At The IEP Table | Categories of Disability - Watch Video

If parents suspect that their child may have a disability, the parent may make a written request for an evaluation to determine whether the child is eligible for special education services. Parents can submit this written request to the principal or your local area education provider (school district and/or regional centers) depending on your states law.

The special education department of their school district, or to the state department of education’s special education office. They should and will always be able to help you get started. They are obligated to do so under "Child Find" (return to Child Find lesson for a refresher)

Identifying a Need

Children may be diagnosed with a disability by a medical provider or by the school district. However, one must understand that being simply diagnosed with a disability is not a guarantee of services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Having a disability is the first question when determining if a student qualifies.

The evaluation team must also answer two additional questions:

• Does the disability impact the child’s educational progress?
• Does the child need specially designed instruction (which is the IDEA definition of special education)?

In the IDEA and special education process is the first identification of a child with a disability that must me done

Parents and familiies with special needs loved ones must be aware of their child’s needs and willing to speak out and work for their child’s best interests during all phases of the special education process.

When meeting with school officials and when considering a child’s education status, the parent must always remember no matter how well-intentioned or professional the school official, the child is not their first or only priority.

That means the parent must be the child’s sole advocate and must be willing to passionately and persistently represent their child. This could mean requesting an evaluation process or speaking out against a change in a child’s identification status and eligibility for special education services. 

Another major thing to remember is the planning is short term usually for the current school year. When parents are at the table they are always looking forward and well beyond the current time in comparrison mostly all the other members of the educational planning team are looking at what is need currently (annual) a year at the most. While they mostlikely empathize and understand your general concerns they focus is on how to get your child an educational benefit for the current school year. 

That is the most challenging thing to understand during the individualized education program planning. Parents think long term and specific educational benefits - school and educational professionals are looking at shorter term and broader educational benefits. The only time you may feel that an educational agency is looking at a longer term is during transitional planning (around 8th grade and up) and even that can be rather generalized and bypassed until closer the the age of majority or as they get closer to adult ages. Remember to advocate to have your student learner stay in an academic program past the age of 18. They have a right to be educated into the end of their 21 years  of  life 22 depending on when the program is ending. 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there are 13 categories under which a student is eligible to receive the protections and services promised by this law. In our disability profiles, we define each disability as specified by IDEA and explain it in plain English; these profiles also outline the common traits and educational challenges associated with each disability, and provide tips for parents and teachers.

• Autism

• Deaf-Blindness

• Deafness

• Emotional Disturbance

• Hearing Impairment

• Intellectual Disability*

• Multiple Disabilities

• Orthopedic Impairment

• Other Health Impairments

• Specific Learning Disability

• Speech or Language Impairment

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Visual Impairment

*Intellectual disability has also been referred to as “Mental Retardation” (MR) in the past, and this term and its acronym may be used colloquially or in older documentation. It is not, however, a currently accepted practice to refer to individuals with intellectual disabilities as “mentally retarded.” If someone uses this term please speak up. This should not be used at all in any context in relation to the educational process.