Pre-Referral- 504/ADA and MTSS

PRE-REFERRAL- 504/ADA AND MTSS

504/ADA PLANS

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provided safeguards for people with physical or mental disabilities impacting one or more major life activities. Under Section 504, agencies receiving federal funding are required to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified individuals can access their services. This mandate was further strengthened by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires any entity which is open to the public to make reasonable accommodations so that people can access their services. Although Section 504 applied only to public schools, the ADA applies to both public and private schools.

Students who are identified as having a physical or mental disability which is impacting their ability to access school are entitled to an assessment conducted by their school district. If they are eligible, a plan will be developed indicating the accommodations that they require. Although they are not considered to be "Special Education students" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the SELPA has developed a handbook with best practices for school districts to document the accommodations that they agree to provide to students with 504/ADA eligible disabilities.

Students who have an IEP do not also need a 504/ADA Plan

Section 504/Americans with Disabilities Handbook

PowerPoint Case Study "Jeanie" (to be used as an activity with the PowerPoint presentation)

Free Woman in Red Shirt Holding Pen Writing on White Paper Stock Photo

PRE-REFERRAL/MTSS

The Ventura County SELPA collaborates with the Ventura County Office of Education to provide leadership and training in systems of support to students who may be struggling in general education classes and settings. Because all students learn differently, general education teachers are expected to offer Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to meet the needs of their students. MTSS means that teachers provide alternate means for engaging students in learning, as well as alternate ways of presenting material and allowing students to respond. By providing a variety of means for students to learn and demonstrate what they know, we expect more students will be successful in the educational process.

If a student continues to fall behind expected performance, the school team should provide reasearch- and data-based interventions to the student to attempt to address the area of concern. These interventions may be increasingly intensive, from large to small group to individual. Before making a referral for Special Education assessment, school teams should have documentation of interventions and data on student performance in those interventions.

Here is a link to the Ventura County Office of Education's website on Multi-Tiered Systems of Support