Each Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) must have a continuum of program options available to meet the needs of a child with a disability. This goes hand in hand with the requirement that a child with a disability must be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE).
IDEA requires each SELPA to have the following placement options available within your local school district:
- The general education program
- The resource specialist program (RSP)
- Designated instruction and services (DIS)–otherwise known as “related services.” These are developmental, corrective, and supportive services that are required to assist a child to benefit from his or her education. These include behavioral modification intervention, health services, and school based counseling
- Special classes, often referred to as special day classes (SDC), are generally smaller classes and are made up only of children with disabilities
- Nonpublic, nonsectarian school services
- State special schools
- Instruction in settings other than classrooms where specially designed instruction may occur
- Traveling instruction in classrooms, resource rooms, and settings other than classrooms where specially designed instruction may occur
- Instruction using telecommunication, instruction in the home, in hospitals, and in other institutions–this includes home/hospital placements and even residential treatment centers and are considered the most restrictive education placement possible.
The most important thing to consider is your child as an individual and their unique needs which are a result of their deficits and disability. The legal mandate to have a continuum of program options available is to ensure that a program will be available to meet the needs of your child.
Valerie Aprahamian and Advocates for Angels are experienced advocates who have helped hundreds of children obtain placement in the appropriate educational setting. We are skilled at overcoming obstacles and getting your child the free appropriate public education (FAPE) they are legally entitled to.
Contact Advocates for Angels at (909)841-2600 so we can discuss your circumstances, explain your rights and begin the process for you and your child to receive the education they are entitled to under the California Education Code.