and positions that would make it harder for students to communicate. We have published guides that tell people how to get communication services in schools, like our " Everybody Communicates" guide made with the help of the University of California's Office of Developmental Primary Care. We have helped students get what they need from their school districts and fight for their right to communicate in their schools.

Here are a few things you can do to help every student communicate:

Talk with school districts in your local area and tell them about all the different ways people with disabilities communicate. Talk with them about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and other ways non-speaking people communicate.

Some professional organizations have rules or positions that make it harder for people to use some forms of AAC. These organizations are important enough that people listen to them, even when they are wrong. For example, one organization - the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) - said that two whole kinds of AAC were never real communication, no matter who used them. ASAN opposed this belief because it is impossible to prove that a way to communicate does not work for anyone. Everyone communicates differently! The position would also make it harder for many autistic people to go to school. Talk with organizations like this and ask them to change their position. Tell them that everyone communicates differently.

If you are a parent of a student with a disability or a student yourself - Work with other students to support you or your child's right to communicate!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effective Communication: Your Right to Your Voice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Students go to school to learn. To learn, students need to know what people are telling them. They also need to be able to tell other people things. Telling things to other people - and learning things from them - is called communication. The Americans with Disabilities

# data[].attributes.body
The information in this resource explains the IEP process and parent rights before, during, and after their student's IEP meeting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recently, I had a conversation with a very concerned mother... it went something like this;

Mother; "But, I've only been invited to my son's IEP meeting every three years..."

Me; No response, since I was literally speechless...

Mother; "Are you there?"

Me; "Yes, I'm here, and I'm about to fly over to your son's school and read them the "riot act!" It's your RIGHT to be invited to every single IEP meeting your child has... that's a minimum of once a year!"

Mother; "Oh, I didn't realize that... ugh, it would have helped a lot to work with his teacher to figure out how to help..."

I cannot tell you how often I hear crazy things like this from the parents I work with...

The scary part... it's not their fault!

The system is flawed and in some cases, RIGGED!

The language used in an IEP and during an IEP meeting usually requires a four-year degree to decipher...

Well, conversations like these over the years have led to us creating a program to ENSURE children get the exact services they deserve from their school...

More on that in a little bit...

First, let's understand the rights that you have as a parent!

When it comes to special education, parental involvement is paramount to the success of a child!

This is especially true during all aspects of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) creation, changes, and anything else related to this vital process.

Want One-On-One IEP Help?

Watch This!

YES! I Want EXPERT IEP Help!

Considering that the parent can initiate the IEP process, it's essential that they understand their rights and responsibilities in order to ensure that the process is efficient and collaborative.

Parents whose children are aged 3 to 21 years and have a disability are entitled to different rights when it comes to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

These rights are typically referred to as procedural safeguards and are extended to a child's guardians along with the student themselves as long as they're at least 18 years of age.
Parents Rights In The IEP Process:
Right To Participate

Every parent has the right to participate in all decision-making meetings held in order to develop an IEP for their child.

These meetings are backed by FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) and include the child's;

Eligibility

Evaluation

Educational Placement

Any Other Matter Pertaining To Their Education

In the case there isn't a parent available for these meetings, a surrogate parent should be appointed by the district to help represent the child adequately.

Right To Written Notice

In the case of any changes in identification, evaluation, and educational placement initiated by the school district, the parent has the right to receive prior written notice.

Right To Consent

Parents also have the right to provide an informed, written consent for the special education IEP before the assessment process or the provision of special education and related services.

This consent is also necessary before any changes are done to the program already in place.

Parents should only supply their consent once they have a clear understanding of the IEP team proceedings. Also, parents should be provided with an interpreter if their native language is different from English or in case they are deaf.

Keep in mind; parents have the right to refuse the evaluation or educational placement of their child.

Right To Access Educational Records

Any parent who has a child enrolled in special education and possesses an IEP has the right to inspect, evaluate, and request copies of educational records.

Right To Request A Hearing

In the case of any complaints concerning the provision of FAPE, to the child, parents have the right to a hearing.

During the hearing, the parent can request that an advocate, attorney, or if appropriate, their child be present. Furthermore, parents have the choice to make the hearing public.

Right To Keep Child In Current Placement

Parents have the right to disagree with any proposals presented to change their child's placement. When a disagreement surfaces, the child should remain in their current program until resolved.

Right To Mediation

When a disagreement arises, parents are free to seek voluntary and impartial mediation to help find a mutually agreed-upon solution regarding the child's special education IEP.

