Once Your Child Turns Two, Begin to Prepare for Your First IEP Meeting

More Info on Government Programs Here

"IEP" stands for "Individualized Education Program".

If your child is receiving Early Intervention Services such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy, those services will most likely become the responsibility of your local public school system once your child turns three (depending on your state). Some insurance companies will not cover services such as speech therapy once your child turns three because they assume your child will be receiving those services through the public school system.

For some background and history, this video is worth your time:


http://youtu.be/DUn6luZQaXE

It is important to remember that our nation's school system did not make these changes voluntarily. The changes came because Federal Law imposed them on the school system. While there are MANY talented, hard-working and committed educators in our special education programs, it is unwise to assume that every teacher and administrator in your school district supports the concept, goals and additional expenditures that come with a special education program. This is one of the reasons IEPs are a necessity.

Anecdotally, I have had wonderful, kind and compassionate educators (personal friends) tell me that they absolutely do not think children with disabilities should be integrated into the general school population (I disagree). I have had a number of special education teachers (not in my district) tell me that even when they know their school district offers a program that would help one of their students, they are forbidden by their district to inform the parents because the additional services cost, you guessed it; additional money. Imagine if you took your child to the doctor and the doctor knew what was wrong and knew what would cure the illness but refused to tell you. Sadly, that is the state of certain areas of special education these days. It's getting better but just as the Emancipation Proclamation did not cure racism overnight, our special education laws did not immediately and completely do away with discrimination against those with disabilities.

Special Education does not "just happen" the way typical education does. A good IEP will not only be the vehicle that will provide your child's education, it will protect it as well. As a parent, you are the primary key to whether your child's IEP is robust and effective or otherwise. Believe me, much to my shame, I know from experience. For a laugh, you can read my post entitled "How I Botched My Daughter's First IEP".

But who wants to read a bunch of special education legal mumbo-jumbo? Nobody. But it has to be done. That's why I recommend starting when your child turns two years old. This will give you a full year to read and educate yourself little by little at a comfortable and workable pace.

IEP Resources:


Familiarize yourself with the the five main laws concerning IEP's, Special Education and Disability. You don't have to read the actual laws but a scan of the "high points" on Wikipedia is worth your time:

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

In addition, your state may have passed laws strengthening the Federal Laws. For instance, those in California would want to take a look at the Lanterman Act.


- Friends and Family: Chances are, you know a teacher. They may not be a Special Ed teacher but I bet they know someone who is. Make a connection, buy them coffee, ask them for the top ten things that make an IEP great. Contacting teachers in a different school district than your own is great as they may feel more free to advise you.

- Other Parents: Talk with other parents who have had children in Special Ed for at least a couple of years. Take advantage of their wisdom gained through experience .

- Special Education Rights and Responsibilities Handbook: This is a free publication from Disability Rights California. It combines both Federal Law and California law so every last sentence may not apply to your state however it is an excellent resource to get you familiar with the IEP process.

- Spend Some Money at Wrightslaw: Wrightslaw is considered by many to be the premiere source for Special Education guidance. You can find their books on Amazon as well. They also have an email newsletter you can sign up for - which I recommend.

- Check Out Disability Rights Advocates: DRA is a non-profit legal center whose mission is to ensure dignity, equality, and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities throughout the United States and worldwide.

- Google "Special Education Advocacy" in your area and see what comes up. Chances are, you will find an organization you can consult with or possibly even take a class on IEPs that is offered.

- Join the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates: They have resources as well as an email newsletter that will help you become familiar with current issues and trends in Special Education

- Check Out the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund: More resources

Resources for California:

Special Education Advocacy Certificate Program: This training is designed not only to help parents and professionals better understand special education law and its application, but also to help future advocates develop the skills to effectively facilitate the IEP process. Ultimately, we seek to reduce the barriers between parents and schools in order to promote good communication and effective negotiation, in addition to working ethically and responsibly for the benefit of the child with special needs.

Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK)
Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) is a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to enable individuals with disabilities to reach their maximum potential by providing them, their families and the professionals who serve them with training, support, information, resources and referrals, and by providing community awareness programs.

Disability Rights California
Mission Statement: Advance the rights of Californians with disabilities.

Compass Center at University of San Diego
The COMPASS Family Center is a San Diego non-profit organization that provides family-centered supports for those caring for a child or adult with special needs.

