Special Education Blueprint: The Six Principles of IDEA 

Navigating the education system can be challenging for students with special needs and their families. Fortunately, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides a robust framework to ensure that eligible students receive the support they need. IDEA is a federal law built on six key principles that guarantee specific rights and protections. 

The six principles of IDEA are: 

1. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) 

Students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate education (FAPE) tailored to their needs. This means they get special education services, accommodations, and modifications at no cost to their families. To better understand what FAPE entails, let’s break down its key components: 

  • Free: Education for children with disabilities is provided at no cost to parents, except for incidental fees like club memberships, which are the same as for general education students. 
  • Appropriate: Each child with a disability is entitled to an education tailored to their individual needs, including suitably challenging goals and supporting progress in the general education curriculum. Depending on the unique needs of the student, appropriate services may include transition services that continue through the school year in which the student turns 21 years of age. 
  • Public: Children with disabilities have the same right to attend public schools as their non-disabled peers. Public schools must accommodate their individual needs and help them plan for the future. 
  • Education: All children in the state between the ages of 5 and 18 are entitled to a public education. Eligible children with disabilities will receive a public education that includes special education and related services, preparing them for further education, employment, and independent living. 

2. Appropriate Evaluation 

IDEA requires schools to take a closer look at children with potential disabilities (Child Find Mandate). Before a student can receive special education services, an appropriate evaluation must be conducted. This comprehensive assessment is designed to identify the child’s specific educational needs. The evaluation must be free of bias, use multiple methods of assessment, and be conducted by a team of qualified professionals. Parents and guardians have the right to be involved in this process. The results provide information that the school and parents use to make decisions about how the child’s education can be improved. 

The school follows specific deadlines for an evaluation process. They have 25 school days to respond to the referral in writing. If they proceed with the evaluation, they have 35 school days to complete the assessment. 

3. Individualized Education Program (IEP) 

The IEP is a critical component of IDEA. The IEP is developed collaboratively by a team that includes the student, parent(s) or guardian(s), teachers, school administrators, and other specialists. The program is reviewed at least once a year. Every student on an IEP gets some extra help from teachers, but the rest of the program depends on what a student needs to learn. Areas of need may be academic, social and emotional skills, and/or general life skills.  

Washington State requires schools to start IEP services within 30 calendar days of the eligibility finding. That means school staff generally start drafting the IEP right after the school and family meet to talk about the evaluation and the student’s eligibility. A family member can ask to extend the 30-day deadline, but schools cannot delay the process without parental consent. 

4. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) 

IDEA emphasizes that children should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers “to the maximum extent appropriate.” This principle ensures that children with disabilities have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers. General education classrooms and school spaces are the least restrictive. If the school has provided extra help in the classroom but the special education student still struggles to access FAPE, then the IEP team considers other options. The school explains placement and LRE in writing on the IEP document.  

5. Parent and Student Participation 

The IDEA and state regulations about IEP team membership make it clear that parents or legal guardians are equal partners with school staff in making decisions about their student’s education. This includes participation in IEP meetings, access to educational records, and the ability to provide input on educational goals and services. As a child matures, they are also encouraged to participate in the decision-making process, promoting self-advocacy and independence.  When the student turns 18, educational decision-making is given to the student. The school does its best to bring parents and students into the meetings, and there are specific rules about how the school provides written records and meeting notices (WAC 392-172A-03100). 

6. Procedural Safeguards 

Procedural safeguards are designed to protect parent and student rights by ensuring that they receive a written explanation of their rights at the time of referral for special educational evaluation and every year after. When parents and schools disagree, these rights describe the actions a parent can take informally or formally. 

A copy of the procedural safeguards is downloadable in multiple languages from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the guidance agency for Washington schools. Parents may receive procedural safeguards from the school any time they request them. They also may receive a copy if they file a complaint with the state. Procedural safeguards are offered when a school removes a student for more than 10 days in a school year through exclusionary discipline.  

Learn more about IDEA 

IDEA ensures that individuals with disabilities receive support and education throughout their lives, from early childhood through adulthood.  It drives how states design their own special education policies and procedures. In Washington State, rules for the provision of special education are in Chapter 392-172A of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). 

PAVE provides training on a variety of topics, including IDEA. Trainings are live and on-demand, in person and online. Register for an upcoming training on the PAVE calendar

Additional Information: 

Friendships & Taking Care of Yourself: PURPAS

Great takeaways:

  • Meet new people, have fun, and talk about what you like to do!
  • Find a good new friend, learn to take the bus, manage your money, and learn how to be more presentable.
  • The gym helped me get more in shape and gave me my first job!

“I just wanted to better myself.  To be like a superhero.  And after doing my resume and sending it to the online site << boom >> I got a job!  And joining PURPAS I got new friends and learn how to take of myself.” – Randy

We envision an inclusive community that values the unique abilities, cultures, voices, contributions, and potential of all individuals.  Please join us in sharing Randy’s Recipe for Empowerment!

