LEGAL ASPECTS

EDUCATIONAL

ISSUES INVOLVING
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
TECHNOLOGY PLACEMENTS, SERVICES, AND PARENTS AS EDUCATIONAL PARTNER

1990~ Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

1975~ Public Law 94-142

LEGAL ASPECTS

Schools are prohibited from planning special education program Children who are thought to have a disability are evaluated to determine their eligibility

Children must be evaluated before a school can begin providing special services

Requires that students with disabilities have an individualized education plan (IEP)

spells out broad mandates for services to all children with disabilities

IDEA

The child with a disability must be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE)

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

a program specifically tailored for student with a disability

in general:

related to the child's learning capacity

specially constructed to meet the child's individual needs and not merely copy what is offered to other children

designed to provide educational benefits.

Least Restrictive Enviroment (LRE)

A setting that is as similar as possible to the one in which children who do not have disability are educated

Educating children with special education needs fulltime in the regular classroom

Children with a learning disability or a speech impairment can be educated in the regular classroom, but children with severe hearing or vision impairments may need to be educated in separate classes or schools

Placements, Services, and Parents as Educational Partners

Placements

Services

Parents as Educational Partners

Collaborative

The Regular Classroom Teacher * Responsible for

providing more of the education of children with disabilities than in the past

The Resource Teacher * Provide

valuable services for many children who have a disability

The Special Education Teacher * Assumes greater

responsibility for the childs overall program

Related Service
* Help the regular classroom teacher provide individualized instruction for children with disabilities

Consultation and Interactive Teaming

* Encourages shared responsibility in planning and decision making

Assistive Technologies

^^ services and devices to help students with disabilities function within their environment

Technology

Instructional Applications ^^ types of hardware and software, combined with innovative teaching method, to accommodate students learning needs in the classroom