Parent Resources

Summer Opportunities for Students with Special Education Needs - Comprehensive listing of local programs designed for students with special education needs.

Rolling Agenda for Special Education Parent Advisory Committee - Link to parent advisory committee agenda for the 2019-2020 school year.

OCFSD Child Find - Document outlining the OCFSD obligation to refer students suspected of having a disability.

Birth-to-3 Information / Resources

Questions to Ask Before the IEP Meeting - Helpful document to assist parents prior to and during your child's IEP meeting.

IEP Team Meetings: A Guide to Participation for Parents - The linked guide provides an introduction to the IEP process so you will have an idea of what to expect, feel more comfortable in the meeting, and be better able to advocate for your child’s (or your own) educational needs.

IEP Checklist - A comprehensive guide for parents with regard to how to prepare for an IEP meeting, what questions to ask, how to follow-up, etc.

Special Education - A Guide for Parents - This handout provides answers to some frequently asked questions in order to help parents understand the basic procedures of the special education system.

Special Education in Plain Language - A User-Friendly Handbook on Special Education Laws, Policies and Practices in Wisconsin. Collaboratively developed and reviewed by Wisconsin Parents, Advocacy Organizations, School and Special Education Administrators, General and Special Educators, Service Providers, Union Members, Special Education Attorneys, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Special Education Rights for Parents & Families - The following procedural safeguards notice is based on a model developed by the United States Department of Education, with adaptations for use by Wisconsin School districts and other local education agencies. 

Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative (WSPEI) - WSPEI assists families and educators to find the resources that will help them build positive working relationships leading to shared decision making and positive outcomes for children’s learning. WSPEI services are free and confidential.

Dispute Resolution Options / Dispute Resolution Flyer - This resource provides a brief overview of the different dispute resolution options and includes contact information for each option. 

DPI Special Education Team Webpage

Collaborative for Social & Emotional Learning (CASEL) - The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is a trusted source for knowledge about high-quality, evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL). CASEL supports educators and policy leaders and enhances the experiences and outcomes for all PreK-12 students.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.

DESSA Assessment - The Devereux Students Strengths Assessment (DESSA), originally developed by the Devereux Center for Resilient Children, is the flagship social emotional learning assessment of Aperture Education’s DESSA System. It is a standardized, strength-based behavior rating scale completed in 5 to 8 minutes and used by educators and parents to measure the social-emotional competence for children in grades K-8. Grounded in resilience theory and directly aligned to the CASEL framework, the DESSA is a user-friendly, practical social emotional learning assessment that meets the highest professional standards. 

Understood.org - Understood provides a variety of resources for working with students who struggle with academics, inattention, hyperactivity, and social skills.  In addition to background information in these areas, the site also contains a parent toolkit with helpful ideas for assisting children, links to additional resources, and a guide to assist caregivers in understanding the child's perspective.

Reading Rockets - Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

Parents Guide to Student Success - The Parents’ Guides to Student Success were developed by teachers, parents and education experts in response to the Common Core State Standards. Created for grades K-8 and high school English, language arts/literacy and mathematics, the guides provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in order to be prepared for college and career.

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) - The Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation.

Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER) Center - The PACER Center was founded on the premise of parents helping parents of children and youth with disabilities to advocate for a free and appropriate public education for all children.  Staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities, PACERS works in coalition with 18 disability organizations to provide assistance to individual families, workshops, materials for parents and professionals, and leadership in securing a free and appropriate public education for all children. 

Americans With Disabilities Act

Access Board (Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board)

ITTATC (Information Technology and Technical Assistance Training Center)

CAST (Center for Applied Technology)

Access SC IT (ASCIT)

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

Federal Trade Commission (COPPA)

Microsoft Accessibility

WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool from WebAIM (free)

South Carolina School for Deaf and the Blind (Accessible website Example)
Consider website mobility user-friendly concerns for user access via cell phones and devices.

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials of the Center for Applied Special Technology - Virtual Training for Educators

The National Center on Disability and Access to Education - Cheat Sheets

PEAT – Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology

University of Colorado – Boulder web accessibility self-study resources

Georgia Tech’s Accessibility Resources

This important civil rights law can provide educational benefits to kids with learning disabilities in public schools. School districts do have the right and responsibility to establish their own policies and procedures for implementing Section 504.

What is Section 504?

Section 504 Law

A Parent's Guide to Section 504 in Public Schools

This article attempts to answer basic questions pertaining to the implementation of Section 504 in public school systems.

K–12 schools and district entities receiving federal funding are required to take steps to ensure individuals with disabilities are provided with equal opportunities (accessibility and reasonable accommodations) in their programs and activities per the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504.

Section 504 Regulations:

Questions and Answers on Disability Discrimination under Section 504 and Title II:

• The Reauthorized Rehabilitation Act of 1998, Amended Section 508 addresses the issue of electronic and information technology goods and services that are not fully accessible to all individuals with disabilities.

OCFSD Forms/Resources:

• Section 504 Parent/Student Rights