The Rights of a Child with Special Needs: Which Laws Do What?

Our earliest ancestors took great care of people with disabilities which is related to how we evolved to be altruistic. It was very important for our ancestors to stay together and take care of everyone equally in order to survive. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people lost this feeling of compassion for fellow human beings. All of us are equal and there should be no discrimination on any basis under no circumstances.

Luckily, we are starting to implement laws that bind people to reduce the mistreatment of other people with disabilities. Kids are an especially vulnerable demographic in this regard, they need the people around them to strive. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not like this idea and think that this is way too much work. But, did you know that kids with special needs have rights? Here are some of them and what these rights include and how to fight for these essential rights.

Inclusive education

Education is an essential human right now, as should always be the case. According to this New York special education lawyer, students are entitled to a free public education under the IDEA. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and it is a nationwide law in the USA. This law gives students rights from birth until they finish high school, and it also gives parents and legal guardians different rights.

By this act, every school is obliged to provide education that meets the individual needs of students with disabilities. This covers both physical and mental disorders with appropriate inclusive education. Evaluation of these needs for special education needs to be provided free of charge. Unfortunately, a lot of schools still do not follow these procedures properly or just do a half-baked job. This is why it is important to call for a professional to deal with all legal matters if there is a problem with establishing this kind of education for your child.

Freedom of expression

Every child needs to have their voice heard, and that includes everyone with no exceptions. A lot of children with disabilities face discrimination in this regard resulting in their voice being less important to a lot of people. This is not fair, nor is it legal, for these kids to have limited freedom of expression. This is especially the case with kids with mental disorders, both pupils and teachers tend to ignore them and it is important to know that you have rights.

Experiencing the least restrictive environment

Humans are especially social creatures, especially kids who need to be around other kids and people. It is very important to include kids with special needs in ordinary classrooms with the help they require.

The least restrictive environment (LRE for short) means that classrooms should provide assistive technology for kids with special needs. Another great way to achieve this environment is with the help of a teacher specialized in this sort of education.

Anti-bullying

Everyone knows that if you stand out even a little bit in school, the other kids will notice you. Bullying is a real problem that a lot of kids will experience in schools, especially if they stand out from the rest. There are good children that will want to be friends, look at them equally, and help them in need. However, there are a lot of other kids that will see such kids as easy victims to lash out and try to be edgy and cool.

Bullying of any sort should not be allowed, yet a lot of people let it slip in schools. Things get even worse for kids with special needs because if a teacher is not accustomed to them, they will let it slide on purpose. This is illegal and you have rights on a nationwide level to put a stop to this kind of behavior. It is very important to contact a professional to help you out with this kind of discrimination that people let slide by.

Kids spend a lot of time in school, and this is why it is important to make this experience good for them. This is why there are so many laws centered around education for kids with special needs. Education needs to be a pleasurable experience both for the short-term stay in school and the long-term benefits later on.

If this experience is tampered with and results in trauma, it ruins the whole point. Thus, it is very important to look out for these bad signs and know what the law says about such situations. Your kid or kid from someone close to you is equally important as every kid, and this needs to stay the case.