General Education, Section 504/ADA & IDEA: How Do They Work Together?

As the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education declared “Children placed in special education are general education children first.” General Education is the foundation for all students. Section 504/ADA and IDEA eligibility will add to that foundation, but every student is a general education student first. Since 504 and IDEA child find and eligibility depend to some degree on the success of general education efforts, what happens when general education expands its offerings and provides services that once were only available to IDEA-eligible students? Simple questions like what happens when a student is successful in RtI or on a health plan may have very different answers when viewed through the lens of 504 Child Find vs. Special Ed child find.

We’ll also discuss the complexities created by the rise of magnet programs and specialized career track schools, along with gifted-talented, AP, Honors, and Dual Enrollment classes, allow many choices for students. Students with disabilities have a Section 504/ADA right to those same choices. What happens when the parents’ 504/ADA choice results in the student attending classes, programs, and schools where her IEP cannot be implemented? How does nondiscrimination and access to schools or programs of choice work when they present a roadblock to FAPE? How can the IEP team be involved in choice to protect the student’s right to FAPE? This lively session will address the modern dynamic and assist you in making appropriate child find decisions.