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Video 5: How Can IDEA & IEPs Help My Child in School?

Published on Dec 03, 2020 · Last Updated 2 years 4 months ago
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"How Can IDEA & IEPs Help My Child in School?" is the fifth video in a eight-part video series on ADHD.

Transcript

Hi! My name is La'Shaunte, and I'm with the PASS Study at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Today, we are going to conclude our five-part video series on ADHD. Our last video is going to give you some information about IDEIA and IEPs.

To begin, take a moment to think about what additional services do you think your child needs in school in order to succeed? If you want, you can pause the video to take some time to write down your thoughts on a piece of paper. Okay great! Let's move on.

In the previous video, you learned about 504 plans and how they can help your child in school. In this video, we will be going over IDEIA and IEP plans. 

First, we’ll start by going over what IDEIA is. IDEIA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act. This act declares that all children with disabilities receive an appropriate education through special education and related services.

It was first established in 1975, but it was known as the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. In 1990, it was revised and became known as IDEA, Individual with Disabilities Education Act. It was then amended in 2004 and became what it is today: IDEIA with an "I".

So, what is special education? According to federal law, special education means special designed instruction at no cost to the parent to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings in instruction and physical education.

Next, we are going to cover the disability categories that are outlined in IDEIA. This is a complete list of everything that qualifies as a disability under IDEIA. We are going to focus on OHIs, also known as other health impairments. Children who have ADHD would fall under this category if they have significant learning needs. OHI means having limited strength, energy, or alertness that results in not paying attention while in school that is due to health problems. This would include ADHD.

Now that you know what IDEIA is, let's go over the difference between IDEIA and a 504 plan. The basic difference is that IDEIA is for children that have more significant learning needs and enables a child to receive more intensive services than a 504 plan.

So, the foundation of IDEIA includes: free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment (which means a child should spend as much time as possible with peers who do not receive specifical education), due process (which is fair treatment from our justice system), confidentiality of records, advocacy, and parent participation.

We are going to focus on another foundation of idea which is IEPs, also known as Individualized Education Programs. A student qualifies for an IEP if they are diagnosed with a disability covered by IDEIA from a medical doctor, a psychologist, or a school psychologist.

When creating an IEP with your child’s school, here are some common questions that should be addressed: what is the student's primary disability? Are there any concurrent disabilities? What areas of the general curriculum are affected by the student's disability? What are the student's annual measurable goals? Finally, who or what is the student's setting, service provider, and level of service? By asking these questions of yourself and of your child's school, you can start to form an appropriate IEP plan.

Next, we're going to cover what annual measurable goals are. Every IEP includes annual goals and details how the goals will be measured over the course of the school year. Goals are based on performance level and needs related to the disability. Goals should consider the child's grade level, state knowledge, and skills standard. SDI, which is specially designed instruction, should also be addressed while creating measurable goals. SDI means adapting to the needs of an eligible child in the delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of that child. IEP goals may address different types of needs. Finally, all goals should help the student progress in general education.

So, what happens if parents or guardians don't agree with the IEP plan that's in place? Well, as a parent or guardian, you do have rights. First, you can try to reach an agreement. Second, you can ask for mediation. Third, you can ask for due process. If none of the three processes work, you can file a complaint with the state education agency, so they can review the case and make a decision.

That was a lot of information, but the key takeaways are: IDEIA is a federal law requiring all students with disabilities to receive an appropriate education through special education and related services. An IEP is an individualized education plan for students who are in special education. As a parent, you have the right to help develop your child's IEP. Finally, if you do not agree with your child's IEP plan, you can take action to have it changed.

This concludes the PASS video series. Thank you so much for tuning in and watching! We hope these videos have helped you learn more about ADHD and useful services for your child!