State Council on Developmental Disabilities
The Council advocates, promotes and implements policies and practices that achieve self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion in all aspects of community life for Californians with developmental disabilities and their families.

Advocate Yellow Pages

I KNOW. It's A LOT. But it is worth it. If your child has a physical or cognitive delay/disability, the sooner you get them the best possible educational help, the better. As I said earlier, there are ANGELS in Special Education who want to work hard to see your little one thrive . . . but they aren't all angels, and often the angels aren't the ones controlling the budgets. In many respects YOU are your child's guardian angel - become their educational angel too. Even angels have to sharpen their swords from time to time.

Get a Handicapped Placard

More Info on Government Programs Here.

Before you dismiss the idea; a handicapped placard is about much more than parking in blue spaces.

Chances are, you are going to be visiting the hospital quite a bit this first year. Even if you NEVER park in a blue space, most hospitals will waive the parking fee if you show them your placard. I personally paid out over $100 in parking fees our first six months before a shocked nurse asked me why we didn't have a handicapped placard.

Again, even if you NEVER park in a blue space, most states will allow you to use public parking for free (ie; parking on the street and not having to feed the meter). In addition, most states will let you park in green zones (usually a 10-20 min limit) as long as you like.

We almost never parked in a blue space until our daughter received her first wheelchair and even now that we have a wheelchair we don't always take advantage of the blue spaces. But you becha' we used the placard to from the day we got it to save money whenever we could!

Typically, it is your pediatrician who will fill out the necessary form for you. You take it to your local vehicle registration office and voila!

For a run down on the Disabled Parking Laws by country and state, Click Here.

Apply for HIPP

More Info on Government Programs Here

HIPP stands for "Health Insurance Premium Payment Program". HIPP is not an entitlement program. It is a program that is set up to possibly save both you and Medicaid money by shifting the primary burned of health care costs to your typical insurance carrier.

Although each state administers it a little differently, here is how it basically works:

Once you apply for HIPP, Medicaid (MediCal in California) will determine which of the two is likely to be greater: 1) Medicaid payments to cover your health care or 2) Your typical health insurance plan premium.

If Medicaid determines that your typical health insurance monthly premium (for example you health care plan through your employer) is less than Medicaid paying for your health care, HIPP will pay your family's health insurance premiums for you (typically they will send you a reimbursement check).

This means your typical health insurance premiums are paid for, saving your family money, and your health insurance plan gets billed FIRST before Medicaid which saves Medicaid money.

Each state has it's own requirements for the HIPP program so it is probably best to go to your state's website, and do a search for "HIPP".

Link to California's HIPP Program.

Consider Shriners

More info on Government Programs Here

Shriners is NOT a government-funded program. Shriners is a private organization that raises it's own donations to provide health care to children with disabilities. Shriners has a network of hospitals throughout the United States and the world providing some of the most cutting edge health care available.

Children are accepted at Shriners if, in the opinion of the medical professionals there, the child could benefit from their services. All services are 100% free - regardless of the family's ability to pay.

Shriners' Mission

Locations of Shriners Hospitals

How to Apply

You may apply through your local Shriners organization or fill out an application online.

Online Application

Apply for other State and County Programs

More info on Government Programs Here

WIC, SSI, Medicaid, SCHIP and Early Childhood Intervention are funded whole or in part by the Federal Government and as such, each State has some version of them even if they call them something different (for instance, Medicaid is called Medi-Cal in California).

In addition, your State or County may have additional resources available to you (for instance, CCS in California).

The best way to find out what additional programs might be available to you is to ask the service providers you are already working with such as:

- Pediatrician
- Physical Therapist
- Early Childhood Intervention coordinator

Apply for CCS (California)

More info on Government Programs Here

CCS stands for California Children's Services. CCS is a State and County program designed to meet the additional health care needs that children with disabilities have. CCS works in conjunction with Medi-Cal (aka Medicaid) and Healthy Families (aka SCHIP).

Depending on your County, some CCS good and services, such as Physical Therapy and durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, may be available to your child based solely on their disability. In order to get the full range of services available to your child through CCS, you will need to fill out a CCS application.

