Need to Knows

An advocate is a mentor and partner that is knowledgeable and walks alongside you to navigate the exceptional education process. It is vital for you to feel like an equal and confident member of the school team as well as to cultivate positive relationships with the school team. 

Under IDEA, parents must approve certain actions before the school can act on them.

An Individualized Education Plan is developed each year and is written by the child's IEP Team. The child must have an educational impact and require specialized instruction for her to qualify as a child with a disability under IDEA. 

• Present level of academic achievement and functional performance
• Statement of specialized aids and services
• Annuals goals in measurable terms
• Amount of time outside LRE
• Accommodations for class and testing
• A plan for how the child will participate in the states accountability test- VA SOL 

IEP goals should be SMART Goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Action Words
• Realistic and Relevant
• Time Limited

Goals and expectations should always be adaptable and start with maximum scaffolding. 

IDEA: Individuals with Disability Education Improvement Act

If a school identifies a student with a disability who is in need of special education and related services to benefit from their education, are entitled to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

You will be updated AT LEAST four times a year, at the same time as report cards/progress reports.

These are provided in regular education classes that enable children with disabilities to be educated with non-disabled children to the maximum extent appropriate.

These are necessary services that are provided for a child with a disability to benefit from special education.

They do not reduce learning expectations, but rather provide access. There are four types of accommodations: 

• Presentation- reading directions to a child
• Response- allowing for answers to be dictated
• Timing/Scheduling- allowing sub-tests to be taken out of order
• Setting- providing special lighting or acoustics 

These are adjustments to an assignment or test that changes the standard of what the test or assignment is supposed to measure. Examples of modifications include a child completing work on part of the standard, or a child completing an alternate assignment that is more easily achievable than the original assignments. Please note that modifications on state assessments, such as the SOL test, are not permitted. 

• Already have Early Intervention Services in place for your child and are now going through the initial eligibility process for special education? 
• Just received a diagnosis of a disability and are going through the process to determine eligibility for special education services?  
• Been found ineligible to receive services? 
• Not offered services or supports required to be successful in school?
• Receiving poor report cards/progress reports and falling behind grade level?
• Been having behavior issu? 

• Understanding an IEP, a 504 Plan, or a BIP?
• Knowing if you have equal access to all the information used to evaluate your child.
• Being able to get your point across because of high emotions and feeling outnumbered at the school team meeting.
• Understanding the complexity of the network of federal, state, and local laws and the intricate regulations and policies governing special education.