Is Your Child Eligible for Special Education? Taken from, “A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education”
To be eligible simply means that your child has been found to need certain educational services because of one or more disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires students with disabilities to receive special education and/or related services. To be considered a student with a disability under this law, your child must require special education and/or related services because of his or her disability in one or more of the following disability categories:
- Intellectual disability
- Hearing impairment
- Speech or language impairment
- Visual impairment
- Emotional disturbance
- Orthopedic impairment
- Autism
- Traumatic brain injury
- Other health impairment
- Specific learning disability
- Deafness
- Deaf-blindness or
- Multiple disabilities
Ask the District to Evaluate Your Child. Taken from, “A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education”
If you think your child may have a disability that is affecting his or her education, you can ask the district to evaluate your child to determine whether he or she would be eligible for special education (considered a child with a disability under IDEA). The school district also can ask you at any time if you want your child to be evaluated if district staff members think your child may need special education. In either case, after the school district has gotten your permission (consent) in writing, it must finish the initial (first) evaluation within 60 calendar days.