The reason we do what we do is to help children who have been injured at birth to have the best lives they can. Getting a birth injury settlement or trial verdict is only a small part of the battle. The millions of dollars of compensation in a birth injury malpractice case are designed to make lives better.
When we put together a lawsuit, parents will have the life care plan we present in court to take home and to use as a guide for the child’s lifetime. In order to use lawsuit money wisely, parents must know what free options are out there for their children. Fortunately, the federal and state governments have many programs in place to help children with disabilities. One such program is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
What Is The IDEA?
The IDEA is a federal law that currently governs all states and requires special education and related services to children who have disabilities. Over 6.5 million children receive special education services because of IDEA. A child qualifies for services under the IDEA if she has “an intellectual disability, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance…, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; AND, who… [because of the condition] needs special education and related services.” Under the IDEA, all affected children are entitled to state-paid education services, even the school believes that a child cannot benefit from those services.
What Does the IDEA Include?
The IDEA requires that the state governments provide Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for each qualified student. Each child will have a plan which is custom-tailored to that child’s needs, and which will describe the services the child requires, the child’s performance, and whether the child requires academic accommodations. All children are entitled to a free public education, regardless of ability level.
Also important to a child’s education and well-being are related services. Children with disabilities often require other services to excel, including transportation to school, speech-language pathology, counseling and therapy, physical and occupational therapy, and even medical services for diagnosis and evaluation.
Get In Touch with Our Firm Today
We help parents who have children with disabilities. Though our primary role focuses on placing children on the right track by securing enough money to ensure a lifetime of proper medical care and education, we regularly associate with lawyers and advocates who help parents find answers to their special education questions. If you need help ensuring that your child receives proper education and services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), contact our medical malpractice lawyers in Ohio.