Right To Information On Disciplinary Action

Children enrolled in special education have specific rules regarding their suspension or expulsion.

If these instances extend for more than ten days, an IEP meeting should be called to assess how their disability could be contributing to the child's misconduct.

Additionally, the participants should discuss the potential for an alternative placement as an alternative.

The parent is an essential member of the IEP team and therefore, should actively participate in the progress of their child's education and performance.

IDEA guarantees the rights of parents formulating the necessary educational programs and decisions that will benefit their child. It is, therefore, important for parents to exercise their rights responsibly to guarantee the success of their child.

The world of special education is a big one. This means there's a lot of information parents should be aware of describing the;

Intricacies Of Services

Schools

Behaviors

Tips and Tricks To Gaining Proper Opportunity

The more information you have, the better equipped you will be to make future decisions for your child with special needs to ensure their success.

Special Education Resource was explicitly created to help parents of children with special needs find the information and assistance necessary to help their child reach their excellence.

Through dozens of , , videos, links, and one-on-one special education tutoring, we are here to help you every step of the way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Parental Rights In The IEP Process | Special Education Resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recently, I had a conversation with a very concerned mother... it went something like this; Mother; "But, I've only been invited to my son's IEP meeting every three years..." Me; No response, since I was literally speechless... Mother; "Are you there?"

# data[].attributes.body
This resource gives parents information about PLOP and how its importance in IEP meetings. This information is also provided in Spanish through a link at the top.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Present Levels (Component of the IEP) | Center for Parent Information and Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Current as of April 2022
This info in Spanish | Esta información en español

# data[].attributes.body
This resource offers insight into how parents can support their students in advocating for their own education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Having a child with a disability, and becoming disabled myself, has put me through a boot-camp that prepared me for the war for quality services for folks with disabilities. I had to learn a new language (so many acronyms!), preferred labels, federal laws, state laws, service providers, what is an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and most importantly, how to fight for full accessibility and quality of life for myself and for my child.

If special education is a war, then IEP meetings are the bi-yearly battles.

On one side of the battle, the schools are powerful institutions that hold the fate of our children in their hands, with very little oversight. Schools simply weren't designed for children with disabilities, which often makes it unnecessarily difficult to access self-determined services. Even more, the bureaucratic red-tape, coupled with high costs make many necessary services unavailable or unaffordable.

For many people with disabilities, especially children, their families are their primary advocates for their federal and state rights to inclusion. Much of the progress made for children with disabilities was the result of victories won by unrelenting, passionate warrior parents, who refused to accept what schools were offering for their children.

I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE VOICES MISSING FROM THE RANKS-THE VOICES OF THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

But I have found that there are voices missing from the ranks-the voices of the students with disabilities. As a parent, I struggle so much with this! My husband and I want the best for our children, as do all parents, and we believe we know what is best for our children. But we're not in school every day and, at some point, our daughter needs to learn how to advocate for what she wants and needs on her own. With neuro- and physical-typical children, this struggle for autonomy usually plays out in the teenage years with a huge rebellion for "independence." For children with disabilities, this natural part of development, to make one's own decisions, good or bad, is often taken away.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SELF-ADVOCACY MANDATORY IN ALL DECISIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE LIFE OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.

This is why it's important to make self-advocacy mandatory in all decisions and discussions about the life of children with disabilities. In school, this starts with the IEP-a legal document that lays out the accommodations that the student with a disability is legally required to receive in order to succeed. However, at IEP meetings, even parents are not involved in creating plans, let alone the children.

The answer is " person-centered planning." It is a tool-a technique-but it is also a shift in how we approach children with disabilities in schools. Person-centered planning says that all decisions about a student with a disability start with, and should be guided by, the student with the disability. Person-centered planning prioritizes the student's wants, interests, needs, into all accommodation planning.

For example, my daughter enjoys socializing with her peers. Unfortunately, a lot of social activities are hard to navigate for someone on the autism spectrum with sensory processing disorder. But being part of a team, specifically a baseball team, is important to my daughter, so it is up to us-her parents and her IEP team-to figure out how she can participate, instead of saying "no" because we know she may not be successful in that setting.

And person-centered planning isn't only for social goals. When we pay attention to a child's individual strengths and preferences, and also recognize what support looks like for them, we help them to become successful, self-aware life-long learners. And if academic achievement is truly important, like it is to me and my husband, we have to involve our children in the process.

