The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (formerly PL 94-142) is the American law guaranteeing a free and appropriate public education for disabled students.  A key component of the I.D.E.A. is the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The I.E.P. is developed by the parents and the Committee on Special Education, a group, including the parents, that plans educational services for students with disabiities.

The Committee on Special Education for your child may include some or all of the following (in alphabetical order):

Clinical Social Worker- A professional trained in family systems, behavior modification, adjustment and intelligence.

Cued Speech Transliterator- A professional who accurately codes spoken language into Cued Speech verbatim, with no interpretation or translation.

Educational Audiologist- An audiologist with special training and experience to provide services to children in school.

Oral Interpreter- A professional who produces mouth movement and facial expression to match spoken language to aid in lip-reading.

Pediatric Audiologist- An audiologist specializing in children.

Sign Language Interpreter- A professional who translates spoken language into Sign Language. Since the languages are different, translation occurs, but the concept, tone and intent are faithfully communicated.

Speech Pathologist- A professional trained to evaluate and rehabilitate disorders of language, speech, voice and swallowing. The Speech Pathologist is a key member of the team of professionals who will work with you and your child.

Teacher of the Deaf- A professional trained to educate Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. The Teacher of the Deaf is a key member of the team of professionals who will work with you and your child.

For more information about IDEA and the IEP process, check out the Listen-Up Website