special education rights and responsibilities - Disability Rights ...

Information on IEP Process
25. Must my child’s IEP address his involvement in the general
curriculum regardless of the nature and severity of his disability and
the setting in which he is educated?
Yes. Even students with “severe” disabilities and those in more restrictive
placements must have IEPs which address how they will be involved and progress
in the general curriculum. IEPs, therefore, should not be limited to functional life
skills and self-help activities, but must also include goals that enable every student
to access and progress in the general curriculum. [34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.320(a)(4).]
26. Must an IEP for a student with a disability include annual
goals that address all areas of the general curriculum?
No. The IEP needs to address only areas of the general curriculum affected by the
student’s disability. If your child’s disability affects reading and writing, but not
math skills, no general education math goals are required. Functional deficits that
impact all or much of the general curriculum can also be addressed by providing
appropriate accommodations or modifications to the student in the general
education classroom. For instance, a student with attention deficits might be
seated in the front of the classroom, or a student with an auditory processing
problem might be given a student note-taker.
27. Must the IEP contain all services my child needs?
Yes. The IEP for a student with a disability must include all of the unique, specific
special education and related services needed by the child as determined by the IEP
team. [34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.39; Cal. Ed. Code. Sec. 56031.] This means that the
services must be listed in the IEP even if they are not directly available from the
district, but must instead be provided through contract or other arrangements.
The IEP must also set out the description and amount of special education and the
frequency, duration, and location of the related services and modifications, so that
the district’s commitment of resources will be clear to the IEP team. The amount
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