The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) is the federal special education law. It gives specific requirements to ensure that students with disabilities receive the services they need to achieve their educational goals.
- ADHD 101
- Visual Impairments
- Cerebral Palsy
- Deafness and Hearing Loss
- Down Syndrome
- Emotional Disturbance
- Learning Disabilities Explained
- Severe and/or Multiple Disabilities
- Autism Resources
- Speech and Language Impairments
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Asperger Syndrome
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER Center)
- Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004
Official U.S. Department of Education IDEA 2004 Web site
- IDEA 2004 - Statute
- IDEA 2004 - Final Regulations
- IDEA Partnership
- National Center for Learning Disabilities IDEA Parent Guide
Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers
- Assistive Technology for Infants and Toddlers
- Attending Meetings to Plan Your Child's IEP
- Attending Meetings to Plan Your Child's IEP - Spanish
- Attending Meetings to Plan Your Child's IEP - Hmong
- Business Perspectives for Parent Centers
- Creating Accessible Web Sites
- Special Education Evaluation and Re-evaluation
- Special Education Evaluation and Re-evaluation - Hmong
- Special Education Evaluation and Re-evaluation - Large Print
- Special Education Evaluation and Re-evaluation Spanish
- Special Education Evaluation and Re-evaluation - Somali
- Evaluation What Does It Mean For Your Child
- Focused Monitoring
- Functional Behavioral Assessment
- HIPAA Basics
- How Will I Know If My Child is Making Progress
- Internal Controls for Accounting Areas
- Parent Tips for Transition
- School Accommodations-Modifications
- Simple, Inexpensive Devices
- Strategic Planning
- Succession Planning in a Parent Center
- Tips for Writing Grants
- Understanding the Special Education Process
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Federal regulations refer to an IEP committee. In Texas, this committee is referred to as the admission, review, and dismissal or "ARD" committee. This committee meets at least once a year to develop, review and /or revise your child's individualized education program (IEP). You are a very important member of your child's ARD committee.
For more information about the ARD Process, see this resource:
- A Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) - Also available in Spanish
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
The most important task of the ARD committee is the development of your child's individualized education program (IEP). This written plan describes how your child's needs will be addressed educationally. Since a parent helps write the IEP for his/her child, it is important that you know what goes into the plan.
For more information about IEP's, see these resources:Special Issues Related to the ARD Process
1. Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP): If your child's behavior interferes with his or her learning or the learning of others, the ARD committee will consider strategies and supports to address your child's behavior by conducting a functional behavioral assessment. A functional evaluation looks at why a child behaves as he/she does, given the nature of the child's disability and considering environmental factors. The ARD committee should use the results of this assessment to develop positive behavioral supports and develop a behavior intervention plan (BIP).
For more information about functional behavioral assessments, try this resource:
It's a New IDEA Parent Manual:
Free Online Course on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
"ADA Basic Building Blocks" is an introductory web course on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) that will provide you with the basic principles and core concepts of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The course is accessible for blind and visually impaired users. To register for the course, go to http://www.adabasics.org/register.php#content.