This round of amendments changed more than just rights, it was a spotlight on the fact that people's minds were changing about children with disabilities. PL 101-476 changed the wording and terminology of the original law.

Children was changed to individuals, and handicapped became with disabilities. Also, the "Education of the Handicapped Act" name was retired, and IDEA, or Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, became the legal name of this set of laws.

PL 101-476 required that every special needs child have an Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) worked into their IEP by age 16. An ITP is a plan for the preparation of individuals with special needs to become capable and ready to leave school and get a job, attend college, and become a contributing member of society.

The Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) is used to monitor changes in children’s behavior or emotional status.

There are five separate rating forms that comprise the BASC. These include a teacher rating scale (TRS), a parent rating scale (PRS) a self-report of personality (SRP), student observation system (SOS) and a structured developmental history (SDH).

Scoring

Eligibility To get coverage, you must:  Be a Minnesota resident Be a U.S. citizen or a qualifying noncitizen Provide a Social Security number for each person requesting MA, unless an exception is met Meet the income limit and asset limit, if any Meet any other program rules. What is the income limit? The income limit and calculations depend on your age and who lives with you. If you are pregnant, blind or have a disability, you also may have a different income limit. Some people who do not meet the income limit still may qualify using a spenddown (PDF). A spenddown is like an insurance deductible. This means you are responsible for some medical bills before MA pays. What is the asset limit? Assets are items people own like cars, checking and savings accounts, your home and financial investments. Generally, there is no asset limit for MA for parents, children under 21 and adults without children in the home. Parents and caretaker relatives eligible for MA with a spenddown have an asset limit (PDF). Seniors and people age 21 and older who are blind or have a disability have an asset limit (PDF). Assets that do not count toward the limit include the home where you live, household goods, personal items like clothing and jewelry, and certain assets owned by an American Indian. What if I have other insurance? You still may qualify for MA. You must tell us if you have other health insurance or could get coverage through an employer or military service. Sometimes we can pay the cost of the other insurance so you can keep that coverage.

Benefits What is covered and how much does it cost? MA pays for a variety of services like doctor visits, prescriptions and hospital stays. Some services and prescriptions may require prior approval.  For some members, there is no cost. Others may have to pay a portion of the cost of a service. This may include copays, deductibles or spenddowns.  A summary of covered services and costs is online.  A printable summary of covered services and costs (PDF) is also available.  You will get more details on covered services after your application is approved.  When does coverage start? MA may pay for medical bills going back three months from the month we get your application.

Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s Medicaid program for people with low income. 

If your child has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the IEP team will meet every year to bring it up to date. One of the first steps is to update your child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Some states/school districts refer to this as PLAAFP, some as PLOP and others as PLP.

What does PLOP include?

To write the PLOP, the IEP team draws information from several sources. They should include teacher observations and objective data, such as test results and scores.

A reevaluation is a full-fledged look at a student’s needs. There are two types of reevaluations: Triennial reevaluation (three-year review) Parent- or teacher-requested reevaluation

The purpose of the triennial reevaluation is to see if a student’s needs have changed. It’s also to see if they still qualify for special education services.  

Just like an initial evaluation, a reevaluation is an involved process.

In physical therapy, also known as PT, trained professionals evaluate and treat abnormal physical function related to an injury, disability, or other health condition.

Physical therapists aim to improve a person’s range of movement and quality of life and prevent further injury or disability.

Common conditions physical therapy may help with

The Progress Test in English (PTE) assessment enables you to accurately measure how your school and your students are performing – student by student, class by class and year by year. 

The tests can be used initially at the start of the year to set a baseline and from then on at the end of the year to measure and track progress

Detailed reports for teachers analyse key dimensions of learning and provide a question-by-question breakdown to help identify those students who may need extra support, and in which areas.

When a child has been identified as gifted and talented, this means that they have a greater potential for learning in at least one subject. GT kids can be exceedingly creative or intensely analytical. They can be socially mature or delayed, they can be introverts or extroverts, goofballs or unusually serious. In other words, you can’t stuff them into a single easy to categorize box.

Gifted and Talented vs Advanced Placement

They need more time to think and explore, not more time doing homework and yet some schools work on the false impression that GT simply means ‘academic superstar’ and pile on the AP classes and maintaining this schedule is expected in order to keep your ‘gifted’ qualification.

The definition of visual impairment is “a decrease in the ability to see to a certain degree that causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses.” Blindness is “the state of being unable to see due to injury, disease or genetic condition.”

Partially sighted means a person has partial vision, either in one or both eyes.

Low vision refers to a severe visual impairment in which visual acuity is 20/70 or poorer in the better-seeing eye and cannot improve with glasses or contacts.

Response to intervention (RTI) is a framework that many schools use to help students who are struggling with academics.

A multi-tier system of supports (MTSS) is more comprehensive. It may include the three levels of RTI.

Understanding how your school uses RTI or MTSS can help you advocate for your child.

English Learner (EL) and English Language Learner (ELL) These two terms essentially mean the same thing, and they are often used interchangeably.

Additional terms that have been used to refer to ELLs include limited English proficient (LEP), English as a second language (ESL), and language minority students.

Emergent Bilinguals This term promotes the most positive view of English learners by acknowledging their proficiency in another language as a strength, rather than just considering them people who need to learn English or focusing on their limits.

A Community Assessment, also called a “Community Needs Assessment,” is a process of collecting, analyzing and reporting information about the needs in a community as well as its stengths and assets. The purpose is to identify unmet community needs and plan ways to meet them.

A community assessment should be driven by community leaders and organizations, and actively involve community residents.

An assessment also builds skills around research, leadership, collaboration, and community involvement.