How to Apply

1. You will first need to apply for SSI Disability benefits (See Step 3)

2. If you are approved for SSI Disability benefits, you will automatically receive no-cost Medi-Cal. If you are denied SSI Disability benefits, you will need to apply to Medi-cal directly (See Step 4)

3. If you are not approved for no-cost Medi-cal, you will need to apply for Healthy Families (See Step 5)

4. Fill out the online CCS application, print it and mail it to your local CCS office

CCS Overview Link

CCS Application Link

Apply for Early Childhood Intervention Services

More info on Government Programs Here

There are a number of reasons you want to apply for Early Childhood Intervention Services:

1) The sooner you identify any delays in developmental milestones, the easier they are to correct

2) In some states (such as California) your ECIS case worker will be the one to help get you approved for Medicaid (MediCal in California)

Early Childhood Intervention Services is a product of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).

From Wikipedia:

The program mandates a statewide, comprehensive, multidisciplinary service system to address the needs of infants and toddlers who are experiencing developmental delays or a diagnosed physical or mental condition with a high probability of an associated developmental disability in one or more of the following areas: cognitive development, physical development, language and speech development, psychosocial development, and self-help skills.

Once again, each State administers their Early Childhood Intervention Services differently. Some states may have it as part of their Early Head Start program, some may have it as different agency under a different name.

The goal of Early Childhood Intervention Services is to assist your child in meeting typical developmental milestones. For a more specific list of services, see Wikipedia's Early Childhood Intervention Services link.

Wikipedia's Early Childhood Intervention Services Link

Wikipedia's Early Head Start Link

In California:

In California, the Early Childhood Intervention Services program is called simply Early Start and is administered through the Department of Developmental Services. Services are provided through various "Regional Centers" and so the program is often referred to as "Regional Center", "Family Regional Center" or "FRC".

California's Early Start Link

How to Apply:

In most states (such as California), the way to access ECIS is by getting a referral from your pediatrician.

Apply for SCHIP

More info on Government Programs Here

SCHIP stands for "State Children's Health Insurance Program". The program is designed to provide health care to children from families of modest income who may or may not qualify for Medicaid. The Federal Government provides matching funds to States for their SCHIP programs.

Wikipedia SCHIP Link

Once again, each State administers their SCHIP program differently and under different names (in California, SCHIP is called "Healthy Families").

Why you should apply for SCHIP:

1. Qualifying for SCHIP may make you automatically qualified for other programs in your state

2. Even if you do not qualify for SCHIP, some programs in your state may require that you be denied SCHIP before they will process your application for their program.

How to apply (outside California):

You will need to do an internet search for the SCHIP program in your state or contact your State's health department.

How to Apply in California:

1. If you have applied for HIPP (step 6), MediCal should have already made a determination on whether you are eligible for Healthy Families since MediCal will only approve you for HIPP if you do not qualify for Healthy Families.

2. In California, if you were not approved for HIPP or are not eligible for NO COST Medi-Cal, your application for Healthy Families should have been automatically forwarded to Healthy Families by your local Medi-cal office. THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. So you will want to apply directly to Healthy Families to make sure.

3. Apply Online. If you do not wish to apply online, you may call 1-800-880-5305 to have an application sent to you.

4. If you apply online, at the very end of the application process, you will be given a fax cover sheet with a bar code on it to print. The fax cover sheet will indicate what supporting documents you will need to send to Healthy Families (such as pay stubs etc.).

*Don't worry if you do not have access to a fax machine, you can also use the printed fax cover sheet to mail your supporting documentation.

Healthy Families Home Page

Healthy Families Online Application

Apply for Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California)

More Info on Government Programs Here

Medicaid is a Federally-funded, income-based program that provides medical care to needy families. If you qualify for Medicaid, it will essentially act as a secondary health insurance provider to cover things your typical insurance does not. Medicaid is administered by your state and each state administers the program a little differently. For example, California's Medicaid program is called Medi-Cal.

Wikipedia Medicaid Link

Wikipedia Medi-Cal Link

Medicaid and SSI:

1. Why you must apply to SSI first: You are going to want to apply to Medicaid based on your child's disability. Medicaid will require that you first apply for SSI Disability benefits before they will complete your application for Medicaid Disability benefits (See Step 3)

2. I applied for SSI Disability benefits and was approved: If you qualify for at least $1 in SSI benefits, your are automatically approved for Medicaid benefits. You will want to contact your local Medicaid office to make sure they understand that your child is disabled.

