September 2010 In Spanish | en español Evaluation is an essential beginning step in the special education process for a child with a disability. Before a child can receive special education and related services for the first time, a full and individual initial evaluation of the child must be conducted to see if the child has a disability and is eligible for special education. Informed parent consent must be obtained before this evaluation may … [Read more...]
Print 
PDFWhen the IEP Team Meets
September 2010This info in Spanish | Esta información en españolIEP teams are made up of individuals who bring different perspectives and expertise to the table. Pooling their knowledge, team members set out to craft an individualized response to a specific child’s needs, taking into account that same child’s strengths and talents. The end product is the child's individualized education program.There's a lot of information shared at IEP meetings, … [Read more...]
Questions and Answers about IDEA: Parent Participation
Questions and Answers on IDEA (QA2) April 2009 | Links updated, May 2013 PDF version How does IDEA ensure that families have meaningful opportunities to participate? That will be the focus of this Q&A—the solid foundation IDEA provides for parental involvement. Topics covered are: The Power of Parent Participation Parental Rights to Participate, Summarized Parent Notification Parent Consent Resources of More Information We’ve … [Read more...]
Parental Consent
December 2010 In Spanish | En español One of parents' most important rights is the right to give (or not give) their consent for certain actions of the school system with respect to their child with a disability. This short page will explain this right in detail. Quick-Jump Links Definition of "consent" Making sure parents have the info they need When will the school ask for a parent's consent? What happens if I don't give … [Read more...]
Module 9: Introduction to Evaluation under IDEA
by Theresa Rebhorn and Lisa KüpperNICHCY | National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities March 2007 **Este módulo está disponible en español: Introducción a la Evaluación bajo IDEA Evaluating children for the presence of a disability is a very important process in IDEA. This module introduces basic principles and requirements that schools must follow for evaluation, including: the purposes of evaluation, parent notification and … [Read more...]
Module 10: Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation
by Lisa Küpper and Theresa Rebhorn NICHCY | National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities March 2007 **Este módulo está disponible en español: Evaluación Inicial y la Reevaluación Module 10 builds atop the introduction presented in Module 9 and looks at the specific requirements of IDEA regarding: the initial evaluation of a child suspected of having a disability, how the results are applied to determining the child's eligibility … [Read more...]
Module 16: Children Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools
by Sheila Friedman, Ed.D.Office of Special Education ProgramsU.S. Department of Education August 2007 English only slideshow Handouts for Participants in English and in Spanish When parents elect to send their child with a disability to a private school at their own expense (even a religious school), the State still has obligations with respect to addressing the child's disability. While those obligations are not the same as what's required for … [Read more...]
Parent Notification and Consent in Early Intervention
December 2012 Parents are essential partners in early intervention. They have the right to be deeply involved at every step along the way, from evaluation of their child, to the writing of the individualized family service plan (IFSP), to helping to determine the early intervention services their child receives. Not surprisingly, Part C of IDEA includes specific provisions to support the informed involvement of parents in their child's early … [Read more...]
