Military and Department of Defense Special Education

Military & Department of Defense (DOD) Special Education
Military Education l Autism l Reading l Suspension & Expulsion l Transition l Caselaw
Resources l Articles l Publications

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reunion dad and son Children whose parents are active in any of the branches of the military often have a rather non-traditional educational experience. These children transfer schools often and sometimes attend school overseas. Although military children may not be educated in the U.S., they are still entitled to a Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

The information on the Military and Department of Defense page describes various aspects of a military special education education and the unique issues these children face, including frequent transfers in and out of schools with different levels of instructional programming, and the emotional issues that accompany the deployment of family members.

News! The fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act was signed by President Barack Obama on October 28, 2009.

The new legislation mandates a standard program to support military families with special needs, establishes a Defense Department Office of Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs, and requires a comprehensive policy on support to families.

Support Improves for Families with Special Needs from the Pentagon’s Office of Military Community and Family Policy. (12/07/09)

Last month, the department sponsored its first joint exceptional family member support conference in Jacksonville, Fla. The DoD/Joint Conference: Improving the Quality of Life for Military Families with Special Needs was held November 16-18, 2009. Pete Wright autographs books after he presented a training session on Special Education Law and Advocacy at the conference. (Conference Agenda)

Military Helps Families Find Care for Special Needs Kids. Military families who move from post to post have in the past struggled to get consistent support for their special needs children. Recently the Army and Marine Corps began providing caseworkers and legal aid to help parents negotiate for more resources. (Washington Post, 12/28/09) pdf format

New Congressional Military Family Caucus. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs said both he and his wife fully support the new Congressional Military Family Caucus, a group formed to work on child care, education, health and deployment issues. (Army Times, 11/05/09) Congressional Military Family Caucus on facebook.

The Military Child and Special Education by Jeremy Hilton, published in the Aug/Sep Exceptional Parent Magazine. "Since aging out of early childhood intervention and starting preschool at age 3, our daughter, Kate (now 6), has been in four different elementary schools..." Jeremy recommends parent resources like STOMP (Specialized Training of Military Parents), Military Homefront, and Wrightslaw.com.

Wrightslaw has been a subscriber to Exceptional Parent Magazine for many years. Each issue of this trusted resource for the special needs community contains a United States Military Section. You can subscribe here.

To learn how you can support military service men and women and their families, please see Be A Hero...To A Hero: Support Our Troops.

In September, our son Jason was deployed to Iraq. Like many of you, we are frustrated about the wars. Like many of you, we said "We support the troops." We asked ourselves, "What have we done to 'support the troops?'" The painful answer: "Not much."

After this, we spent a great deal of time on the Internet. We wanted to learn all we could about how ordinary people - like us and you - could support the young men and women who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read A Message from Pete and Pam Wright

Military & Department of Defense Education

Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
DoDEA operates over 200 public schools in 15 districts located in 13 foreign countries, seven states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. All schools within DoDEA are fully accredited by U.S. accreditation agencies. Approximately 8,785 teachers serve DoDEA's 102,600 students.

DoDEA Special Education
In DoDEA's Community Strategic Plan, the vision statement, the mission statement and the guiding principles each embrace the notion that ALL students will be successful in our schools. Special education is specially designed instruction, support, and services provided to students with an identified disability requiring an individually designed instructional program to meet their unique learning needs. The purpose of special education is to enable students to successfully develop to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as implemented by DoD Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents." Learn more about eligibility categories and much more on this page.

DoDEA Special Education Parent Rights for Special Education

DoDEA Parent Handbook on Special Education (pdf)

State-by-State Education Resource Center
On this page you can select a state to find information relevant to that state. You can refine your search by then selecting options such as "special education", "assessment", "curriculum" and more.

Changing Schools and IEPs - 1 week, 1 month, 90 Days? When a child transfers schools, when must the new school provide services in the IEP? Find out what IDEA 2004 says about providing comparable services for children who transfer.

Checklist for Transferring Students

Youth Programs and Summer Camps for Military Kids

DoDEA's Playgrounds Renovated to Meet Needs of Special Needs Students. Within the next month the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) will finalize renovations to some of its school playgrounds to better serve special needs students.(DoDEA Press Room, December 16, 2009)

DoDEA Announces 2009 NAEP Results. Eighth grade students made slight advances in math in comparison with 2007 results while fourth grade students showed no change from 2007 according to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). (November 9, 2009)

MilitaryHOMEFRONT

Exceptional Family Member Program

Special Needs Parent Toolkit

Special Needs Parent Toolkit (free download)

Military Home Front Tool Box

Medical Home Toolkit For Families - Guidance for parents on how to establish a medical home for a child who has a disability.
Military Community Directory Special Needs Contacts A searchable listing of Exceptional Family Member Program and Special Needs Coordinators and Managers.
Locators - Listings of Locators for special needs
Record Keeping Systems - Special Care Organzational Record
Toll Free Numbers - Toll Free Numbers provides easy access to toll free numbers of interest to families with special need

Military One Source Online (*free content)

*You must first register and login to http://www.militaryonesource.com before being able to access this premium, free content from Military One Source Online

Free Resource Guide for families with Exceptional Family Members.* Families can now order for free from Military OneSource the 2009 Exceptional Parent Magazine Resource Guide.

Children's Safety: Helping Your Child Deal with Bullying *
Ways to help when your child is being bullied or is bullying others. This article includes information on: Helping your child cope with a bully, Discouraging your child from bullying others, and When bullying occurs at school.

Articles from Military One Source *

Audio Files from Military One Source *

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Autism

Health & Special Education Services for Military Children with Autism. Based on the most recent prevalence data that 1 in 150 children have an autism spectrum disorder, as many as 12,000 children in military families (active duty, reserve and guard) may have autism. These families are affected substantially by the financial and emotional costs of raising a child with autism.