As a person committed to person-centered planning with my daughter, but also a parent who is slightly obsessive about making sure my child has everything she needs (helicopter parent), I want to incorporate person-centered planning into everything. My daughter's IEP was a great opportunity for me to start.

MY DAUGHTER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT SHE NEEDED

I am so very blessed that I asked my daughter to name her own goals because what she outlined was far better than anything the school or my husband and I could create. When asked what she needed to succeed, she said:

These three simple suggestions guided the entire plan. And, her suggestions have made her school year not only tolerable but also enjoyable. Further, involving her in the decisions that impact her education today is helping her to build and practice the skills and develop the confidence to advocate for her needs in the future.

As my daughter gets older, my husband and I realize that it will be up to her to manage her limits. For us, academic success is a part of we want for our daughter, but it's more important that she understands her body, her learning styles, self-regulation and self-advocacy-and how to be a confident, independent person on the autism spectrum, who is empowered by the knowledge of her personal goals, interests, and limitations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My 7-Year-Old Helped Frame Her IEP Goals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Having a child with a disability, and becoming disabled myself, has put me through a boot-camp that prepared me for the war for quality services for folks with disabilities. I had to learn a new language (so many acronyms!), preferred labels, federal laws, state laws, service providers, what is an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and...

# data[].attributes.body
This resource explains academic progress and how it is measured. The information in this resource also explains parent rights when/if they feel their student is not making academic progress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Do you feel like your child is not making academic progress? This year has been trying to say the least! We've heard a number of parents mention that their children had trouble adjusting to doing school virtually.

One parent, in particular, felt like their son made no progress academically at all. She thought maybe it was because of the lack of daily interaction with the other students or frustration with not getting any one-on-one time with me.

What to Do if Your Child is Not Making Academic Progress?

Taking your child's academic progress seriously is essential to their success in life. This blog article will help you understand how to measure your children's academic progress, as well as what you can do if they're not progressing at all.

What is Academic Progress?

There are many ways to measure your child's progress, and it's important to know what these measurements mean.

Academic progress is your child's academic subjects' performance over time, particularly the basics such as reading and math.

When your child has an IEP, the IEP team determines what constitutes appropriate academic progress for your child based on his disability and individual needs.

How Do You Measure Academic Progress?

You can measure academic progress in a variety of different ways. Most of the time, you will look at your child's grades on an assignment or their report card. But here are additional ways to measure your child's progress.

Find A Tutor TODAY!

- Benchmark assessments

- Reading levels

- Formal assessments

IEP Goals

One way to measure academic progress is through their IEP. An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is a written document that outlines specific goals for your child and the methods used to help them reach those goals.

The IEP goals also include how often they will be assessed to monitor their levels of mastery and any accommodations that will be made.

The IEP is a living document that can change as your child progresses or if goals are not being met, so make sure to revisit it at least every two years and share any new information about your child's needs and disability status.

Benchmark Assessments

You may also measure academic progress by looking at their classroom benchmark assessments. Teachers give benchmark assessments to measure progress throughout the school year.

These tests also provide teachers with information about which content standards they know and which they need more help with. It can also tell you what strengths and weaknesses the students have.

Examples of Benchmark Assessments

Weekly spelling tests

Monthly math tests that include all the concepts learned that month

Quarterly essays

These assessments provide results that help to set goals on the IEP so you know where they need to be if they don't already meet them, which will allow for better understanding and expectations.

Reading Levels

Many schools use the A to Z Reading Levels System to determine a student's reading level. The A-Z system is a universal reading level system that allows for a more accurate assessment of skills.

The system is based on a readability formula. The higher the reading level, the less difficult and complex texts become to comprehend.

Teachers need to know their students' reading levels to ensure appropriate content selection to meet academic goals and standards for their classroom.

Even if your child is not on grade level for reading, you should see consistent growth on their reading level throughout the school year.

Formal Assessments

Lastly, formal educational assessments are another way to determine academic growth for your child. These assessments are often given in as tests and provide specific scores for various skills.

Usually, teachers or outside evaluators administer formal assessments at school. Schools will typically use standardized tests, like the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), to assess your child's academic progress. The ITBS is a set of exams appropriate for children in grades K through 12.

Each state has its own tests they choose to use as well. Here is a list to reference state standardized tests.

Next Steps if Your Child is Not Making Academic Progress?

If your child is not doing as well in school, there might be a problem that you don't know about. It's time to talk with the school staff and tell them what is happening. Here are some steps to take if your child is not making academic progress.

