What+is+special+education?

**What is Special Education?** In 1975, the United States Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, also known as Public Law 94-142. This was amended in 1990 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA was reauthorized in May 1999 and again in December 2004. The most recent reauthorization was to align the IDEA with the federal law; No Child Left Behind Act. There are 3 items that students must meet to qualify for special education services. They include: disability determination, adverse effect, and the need for special education. 1: Does the child have a disability? 2: Does the disability adversely effect the student’s education? 3: Does the student need specialized instruction, which he/she cannot receive in the general curriculum or with general classroom modifications? The answer must be YES to all three items for the student to qualify for special education services. There are thirteen disabilities that may qualify a child for services in South Dakota. The disabilities include: Emotional Disturbances, Congnitive Delay, Hearing Impairments, Specific Learning Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairments, Visual impairment, Deafness, Speech/Language, Other Health Impairments (ADHD fits under this category), Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Developmental Delay (for children under 6 only). Once a student qualifies for special education services, the parent/guardian and the educational team meet to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This plan addresses the unique needs of the student resulting from his/her disability. An IEP includes services and annual goals. The IEP team meets, at a minimum, annually. ** "Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.” By Garrison Keillor **
 * "A child miseducated is a child lost." By John F. Kennedy**