Early Intervention, Treatment of Autism Essential for Children from the Military Health System Blog.

Reading

DOD Schools: Additional Reporting Could Improve Accountability for Academic Achievement of Students with Dyslexia. GAO Study GAO-08-70 to determine how DOD supports students with dyslexia and how it used $3.2 million in funds designated to support them. (December 2007) Report Highlights.

Suspension & Expulsion

Advocating in Schools: Suspension/Expulsion of a Child with a Disability * Listen Now: Windows Media Version or Real Media Version
A school district may suspend a child with a disability who receives special education services under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act for up to ten consecutive days. However, a series of short-term suspensions in a school year which cumulate to more than ten days may be improper depending on several factors.

Parent Involvement at School: When a School Disciplines Your Child: Understanding Your Rights *
What you need to know if your child is facing school disciplinary action. This article includes information on: Types of discipline, Know the rules and consequences, Zero-tolerance offenses, Your child's right to due process, The hearing and appeals process, Should you hire a lawyer?, and Being an effective advocate for your child.

*You must first register and login to http://www.militaryonesource.com before being able to access this premium, free content from Military One Source Online.

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Transition and Transferring Schools

Parent Toolkit: Military Students on the Move Military Students on the Move. This "Toolkit for Military Parents" is one of three Toolkits prepared by the Department of Defense to help parents, installation commanders, and school leaders make the education transition for military children as smooth as possible.

Special Education information is found on p.15 featuring resources including the Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids.

Download Toolkit (The is a large PDF file, so please allow time for the toolkit to load.)

Tips for Parents: Relocating and Special Education Records from Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools (DDESS).

Free online tool for military students in transition. State assessments and on-line tutorials for military students and their classmates. You can also visit the SOAR website by clicking here.

Watch the video about the SOAR program from the Military Impacted Schools Association.

SOAR - Student Online Achievement Resources. This new web site will allow children from military families to compare states' academic standards and take a free online test to identify the gaps in their understanding as they move to a new state with different testing and curriculum.

Website targets...'military brats'. "Web site aims to make transitions to new schools easier for children of military families." by Dennis Carter, eSchoolNews (June 18, 2008).

School Quest. Designed for military families, SchoolQuest is organized so that you can access information that the MCEC has gathered to help you make decisions on future schools for your children. SchoolQuest also offers an Online Library that provides resources for families in transition. Watch the HTML video.

Caselaw

G. v. Fort Bragg Dependent Schools (4th Cir. 2003). ABA/Lovaas case; rights of children who attend Dept of Defense schools; FAPE & educational benefit; methodology; reimbursement for home-based Lovaas program; procedural safeguards and notice by parents; compensatory education for failure to provide FAPE; prevailing party status & attorneys fees (pdf)

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Resources

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)
The Military Child Education Coalition is a non-profit, world-wide organization that identifies the challenges that face the highly mobile military child, increases awareness of these challenges in military and educational communities and initiates and implements programs to meet the challenges.
This site includes information on moving, transferring students, deployment, and scholarships, and includes links to military organizations devoted to the military family.

The MCEC offers the Special Education Leaders Institute to help leaders in both the education and military communities understand the concerns of military-connected special needs students and develop ways to support them during transitions.

STOMP is a Parent Training and Information Center for military families providing support, advice, and training to military parents whose children have special challenges. Here you can interact with parents who have already experienced much of what you are going through. They are happy to help.

Military Impacted Schools Association
Military Impacted Schools Association is a partnership with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Active, National Guard and Reserve components, and U.S. Coast Guard to guarantee a continuum of quality education for the Military Child -- no matter where the parent is assigned.

National Military Family Association (NMFA)
The National Military Family Association's primary goals are to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits and services available to them and to inform them regarding the issues that affect their lives; and to promote and protect the interests of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them. This Web site includes information, articles, resources, and web links on deployment, education, family life, family member benefits, health care, and money management.

Military K-12 Partners
As military families move to accept new assignments, children often face many challenges related to education. The Interstate Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children is working to remove barriers to educational success for children of military members.

New! Military Youth on the Move
Moving Out Moving Up Moving On. Advice for elementary school, middle school, and high school kids covering all stages of a military move.

Military OneSource
This free 24-hour service, provided by the Department of Defense, is available to all active duty, Guard, and Reserve members and their families. Consultants provide information and make referrals on a wide range of issues. You can reach the program by telephone at 1-800-342-9647.

MilitaryHOMEFRONT is the official Department of Defense website for quality of life information as it pertains to troops & their family members with special needs, Leadership and Service Providers. Please browse the navigation links on the left to connect relevant topics, such as our Family Connections Forum for families with special needs, State Resources, A-Z Disability Resources and Family Stories. MilitaryHOMEFRONT works hard at providing you with the most comprehensive information designed specifically for military families with special needs.

Family Matters Blog provides resources and support to military families, as well as to encourage a dialogue on topics ranging from deployments and separations to the challenges of everyday life, military schoolchildren, and education.

Linking Early Intervention Processes: Family Centered and Functional in Natural Environments. Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) IFSP Process Handbook.This military document makes it easier for service providers to understand how to help families identify their needs and priorities, as well as actually making the IFSP meaningful to the family and the child. (pdf format)

Reaching and Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Best Practices Guide (PDF)
The Department of Defense Education Activity has developed a guide for those working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The purpose of the Best Practices Guide is to help all understand students with ASD better and to provide information about appropriate educational strategies and programming including environmental structures, communication and social skill development, and behavioral management. Most of the strategies presented in this guide are beneficial to a variety of students with special needs.