Request a Meeting With Your Child's Teacher

If you suspect your child is not making academic progress, the first step to take is to call a meeting with the school staff. They can help assess whether or not any underlying issues need attention. You can also request to see the results of your child's tests and assessments.

If your child does not currently have an IEP, discuss the need for one with their teacher and request a meeting to determine if academic supports are necessary. If you do not know how to write this letter, let us help!

Request an IEP Meeting

If your child has a valid IEP, you should request an evaluation to determine if any additional academic needs need support. You should make this request in writing.

The following things might be appropriate for the team to consider:

An increase in special education services

A change in service delivery, i.e., where the services take place- inside regular classroom vs. special education room

Additional supplemental aids and services

Updating IEP goals

Additional Assessments

Ask the IEP team to consider reevaluation if your child is not making sufficient progress. You should make this request in writing.

Reevaluation can give updated scores to show what their academic progress has been. Assessments can also indicate whether your child has a different educational disability.

The IEP team will review the assessment results and discuss how they can help your child. A reevaluation may result in an update to IEP goals.

During the IEP meeting, the team will come up with new goals to address weaknesses. You should be involved in this process to know what is happening and ask questions about anything you don't understand.

A functional behavior assessment, FBA, should be considered if behaviors interfere with your child's learning.

If the school agrees with this assessment and implements the necessary supports, test scores may improve over time. If not, consider requesting a referral outside of the school system.

Additional Resources for Parents

At the end of the day, if your child is not making academic progress, something needs to be done to support your child. Communication with your child's school and requesting an IEP meeting are reasonable first steps.
Here are additional resources you may find helpful as parents:
Do you have a child that needs one on one assistance?

We offer one-on-one special education tutoring that can be done from anywhere the student is! Why? Because our special education experts conduct their sessions online!

Get started with a free consultation today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What to Do if Your Child is Not Making Academic Progress?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do you feel like your child is not making academic progress? This year has been trying to say the least! We've heard a number of parents mention that their children had trouble adjusting to doing school virtually. One parent, in particular, felt like their son made no progress academically at all.

# data[].attributes.body
This resource provides information on transition services. A Spanish version is available through a link at the top of the page.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Link-checked, February 2018 About transition in Spanish | Sobre transición en español
Life is full of transitions, and one of the more remarkable ones occurs when we get ready to leave high school and go out in the world as young adults. When the student has a disability, it's especially helpful to plan ahead for that transition. In fact, IDEA requires it.
Quick-Jump Index
A Quick Summary of Transition

Transition services are intended to prepare students to move from the world of school to the world of adulthood.

Transition planning begins during high school at the latest.

IDEA requires that transition planning start by the time the student reaches age 16.

Transition planning may start earlier (when the student is younger than 16) if the IEP team decides it would be appropriate to do so.

Transition planning takes place as part of developing the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

The IEP team (which includes the student and the parents) develops the transition plan.

The student must be invited to any IEP meeting where postsecondary goals and transition services needed to reach those goals will be considered.

In transition planning, the IEP team considers areas such as postsecondary education or vocational training, employment, independent living, and community participation.

Transition services must be a coordinated set of activities oriented toward producing results.

Transition services are based on the student's needs and must take into account his or her preferences and interests.

Not enough detail? We can fix that! Keep reading...

IDEA's Definition of Transition Services

Any discussion of transition services must begin with its definition in law. IDEA's definition of transition services appears at §300.43. It's rather long but see it in its entirety first, and then we'll discuss it in parts.
§300.43 Transition services.
(a) Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that-

(1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;

(2) Is based on the individual child's needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes-

(i) Instruction;

(ii) Related services;

(iii) Community experiences;

(iv) The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and

(v) If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.

(b) Transition services for children with disabilities may be special education, if provided as specially designed instruction, or a related service, if required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.

Considering the Definition

A number of key words in the definition above capture important concepts about transition services:

Activities need to be coordinated with each other.

The process focuses on results.

Activities must address the child's academic and functional achievement.

Activities are intended to smooth the young person's movement into the post-school world.

You can also see that the definition mentions the domains of independent and adult living. The community.... employment.... adult services... daily living skills... vocational... postsecondary education. This clearly acknowledges that adulthood involves a wide range of skills areas and activities. It also makes clear that preparing a child with a disability to perform functionally across this spectrum of areas and activities may involve considerable planning, attention, and focused, coordinated services.

Note that word-coordinated. We italicised it above because it's very important. Transition activities should not be haphazard or scattershot. Services are to be planned as in sync with one another in order to drive toward a result.

