601 - Statutory Overview of Educational Disability Law

Many children have special needs that affect their education. This is especially true of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Sometimes the educational system works to meet these needs. Often it does not. A parent, attorney, or other advocate needs to know what the law pertaining to special education provides and how the system should work for children with special needs, be able to identify where things go wrong, and use the legal process to fix it.

		Many children have special needs that affect their education. This is especially true of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Sometimes the educational system works to meet these needs. Often it does not. A parent, attorney, or other advocate needs to know what the law pertaining to special education provides and how the system should work for children with special needs, be able to identify where things go wrong, and use the legal process to fix it.

		A number of federal and state statutes apply to children who have disabilities. The following sections discuss the statutes in a limited way, giving a brief overview of provisions that apply to children who have disabilities and who are also under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.