Deciding Which Path To Take
Schools are legally required to find, evaluate, and identify any child that may have a disability. This is called child find. If you or someone else thinks your child may have a disability, an assessment is recommended. This helps to decide if your child is eligible to receive extra learning supports and special rights.
Upcoming Terms Alert
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You Have Options!
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Which option should I choose?
Assessments are provided to families for free. You may choose to have your child assessed by writing a request for evaluation (or consenting to a referral made by someone else). Students with disabilities may qualify for a 504 Plan or special education. Although both are based on federal law, require written plans, and assessment data, they have different purposes. To decide which assessment option may be the best starting point for your child, it is important to understand the 504 Plan and an IEP (see the following chart). Choose the best path based on your child’s unique needs after reviewing all possible options.
Summarized with Understood.org permission
504 Plan | Individualized Education Program (IEP) |
Section 504 1973 Rehabilitation Act: federal civil rights law to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities of any age | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): federal special education law for children ages 3-21 and a special plan for families of 0–2 year old infant/toddlers |
ANY disability
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Child has 1 or more of 13 disabilities listed in the law.
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Some legal safeguards for child and parent | Many legal safeguards for child and parent |
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Legally defined assessment standards and 60-day timeline |
Decisions made by a team of people familiar with the child, who understand the evaluation data, and service options. For example:
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Decisions made by a specific team:
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Documented plan has no legally required components. Typically, lists accommodations to help a child access the general education program
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Documented plan has many legally required components to ensure child benefits from school |
Tips for Getting Started
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