Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that outlines rights and regulations for students with disabilities in the United States who require specially designed instruction.
For additional information on IDEA, please view the following video: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: History and Summary
Definition of Special Education
IDEA defines Special Education as “Specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability.”
Universal Design for Learning: Providing Access to Grade Level Content for All Students
At Chief Leschi Schools, we recognize that not all students qualify for Special Education services. We are working collaboratively as a district, to implement the Universal Design for Learning Framework. The framework provides guidelines for instructional staff to engage all learners in the classroom. We are in the beginning stages of this work and are excited to seek feedback from our students, families, and community for successful implementation. For additional information on Universal Design for Learning, please view the following video: UDL at a Glance
Parent Tips to Help Your Student to Self-Advocate
It is important for students to take charge of their own learning. They can do this by learning how to self-advocate. You can help your student by going over the following strategies:
If your student doesn’t understand, encourage them to say...
“Can you explain it in a different way?”
“I need some more help with this.”
“I am still confused.”
“Can you give me another example?”
“Can you make sure I got this right?"
If your student is too embarrassed to ask in front of the class, encourage them to...
Talk to the teacher after class.
Ask the teacher if they can sit with a buddy.
Write down the directions and ask for help at home.
Ask the teacher if they can sit at the front of the room.
Make up a signal they can give the teacher to let them know they need help.
Click here for additional information on helping your student self-advocate.