Understanding Article 7 helps parent(s), advocates, school personnel, and students work together more effectively. When positive relationships are established between a parent(s) and the school, students with disabilities receive a better education and leave school better prepared to succeed as adults. Article 7 is part of the Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) that contains Indiana’s special education rules. These rules have been adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) in order to implement the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act as amended in 2004, commonly known as IDEA ‘04. The six principles of IDEA ’04: • Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), • Appropriate educational evaluation, • Individualized Education Program (IEP), • Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), • Procedural safeguards (sometimes referred to as the Notice of Parent Rights or NOPS), and • Parent(s) participation in decisions. IDEA ‘04 requires public
Family Voices Indiana is a family-led organization that provides information, education, training, outreach, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them.