Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is legislation that was passed to ensure children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education that meets their unique needs. ¹

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) is both a process and a document intended to assist families and professionals in a community in their combined efforts to meet the developmental needs of a young child from birth to age three with special needs. ²

An IFSP sets goals for the child and family and identifies activities and services needed to achieve these goals. A list of possible services is listed in the Ages Birth through 3 section.

A review of the IFSP for a child and the child's family must be conducted every six months or more frequently if conditions warrant, or if the family requests such a review. The purpose of the periodic review is to determine: The degree to which progress toward achieving the outcomes is being made; and whether modifications or revision of the outcomes or services is necessary. The review may be carried out by a meeting or by another means that is acceptable to the parents and other participants. An actual meeting must be conducted on at least an annual basis. ³

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written education document for children ages three through 21. The earliest a child would receive an IEP is at the age of three. However, a child may qualify for an IEP at anytime between the ages of three and 21. Each IEP is a vital document, for it spells out, among other things, the special education and related services each student will receive. The IEP is developed by a team that includes parents and school professionals, and, when appropriate, the student. Each IEP should be developed with careful consideration of each child's capabilities, strengths, needs, and interests. The IEP should direct the student to have high expectations and become a successful member of his or her community and the workforce. It should function as the tool that directs and guides the development of meaningful educational experiences, helping the child achieve his or her goals. ⁴

A review and, if necessary, a revision, of the IEP is completed at least once every 12 months to ensure that the student experiences educational benefit. The IEP meeting allows the IEP team to examine the progress the student has achieved and determine the student's needs for the next year.

An IEP is reevaluated if conditions warrant a reevaluation, or if the child's parent or teacher requests a reevaluation, but at least once every three years. The purpose of a reevaluation is to determine whether the student continues to need special education and related services. ⁵

504 Plan
In a school setting, children with a disability who do not qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), may still qualify for a reasonable accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

A 504 plan is a written document that ensures that students who have a disability will receive reasonable accommodations from their school district for accessing a free appropriate public education.  Students who have a physical or mental disability that limits a “major life activity” qualify for a Section 504 plan. Major life activities may include, but are not limited to caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, hearing, seeing, speaking, thinking, walking, breathing, learning, and working. ⁶  

The US Department of Education  Section 504 regulation defines an "individual with handicaps" as any person who (i) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment. The regulation further defines a physical or mental impairment as (A) any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive; digestive; genitourinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or (B) any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. The definition does not set forth a list of specific diseases and conditions that constitute physical or mental impairments because of the difficulty of ensuring the comprehensiveness of any such list. ⁷

Anyone can refer a child ages 3 to 21 for evaluation under Section 504. However, while anyone can make a referral, such as parents or a doctor, the school district must also have reason to believe that the child is in need of services under Section 504 due to a disability. 504 plans are reviewed “periodically.” ⁷

Note:  The main difference between a 504 Plan and an IEP is that an IEP sets goals for an individual whereas a 504 plan lists reasonable accommodations that are necessary to address the issues that limit a major life activity.  For example, a child who has high functioning autism and is easily distracted in the classroom, may need an environment with fewer distractions.  The participants may suggest that the child be seated at the front of the room so that the teacher can be near him while teaching. 

Rule 51
Nebraska Department of Education Rule 51 is the regulations and standards for Special Education Programs. Link for Rule 51: www.nlc.state.ne.us/epubs/E2000/R092.0051-2006.pdf

Technical Assistance Document
In September of 2008 the Technical Assistance Document was created to assist school districts in making educational verifications for children with disabilities. Link for Technical Assistance Document: http://www.nde.state.ne.us/SPED/schsupport/documents/ VG_10_10final.pdf

¹ Nebraska Department of Education, “Special Populations Office: Guiding Principles Behind the IEP.” n.d. http://www.nde.state.ne.us/SPED/iepproj/guide/gindex.html (29 November 2008)

² Nebraska’s Individual Family Service Plan IFSP web, “Benefits for Families.” n.d. http:// www.ifspweb.org/benefits.html (29 November 2008)

³ Nebraska’s Individual Family Service Plan IFSP web, “IFSP Sections of Nebraska Rule 51.” n.d. http://www.ifspweb.org/rule51excerpts.html (29 November 2008).

⁴ Nebraska Department of Education, “Special Populations Office: IEP Foundations,” n.d. http://www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/iepproj/guide/found.html (28 November 2008)

⁵ Nebraska Department of Education, “Special Populations Office: Decision-Making, Review, and Revision of the IEP,” n.d. (28 November 2008)

6 Nebraska Advocacy Services:  The Center for Disability Rights, Law and Advocacy. “Special Education Series:  What is Section 504”  (n.d.) pdf  link for pdf   (3 February 2009)