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Education > Early Intervention
Natural Learning Environments in Early Intervention: Why Your Child's Therapy Happens at Home
...behind that law should change how you use every hour a therapist spends in your house. What Federal Law Requires About Where Services Happen. Part C of IDEA is the federal early intervention program for children from birth to age three. It requires that services be provided in natural environments to the...
Education > Special Education
30 States Failed to Meet Federal Special Education Requirements This Year. Here's How to Use Your State's Rating to Push Back.
...the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Just 20 states earned a "meets requirements" rating for how they serve students ages 3 to 21 under IDEA. Twenty-six states landed in "needs assistance," and 23 of those have carried that label for two years running or longer. Four states and Washington,...
Therapies > Animal
How Much Does Animal Therapy Cost and Will Insurance Cover It?
...indefinitely. That number either rules the whole thing out or sends you looking for anyone who might help pay for it, and most parents start that search with no idea what's negotiable. I've walked enough families through this same math to know the sticker price almost never reflects what the family ends up paying...
Global Insights > Advocacy
How to Document Your Disability for IEP Advocacy Without Oversharing
...of educators to do their job. The answer is less than most parents assume. IDEA sets a specific standard for what a school needs to establish eligibility...what stays in a drawer at home. What the School Is Required to Have. Under IDEA, a school needs documentation that establishes two things: that your child...
Education > Early Intervention
Finding Your State's Early Intervention Program: A Self-Referral Guide for Parents
...parents, no doctor's note required, and you can make that call today. Why Self-Referral Exists. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) built early intervention around a "Child Find" obligation: states have to actively locate and serve eligible children, and that includes accepting...
Education > Early Intervention
IFSP Explained: The 8 Required Components of Your Child's Individualized Family Service Plan
...the conversation. An IFSP is not a form. It is a federally required plan, mandated under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), that every state must build around your specific child and your specific family before early intervention services can begin. Every IFSP in the country,...
Parenting > Adulthood
Transition from High School: A Year-by-Year Timeline for Planning Adult Life
...is one. Here's the timeline that matters, broken down by age, so you know what to ask for and when. Age 14: Open the Conversation. Federal law under IDEA requires transition planning to begin no later than age 16, but most special education professionals recommend starting at 14. This is the age to add...
Legal > Advocacy
Parent Training and Information Centers: Free Advocacy Help in Every State
...evaluation says. That person exists, and the help is free. Every state has at least one Parent Training and Information Center, funded directly through IDEA, and staffed by people whose entire job is helping parents like you walk into that meeting prepared. What a PTI Does. Parent Training and Information...
Education > Special Education
Your Legal Rights When a School Denies Extended School Year Services
ESY is a legal entitlement under IDEA, not a favor. Here's what the school must do, and what you can still recover if it got the call wrong.
Therapies > Speech
How to Request a Speech Therapy Evaluation Through Your School
...that specifically asks for a special education evaluation is different. It triggers the timeline in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which means the district has to respond, has to seek your consent to evaluate, and then has a fixed window to complete that evaluation once you consent....
Therapies > Speech
Speech Delay vs. Language Disorder: How to Tell Which One Your Child Has
...underlying language system is intact. Your child understands what's said to them, follows directions, points and gestures with intent, and combines ideas in ways that make sense even if the words themselves come out slurred, simplified, or sparse. A speech delay is a production problem. The language...
Lifestyle > Recreation
Adapted Physical Education: What Schools Must Provide
...a related service under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), required when a child's disability prevents full participation in general...without an IEP meeting and parental consent. When a Child Qualifies for APE. IDEA requires APE for any child whose disability affects their ability to participate...