An individual education program is a publicly funded program designed for children with disabilities, but not all disability groups fit the criteria of this project. In order to become a part of this curriculum, the child must meet one of the 13 types of disabilities, but this is not the final criterion for obtaining an individual education program. Experts assess disability to find out how much it interferes with the child’s learning and education. Children with disabilities need a special approach to learning that requires specially equipped classes, teachers who will take into account the physical characteristics of the disabled. Moreover, they need specially selected groups so that there are no discrepancies in learning. Although this program has its own features, it is very similar to other educational programs.
The same features of this program with other similar ones are that they are all aimed at creating favorable conditions for the education of children with disabilities. For example, there is a program called the 504 plan, which aims to help with learning for children with disabilities and eliminate discrimination against them. Bennett and Frank (2021) claim that both of these programs have federal rights, but schools have the right to choose additional conditions for the education of children with disabilities. The complexity of obtaining the right to use these programs, the funding methods, and the overall idea and purpose make them roughly the same. Naturally, as with all such programs, the individual education program has its minor differences.
In order to distinguish the individual education program from others, the example of the 504 plan will be retaken. The two programs differ according to the criteria of the specific disease of the child. There is a list of 13 types of disabilities in the individual education program, which determines whether the child is suitable for this program or not. As for the 504 plan, children with any disability can participate in this program. The requirements and procedures for the 504 plan are less strict than for the individual education program (Lexington, 2018). Furthermore, the difference between these programs lies in the timing of confirmation of the child’s disability. In the individual education program, you must confirm the disability annually and in the 504 plan every three years or at the request of an authorized commission.
In conclusion, I believe that the individual training program does not differ a lot from other similar programs. Moreover, for a disabled child to take part in it, a large number of different documents, confirmations, and tests is required. This can complicate the life of a disabled child and cause many trouble for parents. Additionally, in my opinion, having studied all the programs offered by the state to support children with disabilities, they do not have significant differences and are aimed at meeting the same goal. They are designed to provide comfortable learning conditions for children, help them socialize, and eliminate their discrimination by society. Therefore, parents should carefully understand all the programs and choose the most affordable one.
References
Bennett, A. & Frank, L. (2021). Special education process: IEP vs. 504 Plan. Davidson Institute. Web.
The differences between and IEP and a 504 Plan. (2018). Lexington. Web.