What result might that be? From a federal perspective, the result being sought can be found in the very first finding of Congress in IDEA, which refers to "our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities." [20 U.S.C. 1400(c)(1)] Preparing children with disabilities to "lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible" is one of IDEA's stated objectives. [20 U.S.C. 1400(c)(5)(A)(ii)]

Students at the Heart of Planning Their Transition

For the students themselves, transition activities are personally defined. This means that the postsecondary goals that are developed for a student must take into account his or her interests, preferences, needs, and strengths. To make sure of this, the school:

must invite the youth with a disability to attend IEP team meeting "if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under §300.320(b)," and

"must take other steps to ensure that the child's preferences and interests are considered" if the child is not able to attend [§300.321(b)].

As you keep reading below, keep the importance of student involvement in mind, because there are many excellent materials and guides available to help students become involved in their own transition planning...and many good reasons to do so. To connect with that info:

When Must Transition Services Be Included in the IEP?

What's not apparent in IDEA's definition of transition services but nonetheless critical to mention is the timing of transition-related planning and services: When must transition planning begin?

The answer lies in a different provision related to the content of the IEP. From §300.320(b):

(b) Transition services. Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually, thereafter, the IEP must include-

(1) Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and

(2) The transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.

So, the IEP must include transition goals by the time the student is 16. That age frame, though, is not cast in concrete. Note that, in keeping with the individualized nature of the IEP, the IEP team has the authority to begin transition-related considerations earlier in a student's life, if team members (which include the parent and the student with a disability) think it is appropriate, given the student's needs and preferences.

A Closer Look at What to Include in the IEP

Breaking the provisions at §300.320(b) into their component parts is a useful way to see what needs to be included, transition-wise, in the student's IEP. This is also where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, because what's included in the IEP must:

state the student's postsecondary goals (what he or she hopes to achieve after leaving high school);

be broken down into IEP goals that represent the steps along the way that the student needs to take while still in high school to get ready for achieving the postsecondary goals after high school; and

detail the transition services that the student will receive to support his or her achieving the IEP goals.

Writing goal statements can be a challenging business, because it's not always obvious what needs to be included in a goal statement. Goal-writing is a topic worthy of an entire discussion on its own. To shed light on how to write transition-related goals statements--both postsecondary goals and the corresponding IEP goals--we prepared just such a page.

To connect with info and examples on writing transition goal statements:

The Domains of Adulthood to Consider

The definition of transition services mentions specific domains of adulthood to be addressed during transition planning. To recap, these are:

postsecondary education,

vocational education,

integrated employment (including supported employment),

continuing and adult education,

adult services,

independent living, or

community participation.

These are the areas to be explored by the IEP team to determine what types of transition-related support and services a student with a disability needs. It's easy to see how planning ahead in each of these areas, and developing goal statements and corresponding services for the student, can greatly assist that student in preparing for life after high school.

Need more info about any one or all of these domains?

Try our separate pages on:

Types of Activities to Consider

Remember that IDEA's definition of transition services states that these are a "coordinated set of activities" designed within a results-oriented process? Specific activities are also mentioned, which gives the IEP team insight into the range of activities to be considered in each of the domains above:

Instruction;

Related services;

Community experiences;

The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and

If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation. [§300.43(a)(2)]

Confused by all these lists? Putting them together, what we have is this: The IEP team must discuss and decide whether the student needs transition services and activities (e.g., instruction, related services, community experiences, etc.) to prepare for the different domains of adulthood (postsecondary education, vocational education, employment, adult services, independent living, etc.) That's a lot of ground to cover!

But it's essential ground, if the student's transition to the adult world is to be facilitated. A spectrum of adult activities is evident here, from community to employment, from being able to take care of oneself (e.g., daily living skills) to considering other adult objectives and undertakings.

Resources of More Information

Transition is a huge topic. Its treatment here is necessarily brief, given all that can be said on the subject. Perhaps it would be most useful now to connect you with the "transition experts"-the organizations and centers that focus with great purpose on transition planning for students with disabilities. You'll find those experts identified throughout the transition pages listed below.

Where would you like to go next-employment connections, education/training connections, independent living? Pick your path below!

Transition "Starters" for Everyone
Start with these beginning links to transition resources, divided into resources for general audiences, for parents, for professionals, and for students.

Transition Goals in the IEP
What kind of information might you include in a student's IEP as part of transition planning? Here's a closer look at writing transition-related IEP goals.

