Under the
federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)-federal special education
means “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the
unique needs of a student with a disability.”
In special education, services are provided by licensed personnel and
include teaching materials and techniques.
There are specific criteria for eligibility in each disability
area. Eligibility criteria are set by
the state and students must meet eligibility criteria when they are evaluated
in order to receive special education services.
Specialized instruction will then be
provided in the student’s individual area(s) of special need. These areas of need can include any of the
following:
Reading Communication skills
Writing Organizational skills
Math Social
skills
Self-help skills Behavioral skills
Transition skills Motor skills
The role of the special education
teacher in providing individualized, specially designed instruction is to:
·
Determine
how the student’s disability affects progress in the general education
curriculum
·
Implement
specially designed instruction to address the areas that limit the student’s
ability to progress in the general education curriculum
·
Monitor
the student’s progress and the effectiveness of the specially designed
instruction
·
Collaborate
with general education teachers to provide relevant adaptations, accommodations
and modifications to the general education curriculum
Special education is not for the
rehabilitation for a physical disability, a cure for the disability, an
assurance that your student will pass general education classes or for tutoring
in general education courses/homework help.
What
you can do if you have concerns for your student’s performance in school before
making a referral for a special education evaluation:
·
Contact
the general education teacher(s) to discuss your concerns and ask what you and
the teacher can do to help your student.
·
Contact
your student’s school counselor to discuss possible interventions to help your
student.
·
If
you have tried these above steps and still have continuing concern, you can
request that your student be placed on the agenda of the Problem Solving Team
in the Middle School. This team develops
interventions and tracks the progress and effectiveness of the intervention.