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News > Education
New Hampshire's Open Enrollment Bill Would Force Schools to Accept Students with Disabilities. Here's What Families with IEPs and 504 Plans Need to Know.
...committee on April 13 and is now headed to the full House for a vote. This marks a significant protection for school-choice families. Students with IEPs and 504 plans are currently rejected from open enrollment programs at rates two to three times higher than their non-disabled peers, according to data...
News > Advocacy
After High School: What Families Need to Know About Transition Planning
You've been navigating IEPs for years. You know the drill: meetings, goals, accommodations, progress reports. Then one day you look up and your child is 16, and someone mentions...
Education > Other
Charter Schools and Special Education: Understanding Your Legal Rights
...every other public school in the country: the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA, charter schools must accept students with IEPs and 504 plans, provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE), and implement the services outlined in your child's plan. Capacity concerns don't...
Education > K-12
Transition Planning Through K-12: Preparing Your Child for School Changes
When to start planning K-12 transitions, what belongs in transition IEPs, and how to preserve critical supports.
Special Needs > Learning Differences
IEP or 504: Which Plan Does Your Child with a Learning Difference Need?
Understand the key differences between IEPs and 504 plans, when each applies, and how to advocate for the right support for your child.
Education > Other
Charter Schools and Special Education: What Parents Need to Know
...law, charter schools must: Accept students with IEPs without discrimination Provide a free appropriate...to students with disabilities Implement existing IEPs when a student transfers in Conduct evaluations...transfers in Conduct evaluations and develop new IEPs as needed Provide related services (OT, PT, speech...
Special Needs > Cancer
Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Understanding Long-Term Effects and Disability Supports
Treatment ended, but late effects can create lifelong disabilities. Here's how to access SSI, IEPs, and survivorship programs.
Special Needs > Muscular Dystrophy
Evolving IEPs for Progressive Conditions: Planning Ahead When Your Child's Needs Will Change
...account for what you already knew was coming. This is the problem with static IEPs for progressive conditions. A child with muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular...learn while their body is changing. Here's how to write one. Why Standard IEPs Fail Children With Progressive Conditions. IEP 101: What Every Parent Needs...
Special Needs > Learning Differences
College with a Learning Difference: A Four-Year High School Preparation Guide
...beginning to understand and name their learning difference in low-stakes contexts. Add self-advocacy to the IEP as a transition goal. Federal law requires IEPs to include transition planning starting at age 14 or ninth grade, whichever comes first. That transition planning must address post-secondary goals....
Education > Special Education
How to Find an IEP Advocate or Special Education Attorney
...parents not knowing the difference between an educational advocate and a special education attorney, and that gap keeps families stuck in inadequate IEPs for years. Here's what you need to know to find the right help. Three Types of Help. Not all IEP help is the same. The person you need depends on what...
Special Needs > Cerebral Palsy
AAC for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Finding the Right Communication System
...gap here is significant. About 80% of children with cerebral palsy have speech delays, but only 57% of children who need AAC have AAC goals in their IEPs. The children most likely to fall through that gap are the ones with partial speech. When a child has a few words or word approximations, schools and...
News > Education
IEP vs. 504 Plan: Which One Does Your Child Need and What's the Difference?
...equally, that's a 504 plan. It's not about severity. It's about what kind of support removes the barrier. The Legal Foundations and Why They Matter. IEPs are governed by IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This is federal special education law. It requires schools to provide a Free...