State
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Showing Results 1 - 26 of 26
Description: Decision Tree: How to Assist and Support Students through Interventions - When a parent, teacher, another person, or a school-based team thinks a student has a health condition, learning difficulty, or other challenges that are affecting the student’s ability to learn, the school should take a proactive approach to determine the type of support and/or services that will help meet the student’s needs. This could be a range of informal and/or formal services provided by one or more of...
Description: Special Education Acronyms and Terms Guide (English & Spanish) - Navigating the world of special education can be overwhelming, especially with all the jargon and acronyms that come with it. To help you better understand and advocate for your child, PEATC is excited to share our Special Education Acronyms and Terms resource document in English and Spanish! This guide is designed to simplify the language of special education, breaking down key terms and acronyms into clear,...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE's) Department of Special Populations has recently released Understanding the Special Permission Locally Awarded Verified Credit (SPLAVC) Accommodation for Students with Disabilities one-pager resource for families. In this resource, you will find answers to the following questions: What is the SPLAVC? To whom is the SPLAVC available? How do I know if my high school-aged youth is learning through an accommodated or...
Description: The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education is a revision of the former A Parent’s Guide to Special Education that was originally published in 2010. This new state guide was developed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help those involved in special education, whether as families, teachers or school administrators, advocates, or students. Meeting the needs of children with disabilities requires an understanding of rights and responsibilities which include the...
Description: This One-Pager Library contains important information for families, including the difference between IEPs and 504 Plans, handling disagreements about your child's special education program, your Parental Rights and more.
Description: AIM-VA provides accessible instructional materials to eligible Virginia K-12 students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are unable to access traditional print. Accessible instructional materials can positively impact student performance. What is a Print Disability? A ‘print disability’ has been defined as, a student who cannot effectively read print because of a visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive, or learning disability. Who is Eligible for...
Description: Fourteen invaluable tools — checklists, charts, worksheets, letters, parent-teacher conversation starters, and more — to help you and your child team up with teachers for a successful school year. Dear Teacher, Please Meet My Child: A Sample Letter for Parents What I Wish My Teachers Knew About Me: A Free Template for Kids What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD: A Free Handout Help Your Child’s Peers ‘Get’ ADHD: A Free Guide for Parents 7 Parent-Teacher...
Description: Virginia's Guidelines for Educating Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (PDF) Also available as Accessible Word Document (Word) – A resource for teachers and administrators as they address the educational needs of students with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). These guidelines offer an overview of best practices for educating individuals with SLD. Parents of children with SLD may find this document useful as well. Specific Learning Disability...
Description: Military Outreach (PEATC) - Military families sacrifice alongside the military member and face unique challenges such as deployment, frequent moves, and the additional demands of high Optempo. For those families who have children with disabilities receiving special education and related services, moving every 2-3 years is likely to negatively impact educational outcomes for their student. PEATC’s Military Outreach Specialists assist active duty, reservists,...
Description: It is the intent of the Commonwealth of Virginia to include all students with disabilities in the assessment component of Virginia's accountability system. IDEA 2004 regulations require that all students with disabilities participate in the state's accountability system. Students with disabilities may participate in the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments and Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP). When determining participation in Virginia's Accountability System, all students with...
Description: The I’m Determined project, a state-directed project funded by the Virginia Department of Education, focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior. This project facilitates youth, especially those with disabilities to undertake a measure of control in their lives, helping to set and steer the course rather than remaining the silent passenger. Much of our work comes from research around three psychological...
Description: The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) was signed into law on December 10, 2015. ESSA amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replaces No Child Left Behind. The Board of Education approved its plan to implement ESSA at its July 2017 business meeting. The final version was approved by the U.S. Department of Education in May, 2018.
Description: This fact sheet covers the following questions: What does a school have to do when a child with a disability is being bullied?, Does it matter if a child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan?, Where can I go for help? (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights)
Description: Looking for information, resources, and technical assistance (TA) to help you and others support children with disabilities in their least restrictive environment in school? Here’s a starter list of places to look online. These will surely lead you to more.
Description: This brochure offers students guidance on what their legal rights are as a student with disabilities.
Description: Resources - Special Education Regulations & Rights "Your Family's Special Education Rights" identifies key parts of the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004” (IDEA), a federal law governing the education of students with disabilities. IDEA 2004 requires that families be informed of their special education rights, including how families and schools can resolve problems. This document is available in Arabic (PDF), Chinese (PDF), English (PDF), Urdu...
Description: A neutral, impartial, trained mediator may be sought voluntarily by parents and school staff to assist in their negotiations with each other. That assistance to convene and conduct a meeting to clarify issues, focus on the needs of a child, and to explore and evaluate possible solutions in a confidential setting is mediation. Mediators are trained neutrals, skilled in helping people to hear and understand each other and to work jointly to find solutions to difficult issues in special education....
Description: Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE) Assistive Technology Network (AT Network) addresses priorities of VDOE with centralized coordination, implementation, and dissemination of information about the laws which define AT devices and services, the process of consideration of AT by Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, and AT assessment and resources. It includes a section on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). In support of these priorities, the network has several...
Description: On Special Education: For Families, you will find: Understanding Special Education Newly Updated! The Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities The New Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) Applied Studies Diploma Resolving Disputes Parent Ombudsman Resolution Resouces Family Engagement & Resources Family Engagement Parent Information Email Updates Virginia Family Special Education Connection Parent Resource...
Description: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 defines secondary transition as a coordinated set of activities designed to be within a results-oriented process, focused on improving the academic achievement and functional performance to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities.
Description: "Deafness" means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the child’s educational performance. 34 CFR § 300.7 (c) (3) "Hearing Impairment" means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness in this section. 34 CFR §...
Description: Speech-language impairments can impact the way a student communicates. Speech errors include errors when producing specific sounds that are not a result of normal development or language acquisition, dysfluency (stuttering), or motor speech issues. Students may also receive therapy for improving the understanding and use of spoken or written language, pragmatics, and meta-linguistic skills. Students with swallowing disorders or dysphagia can also receive services from speech-language...
Description: “Deaf-Blindness” means hearing and visual impairments occurring at the same time, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. 34 CFR § 300.7 (c) (3); 8VAC20-81-10.
Description: “Visual impairment including blindness” means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. (34 CFR §300.8(c) (13)
Description: "Orthopedic impairment" means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). (34 CFR 300.8(c)(8)
Description: Special education disputes are better resolved at the local level, if possible. Parents and school administrators are encouraged to work together to come to an understanding of mutual concerns and come to an agreement in the best interest of children with disabilities. VDOE offers several resolution options to disputes.