 Welcome
The E-READY parents' section gives you easy access to
information about parenting a child with special needs. A set of Federal
laws called IDEA guarantees access to appropriate educational programs
for students who have a disability that interferes with their learning.
If you think your child may have a disability, this section will guide
you to resources which can help find out whether this is true.
If you know your child has a disability, there are lots
of resources here that can help you make sure that your child gets the
most out of school and life
You do not need to be a computer expert to use this
site. You can move from page to page by clicking your mouse on the underlined
text. To return to a page you visited earlier, click on the back button
at the top left of your screen.
There are two types of disabilities.
Physical Disabilities
Physical disabilities occur when part of your child's
body - for example, an eye, ear, or hand - does not work normally. This
can make it difficult for your child to learn in the same way that other
children do, even though he or she may be just as intelligent as other
children.
Learning Disabilities
Intellectual or learning disabilities occur when your
child's brain is unable to process information in the same way or as
fully as most children do at the same age. These disabilities be mild
- for example, an inability to quickly identify letter shapes. They
may also be more severe, involving moderate to severe mental retardation.
Some learning disabilities will become less severe as a child grows
older. Other disabilities will not change and will remain with a child
permanently.
Testing for Disabilities
A child may have only physical disabilities, only
intellectual disabilities, or both types of disabilities at the same
time. Trained professionals can use tests to learn more about your child
and what disabilities, if any he or she might have. This testing is
very important, because there are laws that guarantee an appropriate
education to any child with a disability that interferes with his or
her ability to learn normally.
The rest of the information in this section is in three
parts:
Discovering Disabilities
- Visit this section if you think your child may have a disability or
other learning problem. You should also visit this section if your child's
teachers have told you that your child might have a disability or learning
problem. It has information on how you can find out whether your child
has a disability. This section will also tell you how you can be sure
that your disabled child gets the services that he or she needs.
Disabilities Defined
- If your child does have a disability, this section can help you find
out more about this disability and what it means for your child's education.
This section can also give you information about how you and your child's
teachers can help your child get the most appropriate education.
References and
Resources - Here you will find organizations that can provide additional
information, services, or assistance for parents of children with disabilities.
There are additional resource listings in the sections of this site
which deal with specific disabilities.
We have also provided a glossary,
which gives definitions of many special education terms.
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