And if you, or those you know, can make a year-end donation, of any amount, thank you!

Navigating Life After Early Intervention Services

Great takeaways:

  • Get on waitlists and get engaged in community programs!
  • Connect with other parents
  • Grace for yourself & find what works for you!

“Our children are children.  Sometimes they are not ready, and we’re not ready to handle this now.  For example, cold and flu season can be hard to start or add more therapies.  We learned from our wrong turns.”  – Andrea

We hope you found hope, inspiration, and ideas for you, your child, or others you may know. And if you know We hope you found hope, inspiration, and ideas for you, your child, or others you may know.  And if you know of anyone able to donate…any amount – $5, $10, $50.  All donations will help PAVE provide support, training, information, and resources to empower and give voice to individuals, youth and families impacted by disabilities.   Please pass on Arianna & Andrea’s Recipe for Empowerment!

Make Good Feelings Stick Like Velcro

This video provides a mindfulness practice to make good feelings stick like Velcro. When the mind focuses on what’s going well, stress can slide off like Teflon. We’re sort of hard-wired to do the opposite. Click to understand why and learn a trick to hack your nervous system to spend more time thinking about good stuff and feeling mentally well.

FAPE Fits Like a Proper Outfit

Have you ever felt like your student’s Individualized Education Program—their IEP—just isn’t a good fit? This short video provides an analogy to help families and schools talk about improvements.

Here are the words that go with the video:

Imagine if the school was responsible to provide a suit of clothes for your student. The clothes must fit in size and style. Let’s pretend your child is eligible for this specially tailored suit because clothes off the rack fit so poorly that the child won’t leave home. This problem is impacting everything.

This is sort of like the school’s responsibility to provide a child who has an IEP with FAPE. FAPE stands for Free Appropriate Public Education. The services delivered through an IEP make education appropriate because they are tailored to fit the child based on their strengths and needs. FAPE is what makes school accessible for a student with a disability.

Let’s go back to pretending that the school must provide a well-fitting suit. Imagine that the school opens a closet and says, “Let’s see what we have in here.” What they pull out might be too big, too small, outrageously mismatched or in colors and patterns that make your child grimace and refuse to get dressed. They might find bits and pieces that work, but chances are high that they won’t be able to put together a whole outfit without trying a little harder and getting out the sewing machine.

That’s like the work of an IEP team—to pull out the tools everyone needs to creatively build a program that is a good fit for the student.

The school is responsible under federal law to provide eligible students with FAPE. Tailoring a program to meet individualized needs in light of the child’s circumstances is part of FAPE. If you think your school is digging around in a closet trying to find a program for your student that is ready made, you can remind them that an IEP is individually tailored to fit the student.

Our Parent Training and Information team at PAVE hopes your IEP team designs a program that outfits your child for a successful journey through education. If you’d like our support, click Get Help from PAVE’s website, wapave.org.

So you’re at College…What Next?

Navigating the Higher Education Environment When You Live With Disability

Research over the past 20 years indicates that a fairly high percentage of college students with disability choose not to disclose that disability to a college administration.  They are tired of “being labeled” or singled out because of their situation and simply want to participate in the same way as students without disability.  This doesn’t necessarily mean hiding their disability (pretty difficult to hide a mobility device or service animal), they’ve just “had it” with permissions, meetings, and forms.

At the same time, many students get onto campus wanting not to disclose, and discover that yes, they *do* have to jump through the hoops at Disability Services in order to access strategic supports.

[If you’ve already met with the disability/access services office at your campus, and provided documents to receive services and equipment, you can skip this next section]

If you’re just beginning the access process, this is what you have to do:

  • Be able to clearly explain your disability and your specific requirements for services and equipment. It’s better to ask for more than you might expect to get, but be aware of the possibility that if the school can’t provide a service or equipment and you absolutely need it, you and your family will have to bear the expense, or you will have to find a school where such services/equipment is available.
  • Make an appointment at Disability/Access Services
  • Fill out any forms requesting services and equipment (usually available online)
  • Make certain you have all required documentation.

Below is an example of typical required documentation.  It can vary from school to school, and you will find a similar list again, usually on the school’s website under “Disability/Access Services”.

“In order for a student to receive an educational accommodation due to the presence of a disability, documentation from a professional service provider must be obtained. Professional providers may include, but not necessarily be limited to, those identified below:

Disability Category         Professional Provider

ADD ADHD                        Psychologist/Psychiatrist

Emotional disability       Psychologist/Psychiatrist

Auditory disability          Certified Otologist, Audiologist

Visual disability               Ophthalmologist, Certified Optometrist

Learning disability          Psychologist, Neuropsychologist, Learning Disability Specialist

Physical disability           Medical Doctor, Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Surgeon, Doctor of Rehabilitation

Chronic health impairment         Medical Doctor, Medical Specialist

Documentation from a professional service provider must be in writing, must be current within three years, and must include the following when appropriate:

A description of the student’s disability and how he/she is affected educationally by the presence of the disabling condition.

