Resource File 2 (RF)

SECTION DESCRIPTION

TASKS TO COMPLETE

1.

Disability

Please list the name of the disability. Remember it’s the same you learned about for RF Part 1.

The disability I’m learning about is alopecia.

2.

Applying Parts (Amendments B and C) of Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

  The student will integrate  

knowledgeable and critical perspectives about early education by explaining how legislation ensures a child receives special education services (Standard 6d). 

· Include the age at which a child with the disability you chose is typically diagnosed or identified.

· Explain how each part ( amendments B & C) of IDEA and/or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 impacts the child as they age.

According to the National Institutes of Health website “the onset of alopecia can be at any age. When it occurs in children younger than age 10, it tends to be more extensive and progressive” (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2022). The age of a child when diagnosed determines which piece of special education legislation will be used to meet their needs. A 504 Plan, which is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, applies to children between the ages of 6 and 21. Because of this, a child who is younger than 6 years of age and has been diagnosed with alopecia, will be covered under one of the parts of IDEA. For a child from birth up to 3 years, Part C of IDEA would provide services to meet their needs. Once the child turns 3 years of age, a move from Part C to Part B of IDEA would be used since it provides services for children 3 years up to six years. If no other disabilities are identified at the age of six, then a child’s services would be delivered through a 504 Plan. “If a child qualifies under Section 504, he or she may receive services or accommodations in the general classroom that can enable the child to be successful in school” (naaf.org, 2022). It should be noted that not all children who have alopecia seek out special education services of any kind.

Optional:

In their explanation, the student included a discussion of the early intervention services and transition plans to demonstrate how a child with the chosen disability transitions from one program to the next.  

If a child who has alopecia moves from early intervention services Part C to Part B of IDEA, and then to a 504 Plan, then specific transitions plans are put into place. According to Allen and Cowdery, several steps in the transition process are critical to ensuring success (Allen & Cowdery, 2015). Defining roles for the sending program and the receiving program of transitions can provide support for the child with alopecia and their family. The sending program can provide guidance and ease anxiety for families as they move from one program to the next. The sending program can also educate the teachers and staff of the receiving program on the strengths and needs of the child with alopecia and recommend any in-service training for them. “The receiving program should learn effective strategies used in the previous program and plan to work with the child’s family to develop a system for ongoing feedback and communication (Allen & Cowdery, 2015).”

1. Applying  

Developmental Plans (IFSP, IEP, and 504 Plan). 

  The student will involve families and communities in young children’s development and learning by explaining how developmental plans ensure a child receives appropriate support services (Standard 2c).  

The student defined and discussed how the developmental plan(s) (IFSP, IEP, or 504 Plan) are used to ensure special education services are received as a child ages.

There are three specific developmental plans that help ensure special education services are received throughout a child’s preschool and school years.

An Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP) provides a family-centered approach for children with alopecia from birth up to 3 years of age. Its goal is to enable and empower the family to assist the team in meeting the child’s needs through recognizing the families’ priorities and concerns. It also includes descriptions of the child’s strengths, present levels of development, and outcome statements that include “mom and dad” as a responsible party for meeting goals.

In contrast, a child who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) will encounter a child-centered approach which does not specifically focus on family concerns and priorities like an IFSP. However, an IEP does include the child’s present developmental levels as they relate to academic achievement, measurable annual goals, and short-term objectives. In addition, modifications, and accommodations for a child with a disability are included.

A 504 Plan is different from an IFSP or and an IEP, but it does protect the rights of school age students with alopecia between the ages 6 and 21. A 504 team will review the student’s educational file and diagnosis, meet with the parents, and observe the student in a classroom setting. If a student already has an alopecia diagnosis, then “no further evaluation is needed” to determine appropriate accommodations to be provided by teachers and other staff in the school (Shields Firm, 2022).

Optional:

In their explanation, the student described potential meeting participants and  

types of services  

appropriate for the chosen disability and age. 

All three developmental plans establish a team who works together to meet the needs of the child, and family in the case of an IFSP. Participants in the team typically consist of a service coordinator, administrator(s), teachers, specialists, a nurse, and a counselor. They work together to create a developmental or educational plan, and accommodations for a child who has alopecia.

Services and accommodations for a child who has alopecia might include educating teachers, staff members, and students about alopecia, sessions with the school counselor for self-esteem concerns, and permission to wear a hat in the school setting.