NICHCY Disability Fact Sheet #8 - PDF document

NICHCY Disability Fact Sheet #8 Disability Fact Sheet #8 (FS8) Both of these are highlighted inthe box on this page. ThisEducation Act (IDEA). IDEA isthe federal law that guides howearly intervention and specialeducation services are providedto infants, toddlers, children, andyouth with disbilities.Providing services to helpunderstanding of how we definesis is made, we look at a person’sstrengths and weaknesses. Wealso look at how much supportalong at home, in school, and inthe community. This approachgives a realistic picture of eachthe “picture” can change. As theperson grows and learns, his orworld grows as well. Help forHelp forHelp forHelp forHelp forBabies and TBabies and TBabies and TBabies and TBabies and Toddlersoddlersoddlersoddlersoddlers When a baby is born with anintellectual disability, his or herparents should know that there’sa lot of help available—andimmediately. Shortly after theparents will want to get in touchearly interventionsystem in their community. We’lltell you how in a moment.Early intervention is a systemabilities (until their 3rd birthday)and their families. It’s mandatedby IDEA. Staff work with thechild’s family to develop what isknown as an Individualized Familywill describe the child’s uniqueneeds as well as the services he orshe will receive to address thoseneeds. The IFSP will also empha-family, so that parents and otherfamily members will know howto help their young child withintellectual disability. Earlyintervention services may beprovided on a sliding-fee basis,income.To access early interventionservices in your area, consultNICHCY’s State Resource Sheet foryour state. It’s available online at:http://nichcy.org/state-organiza-tion-search-by-stateThere, you’ll find a listing forearly intervention under the firstyou in contact with the earlyintervention program in yourcommunity.To learn more about earlyintervention, including how towrite the IFSP, visit NICHCY at:http://nichcy.org/babies/over- Help forHelp forHelp forHelp forHelp for early intervention be madeavailable to babies and toddlerswith disabilities, it requires that be made available freeof charge to every eligible childwith a disability, includingpreschoolers (ages 3-21). Theseaddress the child’s individualability—in this case, an intellec-tual disability.School staff will work withthe child’s parents to develop anIndividualized Education ProgramIFSP. It describes the child’sthat have been designed to meetthose needs. Special educationand related services are providedat no cost to parents.NICHCY: http://nichcy.org Definition of “Intellectual Disability”Definition of “Intellectual Disability”Definition of “Intellectual Disability”Definition of “Intellectual Disability”Definition of “Intellectual Disability”under IDEAunder IDEAunder IDEAunder IDEAunder IDEA Until Rosa’s Law was signed into law by President Obama inOctober 2010, IDEA used the term “mental retardation” insteadof “intellectual disability.” Rosa’s Law changed the term to beused in future to “intellectual disability.” The definition itself,however, did not change. Accordingly, “intellectual disability” isdefined as...“...significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning,existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior andmanifested during the developmental period, that adverselyaffects a child’s educational performance.”[34 CFR §300.8(c)(6)] This publication is copyright free. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit theNational Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).This publication is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H326N080003 between FHI 360and the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this docu-ment do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention oftrade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. FS8—January 2011 TTTTTips for Pips for Pips for Pips for Pips for Parentsarentsarentsarentsarents Learn about intellectual disability. Themore you know, the more you canhelp yourself and your child. See theBe patient, be hopeful. Your child, likeevery child, has a whole lifetime tolearn and grow.Encourage independence in your child. Forexample, help your child learn daily careskills, such as dressing, feeding him orGive your child chores. Keep her age,attention span, and abilities in mind. Breakdown jobs into smaller steps. For example,if your child’s job is to set the table, first askher to get the right number of napkins.Then have her put one at each familymember’s place at the table. Do the samewith the utensils, going one at a time. Tellher what to do, step by step, until the job isdone. Demonstrate how to do the job. Helpher when she needs assistance.Give your child frequent feedback. Praiseyour child when he or she does well. Buildyour child’s abilities.Find out what skills your child is learningat school. Find ways for your child to applythose skills at home. For example, if theteacher is going over a lesson about money, take your child to the supermarket withyou. Help him count out the money topay for your groceries. Help him countthe change.Find opportunities in your commu-nity for social activities, such as scouts,recreation center activities, sports, andso on. These will help your child buildsocial skills as well as to have fun.Talk to other parents whose children havean intellectual disability. Parents can shareVisit NICHCY’s State-Specific Resourcespage and find a parent group near you.Look in the Disability-Specific section,under “intellectual disabilities.” Statehttp://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-stateMeet with the school and develop anIEP to address your child’s needs. Keep intouch with your child’s teachers. Offersupport. Find out how you can supportyour child’s school learning at home.Take pleasure in your beautiful one. He—she—is a treasure. Learn from your child,have a special light within—let it shine.