Special Education - Information
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This page provides links to information pertaining to the continuum of services related to Special Education.
- The LAUSD Division of Special Education is pleased to provide you with this avenue of communication, as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality and quantity of information for Los Angeles (and the global community) -- concerning our programs and our progress.
- The Division of Special Education has various resources available for parents. We invite you to take advantage of every opportunity to be an active partner in your child’s education. The District values its partnership with parents in their children’s education.
- The Division of Special Education provides Virtual Parent Workshops. These sessions are designed to support you and your child’s educational journey, providing valuable insights, resources, and strategies to help your child thrive.
- Under Section 504, a plan may be developed to assist students with disabilities that require accommodations in order to access the general education program.
- What is the difference between a Section 504 Plan and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) ?
- The special education process determines whether or not your child is eligible for special education services and if so, what special education services are most appropriate for your child.
- The Division of Special Education provides a continuum of program options to students found eligible for special education. Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams must consider the general education classroom first in exploring the best setting for the delivery of special education services to students with disabilities. Special education services and supports are provided in a variety of ways.
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The right to be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) was established by Congress in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law entitles every child with a disability to a free appropriate public education with access to the general education curriculum, or any other program to which their nondisabled peers have access, to the degree appropriate based on their individual needs. A student’s placement must be in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This means children with disabilities are educated with non disabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. The LRE brochure explains the continuum of services.
- In LAUSD, the Related Services Department provides services to children with disabilities from birth to age 22. We provide prevention and pre-referral services for students suspected of having an area of need, and we provide intervention service to students with special needs who meet the service eligibility criteria under California Ed. Code. The need for Related Services is individual to each student, and is prescribed as part of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). All service provision is based upon the student’s assessed need and is provided in accordance with the mandates of the IEP and state and federal guidelines..
- The brochures section of the eLibrary is a resource page for selected documents and forms published by the Division of Special Education. This link has information regarding Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Informal Dispute Resolution (IDR), and the Complaint Response Unit/Parent Resource Network.
- The eLibrary contains links that provide access to a variety of documents most of which are made available in PDF format. PDFs can be shared, viewed, navigated, completed and printed from your computer using the Adobe Acrobat® Reader® software. If you do not already have it, you can install the free software, prior to accessing the documents.