{"id":14163,"date":"2016-01-21T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2016-01-21T13:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/?p=13234"},"modified":"2017-03-07T15:46:39","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T19:46:39","slug":"got-questions-check-the-q-and-a-database","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/got-questions-check-the-q-and-a-database\/","title":{"rendered":"Got Questions? Check the Q and A Database!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_pop\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/gallery\/share-button-gray.png\" style=\"border:0px\" alt=\"Share\" \/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_icon_type = \"labels\";var hupso_background=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_border=\"#FFFFFF\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_twitter_via=\"wrightslaw\";var hupso_url=\"\";var hupso_title=\"Got%20Questions%3F%20Check%20the%20Q%20and%20A%20Database%21\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/?page_id=38\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; float: right;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/images\/istock\/helpline.wrightslaw.jpg\" alt=\"Wrightslaw Community Helpline - ask or answer a question here.\" width=\"200\" height=\"131\" \/><\/a>Have you been reading blog posts and articles, but can&#8217;t find the answer to your question?<\/p>\n<p>You may have a question that has already&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u00a0 <strong>been asked and answered!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Look it up in<strong> Q and A Database<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table style=\"\u201cwidth: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 45%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 7px 21px;\"><strong>Q &amp; As from Wrightslaw:<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 7px 10px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/database-questions-topics-a-k\/\">Accommodations &#8211; IEPs<\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 22%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 7px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/database-questions-topics-l-z\/\">LRE &#8211; Transition<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li>Scroll through the Q and As<\/li>\n<li>Click the topic you want<\/li>\n<li>On your browser tool bar, click Edit &gt; find &gt; then type a search term in the find box.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><strong>Find more answers!<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nUse the alphabetical topic listing to find questions already asked and answered.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-a\" rel=\"nofollow\">A<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-b\" rel=\"nofollow\">B<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-c\" rel=\"nofollow\">C<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-d\" rel=\"nofollow\">D<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-e\" rel=\"nofollow\">E<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-f\" rel=\"nofollow\">F<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-g\" rel=\"nofollow\">G<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-h\" rel=\"nofollow\">H<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-i\" rel=\"nofollow\">I<\/a> <span style=\"color: #d4d2d2;\">J K<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-l\" rel=\"nofollow\">L<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-m\" rel=\"nofollow\">M<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-n\" rel=\"nofollow\">N<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-o\" rel=\"nofollow\">O<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-p\" rel=\"nofollow\">P<\/a> <span style=\"color: #d4d2d2;\">Q<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-r\" rel=\"nofollow\">R<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-s\" rel=\"nofollow\">S<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-t\" rel=\"nofollow\">T<\/a> <span style=\"color: #d4d2d2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-u\">U<\/a><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/helpline-topics-v\" rel=\"nofollow\">V<\/a> <span style=\"color: #d4d2d2;\">W X Y Z<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">**********************************<\/p>\n<p>Below is a discussion on classification, labels, and IEPs from the Database.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Classification: Labeling in Special Education<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>from Candy: I\u2019m writing a journal article on labeling in special education and my stance is that a child&#8217;s specific disability label does not need to be listed in the IEP. My adviser told me that it is against the law not to list the disability. Can someone please advise me so I make sure I do not make a suggestion that is illegal.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em>from JG<\/em>:\u00a0 Candy \u2013I want to differentiate a student\u2019s disability category (or label) from the student\u2019s actual disability\/diagnosis. For example a student may be placed in the category of Orthopedic Impairment, and their actual diagnosis may be cerebral palsy.<br \/>\nThe disability category is not a medical diagnosis, but rather an agreement that the individual student\u2019s profile is consistent with the regulatory definition of the disability category. The disability category is *intended* to be used for reporting purposes, not to determine a student\u2019s services or placement.