IDEA 2004

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act are currently the major federal laws impacting the programs and services for students with disabilities in all public schools throughout this country. This course will look at the key elements and processes of the IDEA regulations that parents and those working with parents and schools need to know.

Procedural Safeguards

Since the first federal law dealing with the education of students with disabilities in public schools was passed, legal rights for parents has been an important part of the law. These legal rights for parents are generally referred to as “procedural safeguards”. The current federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004 (IDEA), continues to provide the parents and guardians of children with disabilities with a variety of legal rights to be involved in and make decisions about a student’s education. The purpose of this course is to let parents know that they have legal rights and to help them understand what these rights are.

CLOSED FOR UPDATES – Adult Services: An Overview of the Services Available After High School for Young Adults with Disabilities

This course presents an overview of the services that are available after high school for young adults with disabilities. Graduation is the end of entitlement, and the rights and protections of IDEA 2004 no longer apply. There are no more ARD and IEP meetings to attend. This means the IEP team will no longer be available to plan and coordinate disability-related services that the young adult may need. All these services and others will likely be provided by different agencies, each with its own application processes, eligibility standards, and definitions of disability.

Online Courses from Other Agencies/Organizations

Autism MOOC

Swinburne University of Technology’s Autism MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) takes a practical approach to the study of autism. The course is designed for parents and carers of people with autism and those who work with people with autism. This self guided version provides the resources and activities available to the original participants, without the interactive elements. This course is periodically available for non-Swinburne participants. There is no assessment or accreditation.  Start the Autism MOOC course >

Effective Parent Teacher Conferences

Research says that when parents are involved in their children’s education, children do better in school, stay longer in school, and like school more. And parents, understand this: it doesn’t matter what your income or education level is – your support and involvement in your children’s education matters! This video based online course is from Family Network on Disability and is accessed through their website.  Start the Effective Parent Teacher Conferences course >

Think College LEARN!

This interactive online course provides self-paced modules using multimedia tools such as videos, publications, interactive learning activities and podcasts to share information on topics related to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. Think College is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston and is accessed through their website. Start the Think College LEARN! course >

Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This course from the IRIS Center is packed with resources and information to address a number of pressing concerns related to education and the COVID-19 pandemic. From a clarification of what is–and what is not–a parent’s role to notes on promoting young people’s social and emotional well-being to special considerations for children with disabilities, this accessible and resource-rich module has something of value for just about every parent. Start the Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic course >

Partners in Education

This three hour self-directed course was created to help parents of children with developmental disabilities understand and maximize the special education system. The course focuses on a child’s right to a free appropriate public education, the laws that protect those rights and offers practical ways that parents can ensure that their children benefit from an inclusive education. This course was developed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is accessed through Partners in Policymaking.

Partners in Education is available in Spanish. Un curso de autoaprendizaje diseñado para ayudar a los padres de niños con discapacidades del desarrollo a navegar el sistema de educación especial y ayudar a sus hijos a aprovechar al máximo su potencial.

Partners in Making Your Case

This three hour self-study course is designed to help people with disabilities and their families create positive change through advocacy. The course helps participants understand the legislative process, the essential elements of good advocacy, identify and research personal issues, then advocate for systems change as individuals and as part of larger community efforts. The course includes opportunities to put what has been learned into practice through a series of interactive exercises. This course was developed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is accessed through Partners in Policymaking.

Partners in Making Your Case is available in Spanish. Un curso de autoaprendizaje diseñado para ayudar a las personas a interceder por cambios positivos en las políticas públicas que tienen impacto en las personas con discapacidades y sus familias.

An American Sign Language version is also available for Partners in Making Your Case. Funding for this version was provided through the Telecommunications Access Fund, Minnesota Department of Commerce. Adaptations were made to best meet the needs of individuals who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.

Partners in Living

This seven-hour self-directed e-learning course has been created to help people with developmental disabilities, their parents, family members and friends, educators and service providers understand the important concepts of self-determination, family support, community living and assistive technology. The course focuses on helping people with developmental disabilities, their family and friends explore these four important elements that, together, can help them create a meaningful life that is independent, inclusive, productive, self-determined and integrated. Man and woman sitting in wheelchairs on the deck of their home. This course was developed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is accessed through Partners in Policymaking.

Partners in Living is available in Spanish. Aliados para la vida, un curso de autoestudio creado para ayudar a personas con discapacidades de desarrollo, sus familiares y amigos a explorar cuatro elementos importantes que, juntos, les pueden ayudar a desarrollar una vida plena: Autodeterminación, Asistencia para familias, Vivir en comunidad y Tecnología auxiliar.

Partners in Employment

This six-hour self-study course is designed to help people with developmental disabilities find meaningful jobs and plan a career. In this course, participants will create a resume or portfolio of their strengths, skills, and interests; learn how to network and identify potential employers; prepare for an interview; and understand the hiring process. The course has been updated to include information on ways that people with autism and other developmental disabilities can find competitive, meaningful employment in the emerging “digital economy.” This course was developed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is accessed through Partners in Policymaking.

Partners in Employment is available in Spanish. Queremos darle la bienvenida a Partners in Employment, un curso de estudio individual diseñado para ayudar a personas con discapacidades del desarrollo a encontrar un empleo adecuado y a dar inicio a sus carreras profesionales.

An EZ Read version of the Partners in Employment online course is now available. This version contains the same information as the regular course along with exercises and exams but uses icons (visuals) to help the reviewer understand concepts and facilitate the learning process.

Partners in Time

This eight-hour self-study was created to help people with developmental disabilities, their parents, family members and friends, educators and service providers understand the history of society’s treatment of people with disabilities from ancient times through the present. The course focuses on the way that people with disabilities lived, learned and worked throughout history and growth of the Disability Rights Movement. The course also introduces some of the individuals and groups whose efforts resulted in new ways of thinking about people with disabilities and their rights. This course was developed by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and is accessed through Partners in Policymaking.

Partners in Time is now available in Spanish. Un curso de estudio individual que explora el tratamiento que da la sociedad a las personas con discapacidades del desarrollo, desde la antigüedad hasta la actualidad.