Under P.L.

94-142,
A Parent’s your child has a right
to a Free
Guide to Appropriate Public
Education in the
Special Least Restrictive
Environment
Education necessary for them.

Least Restrictive

o General Education
Classroom
Parents play an o In Class Supports in a Gen.
important role in the Ed. Classroom
student’s support team. o Self-Contained Special
Teachers take the unique Education Classroom
input of the parents very o Out of District Placement
seriously, because you (Another public school or a
know your child best! private school)
o Group Home (over age 21)
We are here to help you o Institutionalization
and your child get all the (Developmental) –OR-
All about the process, supports that you need at Hospital (Medical)
the options, the no cost to you. o Jail (Juvenile Detention
vocabulary and the Center)
rights that you need to Get your child the help
know about as a that they deserve so they
Special Education can reach their full
parent. potential! Most Restrictive
What are the steps to getting
help?
1. Parent or Doctor note
gets sent to the local
school saying that you
think your child has a
disability.
o A Doctor’s note
with a diagnosis
leads to automatic
classification.
2. There is an initial review,
which takes up to 10
days, where a meeting
will be set up for the
parents, teachers, and
the Child Study Team to
discuss the child’s case
before assessment.
3. Evaluations are done.
This process can take up
to 90 days.
4. Eligibility is determined
and if the child qualifies,
an IEP is developed.
Note:
A child can be evaluated and
qualify for services any time
from ages 3 to 21 years old.
What are the evaluations? What does this mean?
o IQ Test: preformed by o Child Study Team: A
the school psychologist team of a social worker,
to establish the child’s school psychologist, a
intellectual capability in learning disabilities
relation to the average teaching consultant
of their age. o IEP: Individualized
o Educational Educational Program
Evaluation: preformed that is designed
by the learning specifically for the
disability teaching student
consultant to establish o Accommodation or
the grade level that the Assistive Technology:
child learns at. an adjustment that is
o Social History: made or a supportive
preformed by a social device that is added to
worker to try and find the classroom to help
the environmental the student learn
factors that could be o Related Services:
contributing to the Services offered to
child’s case. children by the school
(Speech, Occupational
Therapy, Physical
Students are reevaluated Therapy, Social Worker,
every 3 years but there is School Psychologist,
an annual IEP meeting to Braille Instructor, Sign
update the child’s Language Interpreter,
learning goals. Language Interpreter,
Nurse, Bus Aide,
Paraprofessional, etc.)