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McKay Scholarship Program: Florida's school choice programs ensure that no child will be left behind by allowing parents to choose the best educational setting—public or private - for their child. The McKay Scholarships Program also offers parents public school choice. A parent of a special needs student who is dissatisfied with the student's current school may choose to transfer the student to another public school, or a participating private school. To view more information and answer frequently asked questions please go to http://www.mckayscholarship.com/?spi=9

The Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA) program helps parents individualize the educational plans for their children with certain special needs. A different kind of scholarship: The PLSA is different than other state scholarships in that it allows parents to personalize the education of their children with unique abilities by directing money toward a combination of programs and approved providers. These include schools, therapists, specialists, curriculum, technology—even a college savings account. https://stepupforstudents.org/special-needs-scholarship/plsa

National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) Provides support for children and adults with learning disabilities by providing resources, information, and referral services. www.ncld.org

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)This institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides the most up to date learning disabilities research and is responsible for much of the explosion of quality research in reading disabilities. www.nichd.nih.gov

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Government agency that focuses on the free appropriate public education of children and youth with disabilities from birth through the age of twenty-one. www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/index.html
ADA Information Hotline Provides technical assistance and information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act. www.disabilityact.com

Associations of Service Providers Implementing IDEA Reforms in Education (ASPIRE) www.ideapractices.org

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Membership organization comprised of speech pathologists and audiologists that provides information and referrals to the public on speech, language, communication and hearing disorders http://www.asha.org

Early intervention/Early Steps - Early intervention was added to federal law in 1986 to encourage states to set up programs for infants and toddlers and their families. The Secretary of Education makes grants to states to implement and maintain statewide services through Part C, the Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families Amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The goals of Part C are to meet the individual needs of children and families, to enhance the development of young children, and to minimize the need for special education through early intervention. Children qualify for such early intervention if they have developmental delays, physical or mental conditions with a high probability of resulting in developmental delays, or at-risk factors. Early intervention services may be provided in homes, centers, or hospitals. Goals are very family centered, with parent education a major part of the therapies.

An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is developed for each child and family, with reviews every six months. Eligibility for early intervention often consists of a significant delay in development in one or more areas.

The first transition that takes place for a child and family involved in birth to three programs is that of the move from early intervention to early childhood education following the child's third birthday. The early intervention providers can help parents with the transition by discussing future placement options with them and encouraging them to visit local early childhood programs. The child can continue to have an IFSP or begin with and Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) once he or she enters ECE.

For more information on early intervention please visit: www.zerotothree.org

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

For children with fragile X, the most appropriate settings for elementary education may vary widely. Schools are to provide a continuum of services, and parents and staff need to match the child's needs with services on that continuum. Needs may change over the child's school years, and the setting that is chosen for early childhood or primary school may not be appropriate for junior high or high school. The balance of an academic focus and functional/life skills goals needs to be examined with each annual revision of the IEP, and it is the IEP that should govern the services and setting.

Learn about new requirements for IEPs, IEP teams, IEP meetings, eligibility, evaluations, and eligibility for specific learning disabilities, child find, reevaluations, parental consent, accommodations, alternate assessments, transition, and more at www.wrightslaw.com. You will find thousands of articles, cases, and resources about dozens of topics.

Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) - The Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) provides diagnostic and instructional support services to district exceptional student education programs and families of students with exceptionalities statewide. FDLRS supports the State education goals of high student achievement, safe schools, and high performing workforce. FDLRS activities reflect these goals and demonstrate outcomes toward accomplishing them. Please visit www.fdlrs.org for more information.