Whose+IDEA+Is+It?+Booklet

Click here to be directed to the full version of the [|Whose IDEA Is It?] booklet. This booklet is designed for parents of students with disabilities. The following is the introduction to the booklet starting on page 1.

"If you are a parent of a child who has a disability that interferes with his or her education, or if your child is suspected of having such a disability, this handbook will serve as a valuable resource for your child’s education.Whose IDEA Is This? boils down language of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) to main points that will help you be an effective partner in your child’s education. This guide has been prepared by the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children (ODE/OEC).The following pages tell you how you can work with your local school district and other public agencies to determine whether your child has a disability. It also outlines steps for going on to determine whether that disability qualifies your child for special education and related services.Also referred to as your “procedural safeguards notice,” this publication establishes your right to a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) for a child with a qualifying disability under special education law. It tells you how special education services are provided and also lists resources you may contact for assistance.Because the rights and procedures contained in this guide were first outlined in federal law, you may see legal terms that are new to you. To make the information easier to understand and use, we have simplified this legal language wherever possible. Whatever legal terms continue to be used are fully explained in the section of the guide titled “Definitions” and throughout the text whenever possible. Even so, you might want to spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with these terms before you begin. You’ll find them in the “Definitions” section that begins on page 56."