Students Get Involved!
Very important! Come here if you're looking for resources about involving students in transition planning, person-centered planning tools, or materials and connections made just for students themselves.

Adult Services: What Are They? Where Are They?
Representatives of outside agencies may be invited to the IEP transition-planning table. Read about four of the primary agencies in adult services: Vocational Rehabilitation, the Social Security Administration, state-level agencies, and independent living centers. And, of course, there's an "other" category-other players and groups you may want to involve, too.

Potential Consultants to the Transition Team
In addition to the main players at the transition planning table, have you thought about inviting any of these potential consultants to join the discussion?

Education/Training Connections
Learn more about postsecondary education options such as college, trade schools, adult or continuing education, and vocational education. Connect with resources and helpful organizations.

Employment Connections
What about work? What about preparing for a career? What career? Who can help? Find out here.

Independent Living Connections
Independent living involves so very much--making choices about how and where we live in the community. It involves everything from setting an alarm clock to getting out of bed, to self-care, to getting to work and back home again, to what to eat for dinner. Lots to think about and get ready for!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Link-checked, February 2018 About transition in Spanish | Sobre transición en español Life is full of transitions, and one of the more remarkable ones occurs when we get ready to leave high school and go out in the world as young adults. When the student has a disability, it's especially helpful to plan ahead for that transition.

# data[].attributes.body
The information in this resource helps parents understand transition planning, when to begin, and things to consider.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many of us, life began after graduation from high school. It is no different for special needs children. Unfortunately, for many parents, transition planning for special education students can be an overwhelming process.

There are so many factors that you need to consider when going through this process. The first step in planning is assessments and interest surveys.

Why Use Assessments and Interest Surveys for Transition Planning?

It is essential to have ongoing discussions about all of these opportunities available to them because it'll allow your child to feel confident about which path they would like to take.

These assessments and surveys will help identify their:

When Does Transition Planning for Special Education Students Begin?

We need to be extra vigilant that our children are on the right path and that they have a voice in the transition planning process. The transition process begins in middle and high school.

Assessments and interest surveys aim to capture a student's strengths and interests.

For example, I once asked a middle school student what he wanted to do after high school. He said he wanted to become a basketball player. So I pushed him and asked what he would do if that were not possible.

Find A Tutor TODAY!

He responded that then he would become a football player. So many students (especially successful high school athletes) hope this will become a reality. But it is our job to propose alternate pathways and occupations.

Areas to Consider in Transition Planning for Special Education Students

There are six key areas to consider in the assessments and surveys. You need to ask your child questions about each area to get a complete picture for planning their post-secondary transition.

#1 Education

Would you prefer two years, four years, or a technical education? Fortunately, it has become abundantly clear that not everyone needs to become a doctor or a lawyer during the pandemic. I found this great comparison between two and four-year colleges.

Individuals with trade skills were essential, frontline workers during this time. For example, do you want to be an electrician, plumber, or carpenter? These are all highly critical professions. Here is a Career Interest Survey your child can take to get ideas of what to look into.

#2 Residence

Where will you live? Do you want to live:

What can you afford? Do you need to be near a school because you do not have transportation?

#3 Independent living skills

Post-secondary school is demanding. Will you be able to complete your studies while also tackling domestic responsibilities?
Can you do your own:
#4 Employment

Will you work while attending college?

Did you work during high school?

Would you like to continue through post-secondary school?

Will you be able to handle working and your courses?

#5 Transportation

How will you get to school?

Do you have a car?

Is public transportation available?

Is it safe to use a bicycle in the area?

#6 Recreation

What do you like to do for fun? You can't just go to school and work. You need to have fun during your free time. What do you want to do? Are the resources available in the area to pursue those interests?

Additional Transition Planning Resources

This is just the beginning of the transition process for special education students. Still, it is an essential step and forms the pathway to ensure our students become productive, successful, and self-sufficient members of society.

Both parents and educators can use this information to decide what opportunities are appropriate for each student.

If you need help figuring out how best to plan for a future transition from high school into college or work life, we're here for you! Check out some of these other resources for your special needs child.
Here are additional resources you may find helpful in transition planning:
Do you have a child that needs one on one assistance?

We offer one-on-one special education tutoring that can be done from anywhere the student is! Why? Because our special education experts conduct their sessions online!

Get started with a free consultation today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The First Step in Transition Planning for Special Education Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many of us, life began after graduation from high school. It is no different for special needs children. Unfortunately, for many parents, transition planning for special education students can be an overwhelming process. There are so many factors that you need to consider when going through this process.