What is special education?
Special Education is specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. Michigan s Mandatory Special Education ACT (P.A. 451 of 1976) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17 of 1997) guarantee all persons with disabilities (ages 0-25) the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
Special Education is the educational system for students with disabilities. For your child, Special Education provides specialized services and programs to fit the unique learning strengths and needs of your student. A major goal of special education is to teach the skills and knowledge the child needs to be as independent as possible. Special education programs focus on academics and also include therapy and other related services to help the child overcome difficulties in all areas of development. These services may be provided in a variety of educational settings but are required by IDEA to be delivered in the least restrictive environment.