Identification of any tests or assessments administered to the student.

For students identified as having a specific learning disability, the assessment must be specific to the student, comprehensive, and include:

  • Aptitude
  • Achievement
  • Assessment of the student’s information processing capabilities,
  • Raw data and interpretation of the data
  • Specific educational recommendations based on the data interpreted.
  • Effect on the student’s ability to complete a course of study.
  • Suggestions for educational accommodations that will provide equal access to programs, services, and activities…”

-Source: Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA at: http://www.tacomacc.edu/resourcesandservices/accessservices/forms/

What Happens After the Appointment with Disability Services?

After the appointment, you’ll get an official notification from the Disability/Access Services administration informing you of your eligibility for services, and if eligible, what services you can expect to receive.

You may have to place additional calls to Disability/Access Services to determine when services begin, where to pick up equipment, arrange meetings with note takers, etc.

At most schools, YOU are responsible for notifying each of your instructors (every semester!) of your requirements for accommodations. Hang on to that eligibility letter–better yet, make multiple copies to hand out to instructors.  Having known many college instructors, I suggest you don’t send this by email alone. Hard copy rules in this case.

Informing instructors about accommodations means giving plenty of notice for them to order alternatives to conventional textbooks. If you’re doing this at the beginning of a semester, expect delays getting the material. This sometimes happens even when you had your appointment with Disability/Access Services many months in advance of the semester. If so, you may have to negotiate with your instructor for extensions on assignments.

Make sure you understand the limits of what the school is providing for assistive technology. For instance, many schools limit the loan of portable screen-readers to specified uses or time frames. You may have to provide your own equipment or software outside those limits.

Some Disability/Access offices are one-stop shopping, and can set you up with tutors, any necessary remedial courses and on-campus health services (including mental/emotional health).  At other schools, it’s very fragmented, and YOU will have to find these services separately, even when they are related to your disability.

Most such services are available through departments labeled “Student Services”, “Student Success Services”, “Counseling”, “Health Services” and the like.  If you are unsure of where to find services, you can contact staff in an office usually labeled “Dean of Student Services”.  College Deans are top-level administrators who oversee a number of related departments.  Their staff are knowledgeable about all departments under that Dean’s authority.

Who to Talk with About Issues

What if you have issues with instructors not allowing or ignoring your accommodations?

Your first step should be to re-issue your eligibility letter to that instructor, following up by requesting the Disability/Access office to notify the instructor of your eligibility through their office. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, all schools accepting federal funds will have a Section 504 Coordinator (or similar title) on campus. This person is probably on staff in the Disability/Access Services office, wearing additional hats. Complaints regarding your access to materials, instruction, and class activities go to this person.

If you’re not using a Section 504 plan but still require accommodations, all schools accepting federal funds will also have an ADA Coordinator (or similar title). This person may or may not be located in the Disability/Access Services office but that office will be able to direct you to them.

[The ADA Coordinator is also the person to see when you have an unresolved issue around physical access on campus or with any program offered away from the main campus.]

Complaints about instructors *not* relating to your accommodations are usually addressed to the Dean of Academic Affairs (yes, another Dean), or the Chairperson of the academic department for that instructor.

In most cases, it’s appropriate to discuss any concerns with your instructor before escalating a concern or complaint up the line.

Navigating the Campus:

If your disability includes physical limitations you’re already aware of how many barriers exist to full participation in any environment. Many, many schools were built prior to ADA, and their facilities reflect lots of poor accessibility design. [I attended a school that only had accessible restrooms on every other floor, and in each case those restrooms were at the opposite end of the hallway from the elevators! At another school, I had classes in a building that underwent (planned) replacement of the only building elevator during the height of the semester].

If possible, move onto campus (or visit the campus) early for some “dry runs”. Acquire a campus map to figure out the quickest to get to classes, dining halls and sports facilities.

Make friends with the administrators working at Campus Police. (They’re the ones who assign parking spaces and they also know the best and quickest ways around grounds and buildings.)

It also doesn’t hurt to know the phone number for the folks who run the facilities. This department is sometimes called Physical Plant, Facilities, or Buildings and Grounds. They’re really useful when the accessible restroom is out of order, when the elevator breaks down, and when you want to know if certain areas are clear of snow and ice.

Lots of Fuss-Why Bother?

All this navigation of a college’s bureaucracy seems overwhelming, listed here all at once. Don’t get discouraged. I’ve listed these possibilities here so you can make notes for yourself and be prepared. With luck, you’ll never need to contact some of these offices or people. On the other hand, “entropy happens”—things sometimes go sour. Knowledge is power!