--- title: 5 special education VIPs (very important passages) description: 'Understanding your child’s legal rights can help you advocate for them. ' slug: 5-special-education-vips-very-important-passages author: Andrew M.I. Lee, JD reviewer: Patricia H. Latham, JD published: '2019-10-16T12:22:35.405Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/CE73C99BB68940DF90B1B8989E50C636/1a1fd69ac999861358119086ce1abfae/178418644.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/5-special-education-vips-very-important-passages lang: en --- # 5 special education VIPs (very important passages) Legal language can be complex and hard to follow. Here we define key passages from the laws that govern special education. ### 1. Free appropriate public education “A free appropriate public education is available to all children with disabilities … between ages of 3 and 21, inclusive, including children with disabilities who have been suspended or expelled from school.” *—Section 612(a)(1) of the **Individuals with Disabilities Education Act** (IDEA)* The right to [free appropriate public education](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/at-a-glance-free-and-appropriate-public-education) means that public schools must provide children “appropriate” educational services without charge. You and the school might not always agree on what’s “appropriate,” though. If that’s the case, you have [options](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-options-for-resolving-an-iep-dispute). ### 2. Child Find “All children with disabilities … regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated.” *—Section 612(a)(3) of IDEA* This passage is called [Child Find](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/child-find-what-it-is-and-how-it-works). It calls for public schools to look for and evaluate kids who could have disabilities. The school has a legal duty to figure out which children need special education services. ### 3. Least restrictive environment “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities … are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal … from the regular educational environment occurs only when … education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” *—Section 612(a)(5) of IDEA* This provision is called the least restrictive environment. It means that before the school can remove a child from a general education class, they must try to help him by providing aids and services. Find out more about [what this means](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/least-restrictive-environment-lre-what-you-need-to-know). ### 4. Procedural safeguards “[Schools] shall … ensure that children with disabilities and their parents are guaranteed procedural safeguards with respect to the provision of a free appropriate public education.” *—Section 615(a) of IDEA* [Procedural safeguards](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/10-key-procedural-safeguards-in-idea) are also known as legal rights or protections. They cover children with disabilities and their parents. The safeguards include things like: the right to participate in meetings about your child; the right to examine your child’s records; and the right to have [written notice](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/prior-written-notice-your-right-to-hear-about-changes) when the school proposes to change your child’s services. ### 5. Freedom from exclusion and discrimination “[No] individual with a disability … shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program … receiving Federal financial assistance.” *—**Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act*** It’s illegal for people with disabilities to be discriminated against in any school that receives federal government money. That includes public schools and some private schools. --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/5-special-education-vips-very-important-passages#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/5-special-education-vips-very-important-passages","description":"Understanding your child’s legal rights can help you advocate for them. "},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/5-special-education-vips-very-important-passages","name":"5 special education VIPs (very important passages)"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","datePublished":"2019-10-16T12:22:35.405Z","description":"Here are five key passages from special education law and what they mean—in easy-to-read terms. 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