3. I applied for SSI and was denied: While qualifying for SSI makes you automatically qualified for Medicaid, being denied SSI does not necessarily mean you will be denied Medicaid benefits. The income requirements for Medicaid are less stringent than those for SSI.

Some Additional Things You Will Want to Know:

Beyond SSI and Medicaid, each state has it's own additional programs to assist the disabled. Most of these programs will require that you have applied for Medicaid benefits before they will process your application for their services.

Many states have Medicaid disability waivers which means that you will be automatically approved for Medicaid based on disability rather than income. This means that when you apply for Medicaid, you will want to specify that you are applying on behalf of your disabled child. For example, in California, you will want to contact Medi-cal and request "A full Medi-cal evaluation, not an evaluation for special programs alone." Also in California, you will want to request that your case worker complete a "DAPD Packet in accordance with Medi-cal Program Guide Section 5-4".

How to Apply:

It will be best to do an internet search for the Medicaid department in your state otherwise, you can try beginning at the Federal Medicaid site.

In California:

Medi-Cal Homepage

The first thing you will want to do is contact your Regional Center (Early Intervention) case worker. You need to request a Department of Developmental Services Institutional Deeming Medicaid Waiver Referral.

Once you have that referral, you will want to contact your nearest Medi-Cal office and request an application. Once again, be sure to inform them that your child is disabled and you want the following:

- A FULL Medi-cal evaluation - not and evaluation for special programs alone.
- Your case-worker to complete a DAPD Packet in accordance with Medi-Cal Program Guide Section 5-4
- Attach the Institutional Deeming Medicaid Waiver Referral

All Medicaid / MediCal dollars are not the same. How you are approved determines where the funds come from for your child's care. California will first try to approve you based upon your income. If they cannot approve you based on your income, they will approve you based upon the Institutional Deeming Waiver.

Four Possible Outcomes:

1. You will be approved for full-scope, no-cost Medi-Cal coverage

2. You will be approved for restricted Medi-Cal coverage

3. You will be approved for Share of Cost (SOC) Medi-Cal coverage
If you are approved for SOC coverage, Medi-Cal will let you know what your monthly SOC is. This is the amount of money that you must pay out-of-pocket in any given month before Medi-Cal assistance will be made available to you.

3. You may be denied Medi-Cal coverage

Apply for SSI Childhood Disability Benefits

More info on Government Programs Here

SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income. It is a Federally-funded, income-based program for the aged, blind or disabled. If you qualify for SSI, they will send you $$ each month to help with your expenses. SSI does not provide medical assistance. SSI is the same in every state.

While SSI is a program for the aged, disabled and blind, it is strictly income-based. In other words, you may be aged, you may be disabled or you may be blind but if your income is too high, you will not be approved. If you are approved for $1 or more in assistance from SSI, you will automatically be approved for medical benefits through Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California).

Why you need to apply for SSI Childhood Disability benefits:

1) Should you be approved for assistance, SSI will not only send financial assistance directly to you, but it will send additional financial assistance to Medicaid on your behalf based on your child's disability.

2) One of the requirements for Medicaid is that you first apply for SSI Childhood Disability Benefits.

Wikipedia Link

SSI Childhood Disability Benefits Link

How to Apply:

1) Go to the SSI Childhood Disability Benefits link above and print the following:

- Factsheet


- Checklist (if you have already completed your Documents Folder, everything you need should be in there)

- Worksheet

2) Complete the printed worksheet from step one

3) Complete the Child Disability Report online or print a copy and complete by hand

4) Call SSI to do a preliminary phone interview and schedule an eligibility interview: 800-772-1213. (SSI eligibility interviews are usually conducted by phone however if you are applying for SSI Childhood Disability Benefits, you may have to go to your nearest SSI office for an in-person interview)

Apply for WIC

More info on Government Programs Here

"WIC" stands for Women, Infants and Children. It is a federally-funded, income-based nutritional program set up in 1972. Basically, it helps to pay for your groceries until your child turns 5 years old (including infant formula, baby food, cereal, milk, eggs etc.).

WIC serves approximately 45% of all infants born in the United States.

The reason I would suggest applying for WIC first is that it is one of the easier programs to qualify for and it will start saving you $$ and get you groceries that you need right now. In addition, some utility companies partner with WIC to give discounts to WIC participants.

