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Tips to Equip: Eligibility for Special Education

Jan 15, 2025 | Articles, Videos

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Eligibility for the IEP

How do we create a plan to address the barriers to a child’s education? 

The first step in this planning process is to confirm whether the child is eligible for an IEP or not. As we discussed earlier, the eligibility for a 504 plan is different. 

For a 504 plan, a child needs to have a disability, and that disability must interfere with a major life activity. 

To qualify for an IEP, the first requirement is that the child have a qualifying disability under special education laws. In California, there are 13 categories, including such disabilities as autism, learning disabled, other health impaired, speech language, orthopedic impairment, etc. 

The second requirement to qualify for an IEP is whether that student with a disability requires specialized instruction to benefit from their education. 

Special education means that you’re changing the content, method, or delivery instruction from what children would normally receive in the general education environment. 

So maybe you are bringing in a special education teacher into the classroom to help teach the child, or maybe pulling the child out of the general education classroom into a small group with a special education teacher. Or maybe the child needs a service like Speech language or occupational therapy. 

So, you are giving them something different than the general education student receives. Therefore, it’s not just modifying the general education environment, but actually adding something different. 

For example, a student with very mild ADHD might not need specialized instruction. Maybe they just need front row seating or some other accommodation in the classroom for help. But a child with more severe ADHD might need that specialized instruction, such as small group instruction, or pull- out instruction, therefore, changing the method of delivery of the instruction.

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