Important Links
Special Education Rights
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA explains the rights and protections (and more) provided to students with disabilities and their families. On the same website, you will also find the Code of Federal Regulations, Policy Statements, letters, and other helpful information.
State Special Education Laws
Each state will have its own special education laws available on its own website. If you are using Google as your search engine, start with the name of your state followed by “special education laws and regulations.” For example, I entered “Michigan special education laws and regulations” and the first response was Michigan.gov – even before the AI response.
Or, you can find your state’s laws at Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute.
- From this page you can access all types of federal and state laws and much, much more.
- To go directly to the list of states linking to your state’s laws, go to
US Department of Education
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
deals with discrimination issues. Students with disabilities are protected against discrimination. Accommodations under a Section 504 Plan may be offered to your child instead of an IEP if it is determined that your child does not need special education and related services, but instead, your child would benefit from accommodations due to a disability. If the school does not implement the Section 504 Plan as written, you may write a compliance complaint to the OCR, which has 12 enforcement offices around the states. You will find a complaint form and which office is closest to you here:
Additional OCR information can be found at:
The National Disabilities Rights Network: Protection and Advocacy for Individual with Disabilities
Every state has its Protection and Advocacy and/or Disability Rights Agency. From this website, you can find your state’s agency’s website. http://www.ndrn.org/index.php
These sights have loads of helpful information on a variety of agencies that support people with disabilities.
The Wrightslaw
website contains a plethora of information on the law and on how to effectively advocate. It contains important legal decisions that indicate how the special education laws are interpreted. This is Pete and Pam Wright’s website, where you can buy their books and related materials and sign up for a class, and much more.
Recommended books
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy
The Special Education Survival Guide
- 2nd Edition
- by Peter W. D. Wright, Esq. and Pamela Darr Wright
Sincerely,
Your Autistic Child
Essays from adult autistic children what they wish their parents understood
- By Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network
Mind Coach:
How to Teach Kids and Teenagers to Think Positive and Feel Good
- First published September 1, 1997
- by Daniel G. Amen, MD
Whole-Language High Jinks
How to Tell When “Scientifically Based Reading Instruction” Isn’t
- By Louisa Moats
Recommended websites
YouCubed
Jo Boaler takes the idea of Mindset (Carol S Dweck, Ph.D.) much further. This is an excellent site about math and mindset and the two together. She has included a wonderful video series for students to learn about the power of mindset. She teaches how to learn and how to teach. It’s not just about math.
AFIRM Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules
At this website, you will find a variety of free online classes and resources.
National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice
Clear and practical support for parents of children with special educational needs.
Here you’ll find free resources, legal guidance, audio and video guides, recommended books, effective strategies, and key links to help you advocate for your child’s educational rights.
Of interest
IDEA has emphasized for decades that school districts, schools, teachers, and service providers are supposed to focus on providing every child with an IEP special education and related services “based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable.” Section 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(IV) But they don’t.
Ever wondered why your child can’t read? Check out this podcast: “Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong”
There are other programs, YouTube videos, news reports, etc. about how a school district here or there throughout the country has implemented a research-based reading program and the tremendous success that resulted from changing the approach.
