Where to Start

The Front Door

The first step to connecting with services is to contact OPWDD, (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities) through its regional Developmental Disabilities Regional Office, Hudson Valley DDRO (HVDDRO), who then determines whether a person has a developmental disability and is eligible for OPWDD funded services. OPWDD has created “The Front Door” program that facilitates the wants and needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and assists with connecting them with services. Everyone comes here first when mapping out a service plan.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) provide opportunities for Medicaid beneficiaries to receive services in their own home or community rather than institutions or other isolated settings.

https://opwdd.ny.gov/welcome-front-door/home or call the OPWWD Info Line at 1-866-946-9733.

IDEA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.

The IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 7.5 million (as of school year 2018-19) eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

U.S. Dept of Education IDEA Website

Part 200

In New York State, we have the Part 200 Regulations, which further defines how students receive special education and related services in school. Under IDEA, a student with a disability is mandated to have a TRANSITION PLAN which defines their post secondary goals and the skills they will require for successful transition.

NYSED.gov Office of Special Education

Part 200 Regulations

What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?

IEP Defined

The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services. For more information visit: A Guide to the Individualized Education Program.

504 Plan Defined

The 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.

Subtle but Important Differences

Not all students who have disabilities require specialized instruction. For students with disabilities who do require specialized instruction, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) controls the procedural requirements, and an IEP is developed. The IDEA process is more involved than that of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and requires documentation of measurable growth. For students with disabilities who do not require specialized instruction but need the assurance that they will receive equal access to public education and services, a document is created to outline their specific accessibility requirements. Students with 504 Plans do not require specialized instruction, but, like the IEP, a 504 Plan should be updated annually to ensure that the student is receiving the most effective accommodations for their specific circumstances.

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