If you suspect that your child has a special educational need or disability, talk to the teacher(s) and staff at school. They can help you make a referral for an evaluation to determine if your child qualifies for special education services.

The law says that schools must provide special help to eligible children with disabilities. The term “special education” refers to a variety of ways to help them learn and develop the skills they need to live and work in society.

Special educational needs and disability helps children who differ socially, emotionally or mentally from the average to the point where they need to have their learning needs addressed differently than do most other students. This includes children who are deaf or blind, those with speech and language disorders, mental retardation or developmental disabilities (such as autism spectrum disorder or pervasive development disorder), physical and orthopedic disorders and more.

Navigating Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND): A Comprehensive Guide

Once your child’s evaluation is done, the written assessment reports will be shared with you and you will have an IEP meeting. The IEP must contain a statement of your child’s strengths and challenges, as well as a list of the special education and related services that will be provided to him or her.

The law defines “intellectual disability” as significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning that exists concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The law also recognizes other impairment classifications such as physical and sensory disabilities, hearing or vision impairments and emotional disturbances.