According to recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 50 children in the United States have been diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. While many public schools offer special education programs through the help of an aid teaching special needs, this is often not enough. For special needs children, it’s important to find an educational program that addresses their individual needs. This is where special education schools step in.
But for your child to enter a special education program, you need to follow the nine steps listed here:
- Special Needs Identification
For your child to be identified as someone in need of special education schools and services, you have to do one of the following things:
Child Find This is a program that seeks out children with special needs and requests parents for an evaluation.
Referral and Evaluation Request This is when a school educator or a parent request that the child be evaluated.
For any evaluation to take place, parental consent must be granted. - Evaluation
This is the earliest step in the process of procuring a special education for your child. During evaluation, the medical professionals decide whether or not the child has special needs, what specific educational needs they would have, and which services are appropriate in order to address their special needs. - Eligibility
After evaluation, the professionals decide if your child has an IDEA defined disability. - Eligibility of Services
If your child is diagnosed with an IDEA defined disability, they will then become eligible for special education schools and services. - IEP Meeting Scheduling
An IEP meeting is scheduled and conducted by your child’s school or destined school. The faculty must contact all participants, schedule the meeting, and tell the parents to invite anyone who would have additional knowledge on their child. - IEP Meeting Takes Place and is Recorded
The purpose of the meeting is to talk about the student’s needs and placement. Once the IEP is written, it goes into effect immediately. - IEP Services Begin
The school carries out the discussed IEP plan. - Review
Every year, the parents and school review the child’s IEP to make sure that the placement is working appropriately. During this review, suggestions and points of contention can take place. -
Re-evaluation Takes Place
Every three years, the child must undergo the process again from the very beginning. This means getting IDEA certified and establishing a new IEP. More.
