Disability Law

Proposed Revisions to Special Ed Law in Virginia

By Danielle

According to the Washington Post, Virginia is holding several public hearings on the proposed state plan to revise special education rules, including one at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday at Freedom High School in Loudoun County, and at 6:30 p.m. June 2 at Oakton High School in Fairfax County.

The Washington Post reports:

But other proposals are also drawing close scrutiny. One would reduce the number of regular progress reports families receive on a student’s “individualized education plan,” or IEP, a roadmap of objectives and goals. Another would allow school systems to refuse a parent’s request for more than one IEP meeting a year with school officials, and a third would expand the criteria used to define student disabilities. Parents say the latter measure could make it harder for children to qualify for special services.

…Parents also worry about new state criteria for disabilities, Brown-Kaplan said. She said some children could be disqualified from help they need, citing students with Asperger’s Syndrome as an example. “These kids are often bright and are able to function in general education classrooms,” Brown-Kaplan said. “But the school could say, ‘He doesn’t fit the [disability] category and doesn’t get any services.’ ”

Full post as published by Mental Disability Law Blog on May 09, 2008 (boomark / email).