Special Needs

Most of this page was compiled by fellow Tennessee homeschooler, Lisa Rigdon and we publicly express our thanks for her efforts. 

Laws

Special Education Rules and Regulations

“Child with a Disability” means a child or youth between the ages of three (3) and twenty-one (21) years, inclusive, evaluated as having mental retardation, a hearing impairment including deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment including blindness, emotional disturbance, a developmental delay, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, intellectual giftedness, or a functional delay. If it is determined, through an appropriate evaluation that a child has one (1) of the disabilities identified above, but only needs a related service and not special education, the child is

From www.TennesseeAnytime.org -  .doc or .pdf format  http://www.state.tn.us/education/seprogserulreg.htm   

Federal Law

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (http://www.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/edlite-34cfr104.html) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (http://www.ed.gov/policy/rights/reg/ocr/edlite-28cfr35.html)
Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in all programs, activities, and services provided by state and local governments.

http://www.wrightslaw.com/
" You'll find hundreds of articles, cases, newsletters, and other information about special education law and advocacy in the Wrightslaw Libraries. Parents, advocates, educators, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, up-to-date information about advocacy for children with disabilities."

Amendments to the federal law (IDEA ’97) can be found at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/Policy/IDEA/the_law.html

http://www.ideapolicy.org/home.htm

Rights and Responsibilities of Parents of Children with Disabilities

What Are Your Rights, as a Parent, in the Special Education Process?

Public Law 105-17, the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997, enhances the rights of children with disabilities and their parents. It builds on the rights provided under Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, of 1975. A fundamental provision of these laws is the right of parents to participate in the educational decision-making process.

This entire process can be found at http://ericec.org/digests/e575.html

Special Education Dictionary

Most commonly used terms and abbreviations can be found here.

http://www.chadd.org/webpage.cfm?cat_id=23

Links

Members of TnHomeEd have submitted these links. Thank you for your contributions!

http://ldonline.org/ Excellent site! IEP plans and forms.

http://www.christianhomeschoolers.com/hs/needs.shtml
www.booksontape.com

http://www.homeschoolzone.com

http://www.familyeducation.com  This link is my personal favorite. It has many useful tools for time management, skill building, homework strategies, and learning motivators. There are message boards for discussion and support for various learning disabilities as well as a section for the gifted and talented.  You will also find links for homeschool support and parenting in general.

Support

Parent's Choice
Support for families in Tennessee who homeschool their special needs children.
E-mail: rlhw3@webtv.net
1-877-657-4045
733 Lupton Drive #A
Chattanooga, TN 37415

Unlocking Autism

Homeschool Moms with Disabilities: "A forum for Moms who home educate, unschool, relaxed or otherwise AND have disabilities. A place to find serenity, compassion and some laughs hopefully." Check this Yahoo page for subscription information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hsmwd.

Popcorn & Peanuts Learning
Differences Resources
http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/learningd.html
Learning disabilities are often just another way of looking and thinking! From the more ordinary dyslexia and ADHD, to depression, blindness, and birth defects- there is help. Other parents group together, join us. Here are a few helpful sites and a couple of email groups you can join. There are also more medical sites and helps HERE.

NATHHAN (National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network)
P. O. Box 39
Porthill, ID 83853
(208)267-6246

Other resources:

Educational Information and Resource Center
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.eirc.org/ E-MAIL: info@eirc.org

ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://ericec.org/ E-MAIL: ericec@cec.sped.org

Learning Disabilities Association of America
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.ldaamerica.org/ E-MAIL: info@ldaamerica.org

Council for Exceptional Children (The)
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.cec.sped.org/ E-MAIL: cec@cec.sped.org

National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.nichcy.org E-MAIL: nichcy@aed.org

National Center for Learning Disabilities
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.ld.org/

Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (Tennessee)
Type of Org: State Parent Training and Information Center (Disabilities)
URL: http://www.tnstep.org/ E-MAIL: tnstep@aol.com

Division of Special Education (Tennessee)
Type of Org: State Director of Special Education
E-MAIL: jfisher@mail.state.tn.us

Gifted Development Center
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/ E-MAIL: gifted@gifteddevelopment.com

Foundation for Exceptional Children
Type of Org: Information Center/Association/Clearinghouse
URL: http://yesican.sped.org/ E-MAIL: fec@cec.sped.org

State Director of Special Education

Division of Special Education (Tennessee)
 

Ensures appropriate services and opportunities for children and youth with disabilities. The State Director for Tennessee is:

Division of Special Education (Tennessee)
Joseph Fisher, Assistant Commissioner of Special Education
Contact: Ann Hampton
Department of Education
Fifth Floor Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0380

(615) 741-2851
(888) 212-3162
TTY: (615) 741-2237
FAX: (615) 532-9412
E-Mail: jfisher@mail.state.tn.us

Regional Resource Center for Special Education

Provides technical assistance in the form of consultation, training, and information on special education and related services for individuals with disabilities and their families. The center serving Tennessee is:

Mid-South Regional Resource Center
Kenneth Olsen, Director
Contact: Teresa Blythe, Information Services Coordinator
The Alliance for Systems Change
Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute/UK
126 Mineral Industries Building
Lexington, KY 40506-0051

(859) 257-4921
TTY: (859) 257-2903
FAX: (859) 257-4353
E-Mail: msrrc@uky.edu
URL: http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/MSRRC/