What is the Multidisciplinary Team in Arizona?

What is the multidisciplinary team regarding special education here within Arizona? The multidisciplinary team is composed of individuals who are there to help evaluate and construct the IEP, and put it in force, progress monitoring, goals, that kind of thing. 

Multidisciplinary Team Members

But the multidisciplinary team, you should know, is individualized for each student because each student has individual needs. So, that’s the purpose of this. It’s unique for every student, however, a parent or guardian is always going to be on the multidisciplinary team. I would say the biggest misconception out there is that parents don’t have a say, that they are just bystanders within this whole special education or IEP process. And that’s just simply not true.

And if a parent feels that way, maybe the school or the other members of the multidisciplinary team are making them feel that way, but that’s not true. They have tons of rights and avenues to go down, and they really do have a say in the IEP or the services or therapy that their child is getting through the public-school setting or charter school setting. First and foremost, the parent or guardian is part of that team. Second, it’s normally the general education teacher as well, just because they have a good observation of the child’s behavior within that environment.

Parental Rights as a Member of a Multidisciplinary Team

And if a parent feels that way, maybe the school or the other members of the multidisciplinary team are making them feel that way, but that’s not true. They have tons of rights and avenues to go down, and they really do have a say in the IEP or the services or therapy that their child is getting through the public-school setting or charter school setting. First and foremost, the parent or guardian is part of that team. Second, it’s normally the general education teacher as well, just because they have a good observation of the child’s behavior within that environment.

Special Education Teachers and Other Variety of Experts

Special education teachers as well, and then normally some members of staff or administration who handle special education are also in that multidisciplinary team. However, there are a vast amount of other people who could be part of that. That could be a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, and I don’t just mean mental or emotional therapy, but also occupational therapy, physical therapy, all those different types of individuals who may be providing services or evaluating the student for an IEP. 

Again, the multidisciplinary team is the team that gets together and decides if the student needs an evaluation or maybe they already qualify for an IEP. Sometimes they already have enough data. The team will decide that.

Evaluation for IEP or Special Services Qualification 

So, if you have observations from your healthcare provider, parent, or general education teacher, they may just already know that the student qualifies for an IEP or special services. If not, then the team would decide what type of evaluations need to happen. Again, I had talked about parents having a say here. If they don’t agree with the evaluators or think that the student should be evaluated in a certain area and the other members of the team are not agreeing with that, the parent has a legal right to ask for an independent education evaluation.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Creation | Special Services Provision

And this is at the cost of the school, so this is not something that the parent or guardian would pay for. At that point, the multidisciplinary team would then create the IEP. So, what type of services, special education, and what the day-to-day is going to look like for that student? They’re going to set goals and progress monitoring. This team, like I said, is unique for each student. The purpose of it is to meet the unique needs of the student and create an IEP that is well tailored for each individual student.

Who Determines Placement of LRE Students in Arizona?

The first thing parents need to understand is that determining where their child will be placed for learning purposes is a collaborative effort between the school team and themselves. The IEP or Individualized Education Program team, which comprises the student’s teachers, therapists, parents, and administrators, makes this decision.

Therefore, as a parent, you must ensure that you actively participate in all the meetings convened by this team. Your active participation is key because you are the only person who knows your child best. You understand their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses better than anyone else, and thus your input is essential in making the right decision.

What are the 2 Components of LRE in Arizona?

The LRE approach comprises two main components, which are:

The General Education Setting

Most people think of the general education setting when they hear the phrase ‘Least Restrictive Environment.’ This refers to the typical classroom setting where students with special needs learn alongside their general education counterparts. It helps such students interact with their peers regularly, learn how to socialize, and develop their communication skills.

Supportive Services

The supportive services, on the other hand, are the extra services and accommodations that these students require to be successful in the general education setting. These may include having a smaller class size, having a paraprofessional in the classroom, or receiving occupational or physical therapy. You must ensure that your child’s IEP team puts these services in place before they are placed in the general education setting.

What is the Child Finding Process in Arizona?

The Child Find process is a continuous effort by the public school system to locate, identify, and evaluate children who may have disabilities and need special education services. This process applies to all children aged 3-21 who reside within the state of Arizona. The evaluation team responsible for carrying out this process is known as the Multi-Disciplinary Team or MDT.

