Inclusive Education Project Podcast

Welcome! Our eligibility series continues in today’s show as we take a look at one of the most misunderstood eligibility categories: Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Although the federal law (IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) trumps state laws, state laws can go further but not limit the IDEA provisions. In California, most state laws are similar to the IDEA, but this may not be the case in your state. It’s worth checking how your state laws compare with the IDEA provisions. Let’s take a closer look!Show Highlights:How a Specific Learning Disability is defined under the IDEA (with the double requirement of having a diagnosis AND that it adversely affects educational process)Why a qualifying SLD has to be a specific learning deficit in a particular area of learning and not a broad diagnosis, like dyslexia or autismWhy most failures occur in the analysis of the broad language of the IDEA by school districtsHow the term “significant discrepancy” can be interpreted in different waysHow the C