Each state administers WIC differently and different agencies within each state may participate in the administration of WIC. To find your nearest WIC agency, you can click on the Federal Link below or do an internet search for the name of your State, County or City WIC agency.

Wikipedia Link Here

Federal Link Here

California Link Here

Get a Document Folder Going

More Info on Government Programs Here

Many of the programs you will be applying for will require that you provide the same documents over and over. I would suggest creating one master folder of all your original documents that you can copy from for various Government Program applications.

Take this folder with you whenever you have an interview for a government program.

Some of these items may not apply to you specifically, some you may not have yet but will obtain as you go through the application process.

Your folder should include the following:

- Name, address and phone number of every doctor, therapist, hospital and clinic that has seen or treated your child in the last year

- Any medical records you already have, including the dates the child was seen or treated and the child's patient ID number(s)

- List of the medication(s) the child is taking

- Child's state-issued medical assistance number, if any. (In California, this would be the number on your child's BIC card)

- Copy of the child's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for early intervention services or Individualized Education Program (IEP) for special education services, if the child has one.

- Names, addresses and phone numbers of any social service programs and the name of caseworkers that have information about your child

- Name, address and phone number of any other adult who helps care for your child and may be able to provide additional information about your child

- An original or certified copy of your child's birth certificate. If your child was born outside the US, you will need proof of US Citizenship or legal residency

- Photocopy of Social Security cards for every adult and child who lives in your household

- Proof of current income for all family members living in the household (pay-stubs, self-employment tax returns, unemployment or other program benefits, child support)

- Proof of resources for the child and parents living in the household (bank account statements, life insurance policies, certificates of deposit, stocks or bonds)

- Photocopy of most recent Rent or Mortgage statements

- Property tax statements for all property

- Photocopy of the registrations of all automobiles, boats, campers and trailers owned

- Photocopies of all burial trusts / prepaid burial contracts/information on burial plots

- Photocopy of any current Health Insurance cards

Government Resources

Some Things You Should Know:

1. Federal, State, County: There are Federal Resources which are administered by your state. Each state administers these resources a little differently so what works in one state does not necessarily work in another. There are also state-specific resources (sometimes administered by your local county) and there are county resources. All these resources overlap here and there.

2. You Must Apply for Programs in the Proper Order: Generally speaking, you need to apply for the hardest programs to qualify for first. These are the programs that serve the neediest people in our society. If you are denied services, you will move on to the next-hardest program to qualify for and so on. The reason you must apply in the proper order is that some of the easier programs to qualify for will not consider your application until you can provide an official denial letter from one or more of the harder programs to qualify for.

3. Official Determinations are KEY: Because one program may require that you apply for another first, you must make sure that you get an official determination IN WRITING from each program you apply for. For example, if your SSI case worker verbally tells you that you do not qualify, GET AN OFFICIAL FINDING IN WRITING and add it to your documents folder - believe me, you will need it!

4. One Program at a Time: As a general rule, do not apply for more than one program at a time. Oftentimes, if you qualify for one hard-to-get program, you automatically receive other programs with it. There is no point in applying for programs individually that you will automatically qualify for. The paperwork load will become unmanageable and you will inevitibly find yourself in a catch-22 requiring an official denial from one program before you can continue on with the next.

5. Stay on Top of Things: Applying for some of these programs is the paperwork equivalent of childbirth. It is painful but it is worth it. Many of these programs have deadlines that you must meet or else your application is denied and you have to start over. When you get mail from these programs, open their letters first and try and get your response in the mail the same day. If you will do this, the turn-around on processing will be greatly abbreviated and you will start receiving your benefits sooner.

In Oregon: Oregon has a web site that will ask for some basic info and tell you if you might qualify for 33 different programs. The link is OregonHelps.org

Step 1: Get a documents folder going

Step 2: Apply for WIC

Step 3: Get a Disabled Parking Placard

Step 4: Apply for Early Childhood Intervention Services

Step 5: Apply for SSI Childhood Disability Benefits

Step 6. Apply for Medicaid

Step 7: Apply for HIPP

Step 8: Apply for SCHIP

Step 9: Apply for CCS (California Only)

Step 10: Apply for other State and County Resources

Step 11: Consider Shriners

Step 12: Consider your local Scottish Rite Center

Step 13: Once Your Child Turns Two, Begin to Prepare for Your First IEP Meeting