The Education Directory for Children With Special Needs is a Web-based tool that helps military families with special needs make informed decisions about education and early intervention services available on or near installations within the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Families with special needs have a wide range of programs and services available for both family members with special needs and their caregivers. Here is a sampling of the various resources and tools available to you through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs, or OSEP.
Federal Impact Aid helps school districts cover the cost of educating military children, including those who require special education services. Learn more about this funding and how it may be spent.
Do you need help advocating for your child’s next Individualized Education Program meeting? Are you confused about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? Perhaps you would like to become a better champion for a child with special needs. Parent Centers may be the resource you have been looking for.
Finding a great child care provider is like finding a new member of your military family. After all, your child will spend a significant amount of time there each week, and what happens at daycare can impact what happens at home.
It takes a lot of involvement to make sure a family member with special needs gets the right education and care. It also requires good communication with child care providers and school administrators and teachers.
Every child deserves a quality education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that all children with special needs have access to a “free appropriate public education” and they have the necessary tools to meet their educational goals.
If you have a child with an individualized education program, don’t be nervous about moving schools. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, ensures that all children with special needs have access to a free, appropriate public education and the tools needed to meet their educational goals — no matter where or how often your family moves.
A little leisure is much needed when school lets out; however, children with special needs thrive with a little structure. It’s beneficial to maintain a routine during the summer as a way to keep your child learning and developing healthy habits.
Every state has services for children with special health care needs. The Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, or Title V of the Social Security Act, funds these services.
Keeping your Special Care Organizational Record organized and up to date makes it easy for you to use and ready if someone needs to step into your role as a caregiver.
Special education is designed to meet unique needs of children with special needs, ages 3 through 21.
All parents advocate — speak on behalf of their child — for their child’s needs to teachers, doctors and others so their child can grow up happy and successful. Advocacy can include learning laws, finding resources and even representing your child to special program administrators, school boards and others.
Exploring options, building a support network and self-advocating are steps students with special needs should take to prepare for their transition to adulthood.
Both individualized education programs and 504 plans document how children with special needs will reach their education goals. Learn about the differences between IEPs and 504 plans.
Finding the right care for your child with special needs starts with asking the right questions. The military offers quality, affordable child care options, both on the installation and off.
Military parents don’t always have it easy, but they never have to do it alone. Learn about the different types of support available to help your service member and their family thrive.
If you’ve recently married into the military, or you or your spouse has just joined, you may be feeling both nervous and excited about the future. During the adjustment period, spouses take on new roles, adapt to new schedules and learn new ways of handling many of life’s obstacles.
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