Welcome to

Mrs. O’Connor’s
Inclusion Classroom!

Special Education Laws and Rights

SY 2022-2023 you should know

We are about to begin the most

Contact:
Arianne O’Connor
Email: aoconnor@xxxxxxx.org
Phone: (XXX) XXX-XXX
School Address: XXXX
School Phone: (XXX) XXX -XXXX
XXXXXXX (Main Office/Secretary):
XXX@XXXXX.xxx
Nurse XXXXX:
xxxxx@xxxx.XXX
important step…
on a journey that you, your child and I will never forget!
Before we begin the school year together, I’d love to introduce
myself to you so that we can get to know one another a bit. My
name is Arianne O’Connor and I feel so fortunate to say that I
will be your child’s Teacher here this year! You and your child
are now a part of an incredible school community!
Professionally, I have been working in the field of Early
Childhood for over 20 years. I hold a Bachelors Degree in Art
Therapy (Emmanuel College), a Masters Degree in Visual Art
Education (Tufts University and the School of the Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston) and am a fully licensed educator in the
State of Massachusetts to teach Early Childhood PreK-5,
Moderate Disabilities PreK-3, and dual licensure in Visual
Art Education for PreK-5 & 5-12.
I have two sons, an incredibly funny and supportive husband
and a hefty appetite for ADVENTURE. When I am not in the
classroom, you’ll find me out in nature – where I feel most
grounded and connected to the world – there are so many
places I have yet to explore and spaces to play in!
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What are
my child’s
rights?

Now that you’re here, let us help you understand

and inform you along the way…

Inclusion is a belief system that all As a part of our community, we aim to

students are general education students keep families engaged in their students
attending school with their chronologically progress.
age appropriate peers. The general
education curriculum and classroom is the
starting point for planning for all Thus, the Following Special Education
students. Inclusion is based on the Law concepts will be explained:
premise that necessary supports and
services for students with disabilities can
be provided in the general education • FAPE
classroom.
• Section 504 Plan vs. IEP
School supports available based on
• LRE
student needs include Resource Support,
Applied Behavior Analysis, English as a • Nondiscriminatory Evaluation
Second Language, Speech Language
and…
Pathologist, Occupational Therapist,
Physical Therapist. • Additional Resource List

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FAPE:
Free Appropriate Education
All children with disabilities are to be given a free
appropriate public education (FAPE). Education and
Related Services must be provided to children beginning
at age 3 up to the age of 21.

This education must be designed to meet the individual

educational needs of the student as determined through
appropriate evaluation and placement procedures without
discrimination. Students with disabilities must be
educated with students without disabilities to the
maximum extent appropriate

Education Includes academic as well as self-help skills

and also includes providing related services that a
student needs to benefit from special education:
• Speech Language Pathology
• Interpreting Services
• Psychological Services
• Physical & Occupational Therapy
• School Nurse Services
• Social Work services
• Counseling
• Assistive Technology
• Medical services for diagnostic and evaluation
purposes only

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IEP & Section 504:

what is the difference?

The basic difference between an IEP and a 504 plan

can be summed up in one sentence: both plans
provide for accommodations, but only an IEP
provides for specialized instruction for students in
grades K–12, while a 504 plan can serve students at
both the K–12 and college levels. Both plans are
provided at no cost to families.

IEP:
• To get an IEP, a child must have one or more of the 13
disabilities listed in IDEA and the disability must
affect the childs ability to learn and benefit from the
general education curriculum.
• Provides individualized Special Education Instruction
and related services to meet the students unique needs
• An formal and appropriate assessment has been
conducted and a set of goals have been laid out within
the IEP so that a focus for the student to achieve
academic success can be implemented by the teaching
team

Section 504:
• Protects all individuals with a mental or physical
disability that has been identified as preventing one or
more major life activity for the student
• Provides services and modifications to the learning
environment to remove discriminatory barriers and
enable students to learn alongside their peers based on
the students needs
• Prohibits discrimination in any program that receives
federal dollars

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LRE
Least restrictive environment (LRE) means kids who get special education
should be in the same classrooms as other kids as much as possible.
LRE isn't a place — it's an educational standard that guides a child's education
program based on equity, equality and non-discrimination.

The LRE for each child may look different because kids are unique, so naturally their
learning environment should support their individual needs and/or disabilities.
Historically speaking, prior to the enactment of the IDEA, children with disabilities were
segregated and separated from mainstream typical classroom environments. Listed below are
various levels of LRE within public school districts that are in place all because of the
addition of LRE within IDEA:

• General education classroom with supports – your child spends the entire day
in a general education class receiving supports as services like an aide, tutor,
assistive technology, accommodations, modifications or a combination of these
• Inclusion Classroom – your child is in a class where 50% of the class are students
who do not exhibit a mental or physical disability where they receive individual or
small group instruction by a licensed special educator
• Special Education Classroom (ABA) – specialized instruction for children with
similar learning needs
• Specialize program outside of your school district – this includes private
schools, residential programs, and hospital programs

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Non Discriminatory
Evaluation

This is an IDEA principle that requires schools to evaluate students fairly to

determine if they have a disability and, if so, what kind and how extensive. The
evaluation must be carried out in a cohesive and culturally responsive way.
If the evaluation reveals that the student has a disability, the evaluation process must then
identify special education and related services the student will receive. This information is
necessary to plan an appropriate education for the student and determine where the student
will be educated!

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Additional Resources for families:

• The Boston Special Education Parent Advisory
Council (SpedPac) is a citywide parent advocacy
organization with the sole purpose of sharing
information and resources to help all families of
special education students understand their rights
and options accurately and comprehensively.
Contact - (617) 297-7335

• The Federation for Children with Special Needs

(FCSN) provides information, support, and
assistance to parents of children with disabilities.
They are committed to listening to and learning
from families while encouraging full participation in
community life by all people, especially those with
disabilities.

• Roman Music Therapy Services, LLC uses music to

transform lives, working through challenges in
communication, processing, or socialization. With
music as a bridge, they uncover an individual’s
promise. In music-making, they create new
connections, facilitate meaningful engagement, and
provide opportunities for growth.

• Art Therapy & Special Education

https://specialedresource.com/art-therapy-children-
special-needs/