<\/p>\n<p>As the Dept of Ed wrote in the commentary for IDEA 2004, \u201cspecial education and related services are based on the identified needs of the child and not on the disability category in which the child is classified.\u201d<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em>from Chuck:<\/em>\u00a0 Over the years I have heard people take this position. It must be documented that a student has a disability under the IDEA definition. However, unless state rules say that it must be documented in the IEP, federal rules do not say that the decision is made by the IEP team or must be recorded in the IEP. Districts find it easy &amp; convenient to record this in the IEP.<\/p>\n<p><em>from JG<\/em>:\u00a0 Again, the disability category info is for reporting purposes. The info is used, along with other student demographics, at the local, state, and federal levels for monitor trends, allocate funds, and other purposes.<\/p>\n<p>The data is essential, though there is no real reason to include it on the IEP. IDEA requires that eligible students be categorized and that this information be reported to the federal Dept of Ed, but does not explicitly require that the info be included on the IEP.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the student\u2019s actual disability\/diagnosis, this absolutely should be included on the IEP. IDEA requires that the IEP include info about how the student\u2019s disability impacts their education. This info, gleamed from evaluations, is how Teams determine what supports and services a student needs.<\/p>\n<p><em>from Marita:<\/em>\u00a0 Are you implying that it is better that we keep the child\u2019s specific disability a secret from the professionals who will work with the child for 6 hours per day? As a regular education teacher, I simply can\u2019t understand how that would be beneficial. I recently took over a 7th grade class that had seven students who qualified because they had a specific learning disability. Some were also ADHD \u2013 but that info wasn\u2019t included in the IEP.<\/p>\n<p>According to IDEA guidelines, it didn\u2019t need to be. I was appalled that I wasn\u2019t given that information, I needed to know.<br \/>\nWouldn\u2019t we simply be advancing the concept that a disability is something of which a person should be ashamed?<\/p>\n<p><em>from Chuck<\/em>:\u00a0 IDEA requires that an IEP identify &amp; address all needs the student has. This is more important &amp; helpful than the diagnosis\/label. An evaluation must be \u201csufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child\u2019s sp ed. &amp; related services needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified.\u201d 300.304(c)(6)<\/p>\n<p><em>from Marita:<\/em>\u00a0 Can you give an example of a situation where it would be beneficial for the diagnosis to be a secret? I suppose it could be because the parents are concerned that the teacher might break confidentiality. That should never happen.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s why I think a teacher should know: I have ADHD, the majority of my students have ADHD (I teach the expelled teens), but none of the sped professionals have ADHD. If I know the diagnosis, I can really be helpful. I can also model that ADHD is nothing of which to be ashamed.<br \/>\nAt the very least, teachers could get specific information from a book or website \u2013 but only if they know.<\/p>\n<p><em>from JG:<\/em>\u00a0 I don\u2019t think a diagnosis should be kept secret, but it\u2019s not the most important info on the IEP. The IEP must include info on how the child\u2019s disability specifically impacts them. This is very different from how a diagnosis is expected to impact a random child with the diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>With my own son, we\u2019ve had some doctors who\u2019ve had expectations based on his diagnosis that simply didn\u2019t match up with the real life him. I know parents who\u2019ve had similar experiences with school personnel.<\/p>\n<p>I know most teachers don\u2019t rely only on the diagnosis. But, if removing the diagnosis from the IEP kept the Team from pigeonholing the child based on that and not their actual needs, that would certainly be a situation where leaving it off would be helpful.<\/p>\n<p>Find more Q and As about Classification on the Q and A <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/database-questions-topics-a-k\/#cla\">Database<\/a><\/span> at <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/database-questions-topics-a-k\/#cla\">https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/database-questions-topics-a-k\/#cla<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>To find more answers &#8211; or to answer a questions and share advice &#8211; visit the<span style=\"color: #000080;\"> <a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/?page_id=38\">Community HELPline<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you been reading blog posts and articles, but can&#8217;t find the answer to your question? You may have a question that has already&#8230; \u00a0 been asked and answered! Look <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/got-questions-check-the-q-and-a-database\/\">Continue Reading \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[44,1122,499],"class_list":["post-14163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-idea-2004","tag-classification","tag-eligibility-categories","tag-labels"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14163"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14163\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21602,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14163\/revisions\/21602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wrightslaw.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}