IDEA Basics: Eligibility and Diagnosis

[@thebig12conference73]

Great video, you ladies did an excellent job of breaking down the 13 different disabilities that are under the IDEA act. I am at grad school studying English Literature, secondary education and this material is helping, with reinforcing the information in the textbook. Now some people get confused between a disorder and a disability. For example, I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or ADD not ADHD in the 80s. I was mainstreamed in the 7th grade but from the 1st through 6th grade, I was in Special Education. Diagnosis is from a medical professional and that is what you are going to be diagnosed it, for example Autism or specific learning disability like dyslexia. Just because you have the diagnosis does not mean you are eligible. Eligibility is resource driven and determines if someone qualifies for services and/or accommodations. A student must have a disability and show a need for services that cannot be addressed through general classroom instruction. School’s do not provide a diagnosis; through an evaluation they determine eligibility for special education services. We have come a long way because back in the darker days, they did not have IEP or individualized education plans for students with special needs or the resources we have today. When I was a freshman in high school, it was a big deal that our school had internet in the library. With all of the technological tools, students now have key advantages. So back to my disorder that is technically under the 13 disabilities, but it is not a disability because technically ADD does not meet specific Learning Disability definition. What is an example Dyslexia or math calculation they have a special word for it. ADD causes you to sometimes have a lack of focus or pay attention, which can be a hinderance to learning but it is not a learning disability per se yet it is covered. Parents often get caught up in if their child is eligible for example they have dyslexia, what speech software are they eligible for, they should go a different route. Focus on the Individualized Education plan and a good teacher should have a unique plan, for your student. If that includes a speech program to help, then it will be included, that is what the Federal Law was intended for. It was intended to give students with one of the 13 disabilities, accommodations and an IEP. States can add to the Federal definitions a bit, but they can't take away those two key components, accommodations and Individualized Education Plan or IEP. Parents of students with a disability I will give this advice. My parents came here from Germany and Russia, so they did not know the law. My teacher was lazy and recommended Special Education, when in reality I should not have been in it. By law a teacher has to consult with an M.D and that M.D has the final say. If the Psychiatrist or Neurologist recommends your child be put in Special Education, THEN ACCEPT it. Do not accept the teacher's word for face value because there are some bad and lazy educators. Also, I will say this I am Caucasian and I want to speak to black parents out there. The black student population does not represent the teacher population over 80% of the teachers are from the mainstream Caucasian culture. Most are good but some might be prejudice and just not wnat to deal with your kid because they are black so they might say, "oh your child has ADD i recommend special education." Be sure to talk to a Psychiatrist first and have them run your kid through a series of tests before you sign off on that.

[@sylviamulenga558]

Does it mean that diagnosis is part of the assessments before the eligibility evaluation?