Special Education and Regional Center Blog

FAPE Blog, Post 2 of 3. Click here for Post #1. An educational assessment or evaluation is a critical catalyst for the IEP process. Assessments help identify the student’s learning needs and determine whether the student requires special education services.  In order to provide special education services, a school district must first assess the student in all areas of suspected disability. After receiving a referral, the district has 15 calendar days to send an assessment …

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Learn what a Functional Behavior Assessment is and why Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) are important.

Sometimes a regional center will require families to use their private insurance to pay for their child’s early intervention (“Early Start”) services. In general, regional centers are the payor of last resort and require parents to use their own health insurance to pay for therapies. Now, parents are not required to pay for premiums, co-payments, or deductibles when a regional center charges the parent’s insurance for Early Start services. Since 2009, California requires parents to …

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FAPE Blog Post Series 1 of 3   Introduction to FAPE Under the Rehabilitation Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all children with disabilities are entitled to receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). This is the most important right of your child with special needs under the IDEA.  FAPE means that your child, if eligible, must receive an educational program specially designed to meet his or her individual needs. FAPE ensures that …

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Learn about How to Request Additional Assessments for Your Child with an IEP in California