Disabilities and Specific Needs - Elizabeth Mireles
Disabilities and Specific Needs - Elizabeth Mireles
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A. Overview of IDEIA
A. Overview of IDEIA
Commonly known as IDEA, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), originally passed in 1975 and was reauthorized in 2004. IDEIA is a key piece of federal legislation in the United States aimed at ensuring that children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
1. Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers
IDEIA mandates that public schools seek out students who may have special needs, and provide accommodations for students with disabilities. Each eligible student must have an individualized education plan (IEP), a detailed plan developed by a team including educators, parents, and sometimes the student, outlining specific educational goals and the support needed to achieve them. Students with disabilities must be provided education in the least restrictive environment (LRE) possible, meaning they should be integrated into general education as often as possible.
For reference, here are some links to more information.
· https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/
· https://sites.ed.gov/idea/state/texas/
Accessible Classroom Tour
2. The Special Education Cycle
3. Legal Resources
Educators must ensure they are following all regulations and statutes to have best practices and honor individual education plans to the best of their ability. I’ve included some links for quick reference.
· Here is a link to the U.S. Department of Education’s Resource website for educators
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/resource-centers/
· This is link to OSEP, Office of Special Education Programs. It is a valuable source of applications for educational grants, loans and loan forgiveness.
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html
· The Texas Education Agency is a primary resource for those of us intending to teach in Texas.
B. General resources and information for understanding the eligibility criteria and learning needs of students with various disabilities
For students to be eligible for accommodations, they must be diagnosed with one of the thirteen IDEA identified disabilities. Along with the diagnosis, it must be determined that they need services to succeed. We have included a link to help determine criteria and information about disabilities that qualify for assistance.
1. Standards for Eligibility
Learning Disabilities Association of America
2. Disability Resources
Texas School for the Deaf
· https://www.tsd.texas.gov/apps/pages/ARD_TSD
Autism Speaks
Cerebral Palsy Guide
· https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/community/special-education/
C. Resources for Compliance
To assure that they are meeting all the student’s needs, while staying within guidelines of the laws, teachers and supports staff will have many consultations and assessments to determine what those needs are. One of the first steps is to complete an Admission, Review and Dismiss process (ARD).
1. What does an ARD/IEP meeting look like? References below.
Navigate Life Texas
· https://www.navigatelifetexas.org/en/education-schools/ard-process
What to say at an IEP meeting? Talking points for special educators.
2. Words of Advice for New teachers
Edutopia: No one starts out awesome, advice for new teachers
https://www.edutopia.org/article/no-one-starts-out-awesome-advice-new-teachers/
10 Tips for New Teachers
3. What is the difference between modifications and accommodations? Regardless of whether a student is in SPED or not, there may be a time for accommodations or modifications. Explore the links below to learn about this.
a. We are Teachers: IEP Accommodations vs Modifications: What’s the difference?
https://www.weareteachers.com/accommodations-vs-modifications/
b. ModernTeacher.net: Accommodations vs Modifications in Education
https://modernteacher.net/accommodations-vs-modifications/
4. Disability Advocacy Resources
a. Disability Rights Texas
https://disabilityrightstx.org/en/what-we-do/how-we-help/
b. Texas Disability Advocates
https://www.txdisabilityadvocates.com/
D. Questions and Answers:
1. Here is a link to comprehensive list of FAQ’s
a. U.S. Department of Education FAQ about special education
b. Reading Rockets: FAQ about special education
2. Council for Exceptional Children
a. This is an important organization that is focused on advocating for students that have special gifts or disabilities. They work to maintain professional standards and provide training for educators in special education.
https://exceptionalchildren.org/about-us
3. Three relevant CEC endorsed position papers
a. CCBD'S Position Summary on Federal Policy on Disproportionality in Special Education is a journal providing recommendations of policies for the Council of Children with Behavioral Disorders. The CCBD is an advocacy group for students with emotional and behavior disabilities, and a division of CEC.
https://doi.org/10.1177/019874291303800202
b. Cannot Walk Away: DEC’s Position on Child Abuse, Neglect, and Trauma shows the position that children who suffer abuse are often overlooked, and more likely to develop a disability. This group researches this issue and is organizing a focus group for future endeavors.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250616646487
c. The Learning Disability Phenomenon in Pursuit of Axioms seeks to establish absolute truths as relates to students with disabilities. After over 50 years of research and development, are there any universal truths?
https://doi.org/10.2307/1593607
Special Education is made possible by the collaboration of educators, families, students and staff all working to create developmentally appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible.
Work Cited:
1. U.S. Department of Education. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/
2. U.S. Department of Education. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IDEA related files for TEXAS
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/about-idea/
3. MiamiOHehs. (2021). Accessible Classroom Tour [Video] YouTube
https://youtu.be/uqBW9jU8iuA?si=HY5Gm86ksNkltbm_
4. U.S. Department of Education. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Resource Centers
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/resource-centers/
5. U.S. Department of Education: OSERS, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html
6. Texas Education Agency
7. Learning Disability Association of America Eligibility: Determining Whether a Child is Eligible for Special Education Services
8. Texas School for the Deaf
https://www.tsd.texas.gov/apps/pages/ARD_TSD
9. Autism Speaks (2021). The Texas Education Agency has rolled out Supplemental Special Education Services for students with autism
10. Cerebral Palsy Guide Cerebral Palsy Special Education
https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/community/special-education/
11. Navigate Texas Life (2024). ARD process: Admission, Review and Dismissal
https://www.navigatelifetexas.org/en/education-schools/ard-process
12. Partners Resource Network (2017). What is the ARD process? [video] YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNjh6WNLiuw
13. Positively Learning (2023). What to say at an IEP Meeting? Talking Points for Special Educators [Video] YouTube
https://youtu.be/oAWljUkIsVs?si=vJG-UHvALu2SA72L
14. DeHart, J. (2021). No one starts out awesome, advice for new teachers. Edutopia
https://www.edutopia.org/article/no-one-starts-out-awesome-advice-new-teachers/
15. 10 tips for new teachers (2016) Bridging Literacy [Video] YouTube
https://youtu.be/j3TXe5OvhME?si=zY3kEm7woDb1VOKP
16. Cleaver, S. (2023). Accommodations vs Modifications We are Teachers
https://www.weareteachers.com/accommodations-vs-modifications/
17. ModernTeacher.net: Accommodations vs Modifications in Education
https://modernteacher.net/accommodations-vs-modifications/
18. Disability Rights Texas
https://disabilityrightstx.org/en/what-we-do/how-we-help/
19. Texas Disability Advocates
https://www.txdisabilityadvocates.com/
20.U.S. Department of Education FAQ
21. Reading Rockets
22. Council for Exceptional Children
https://exceptionalchildren.org/about-us
23. CCBD’S Position Summary on Federal Policy on Dis-proportionally in Special Education: The Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders: A Division of the Council for Exceptional Children. (2013). Behavioral Disorders, 38(2), 108–120.
https://doi.org/10.1177/019874291303800202
24. Corr, C. (2016). We Cannot Walk Away: DEC’s Position on Child Abuse, Neglect, and Trauma. Young Exceptional Children, 19(2), 45–48.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250616646487
25. Healey, W. C. (2005). The Learning Disability Phenomenon in Pursuit of Axioms. Learning Disability Quarterly, 28(2), 115–118.
https://doi.org/10.2307/1593607
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