Your Local School District

[Guest guest]

For children with disabilities age three and older, special services are provided through local school districts. First Signs recommends that parents:

Start the transition process into your local school district early, at 30 months of age

Take notes of all communications with school personnel

Seek independent evaluations

Talk to other parents

Do your research and ask questions

Remember the two P's — be positive and persistent

The same public law that provides for Early Intervention for children under the age of three, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), extends a range of services for children with disabilities age three and above. This law ensures that every child receives a "Free Appropriate Public Education." Services are provided through the local school district, and may vary considerably from state to state, and even from one school district to another.

To read the full article, please go to the First Signs Website at http://www.firstsigns.org/treatment/schools.htm.

A portion of Your Local School District is reprinted with permission from First Signs, Inc. ©2001-2006 First Signs, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information, please go to www.firstsigns.org or to the newly released book, Could It Be Autism? A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps (Broadway Books), by First Signs founder and president, D. Wiseman. First Signs is dedicated to the early identification and intervention of children with developmental delays and disorders.