If you believe that your child may have a disability and requires special education services, you should contact your school district’s Special Education Department. The school district will evaluate your child’s eligibility for special education services. Make sure to ask for a copy of the evaluation report to keep it for your records.

What is a 504 Plan in Arizona? 

So, starting off with the 504 plan. The 504 plan is codified in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which grants civil rights to people who may have a disability. And there are disabilities that impair them in the classroom, so there may be accommodations needed. Now, a 504 plan does not give a specific definition of what is considered a disability to grant a 504 plan. An IEP does.

What is an IEP in Arizona?

Now, with an IEP, this is when you’re going to get that specialized education. So, you’re going to be pulled out for your child for special education. Although in an IEP, you might also get those same exact accommodations. So, let’s talk about an IEP. An IEP is codified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). And what that is, is it grants people who have a specified disability, and there’s a list of 13 categories and your student must qualify under one of those categories. And they will have an actual plan, a legally binding document.

Difference Between IEP and 504 Plan Requirements

Now, a 504 plan does not have the same time requirements as an IEP. You can check out my blog on how to get an IEP for your child. But once the parent initiates the process for an IEP, the clock starts ticking, and the school has specific time periods that they must adhere to for your student to receive the IEP. A 504 plan does not have that. So, sometimes parents really must keep reaching out, advocating for their students, and pushing for that. Now, once you give written notice that you like for your child to be evaluated for a 504 plan, the school must do some type of evaluation.

Student Evaluation

Now, the purpose of the evaluation is to collect data to assess the student. If the school already has enough data, teacher’s observation, parent observation, if they’re already going to different types of therapy or medical health providers, and they’re all providing data, an additional evaluation may not be needed. So, that process would be, that the 504 team would decide if an additional evaluation would need to happen. And once that evaluation has taken place where they feel like there’s already enough data, then they’ll decide if the student is eligible for a 504 plan. Again, a 504 plan is different from an IEP. In an IEP, you need a specific category of disabilities to qualify. For a 504 plan, that’s not the case.

Who Can Qualify?

The standard is that the student must be physically or mentally impaired, substantially that it limits major life activities. So, if that’s the standard that they’re looking at, it can be physical, it can be mental, but it must substantially impair them. If that is found, then the 504 plan will be written. And it will address accommodation for the students.

Is a Medical Diagnosis Required for an Arizona 504 Plan?

Is a medical diagnosis required for a child to receive a 504 plan in Arizona? The answer is no, not necessarily. A 504 plan can be initiated mainly by a parent or guardian, or teacher if they feel like this student may have a disability that affects their ability to learn. The 504 plan is going to give them accommodations within the general education setting. And you can check out my other blogs where I discuss what exactly is a 504 plan, the parts of it, and all that information. 

But again, we’re talking about: do you need a medical diagnosis for a student to receive a 504 plan? And the answer is no, not necessarily. However, an evaluation is a requirement.

Evaluation Section

Now, evaluation can be done by a teacher or a different type of therapist inside the school setting. It can look at the student’s grades, teachers’ observations, and parents’ observations. All of those can give a clear picture of the student’s ability and assess whether they’re eligible or not. Sometimes a medical diagnosis is important to take a clear picture of the student’s needs, but it’s not necessary.

504 plans are generally a little bit easier and faster to receive for a student than an IEP. And again, because a 504 plan is just addressing accommodation for the student. So, no, a medical diagnosis is not necessary. Something that also comes up is who would pay for those evaluations. And the answer is the school district will provide that for you.

Independent Education Evaluation

If you disagree with those, you may be able to ask for an independent education evaluation, where a party that’s not employed by the school district may come in and do an evaluation of their own. And again, all of this is an evaluation-based standard. So, medical diagnosis is not mandatory. Also, with a 504 plan, you can really have any sort of medical condition or disability just if it impairs the student’s ability to learn, so they need accommodations. An IEP, however, is different and that does require an actual diagnosis within a certain category of disability for the students. Again, just to reiterate, a medical diagnosis is not mandatory for students to receive a 504 plan.

Contact Special Education Lawyers

The attorneys with Chelle Law can assist with all Special Education needs in Arizona.