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Lesson 1: Building a Foundation
Special Education Laws & 2e
Our goal in this class is to build upon what you learned about twice-exceptional students in the Part 1 course. As you recall, or know from your own gifted education experience, twice exceptional (2e) isn't a label you put on any official form. It is, however, defined in Colorado state law, 12.01.(30). Not just twice-exceptional students, but all gifted students are considered "exceptional children," as are children with disabilities, and Colorado laws that apply to these populations are found in the Exceptional Children's Education Act 1 CCR 301-8. (Gifted Education law begins on page 103 in the document and page 110 in the top PDF pages.)
In everyday language, twice-exceptional is defined as being gifted and qualifying for an IEP or 504 plan. In this course, we continue to delve deeper into understanding and supporting our 2e learners by examining the most common disabilities among the 2e population: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specific learning disability (SLD), other health impairments (OHI) -- specifically attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The three primary federal laws that apply to the 2e population are:
1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("the IDEA");
2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504);
3. Title II of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 ("Title II" or "the ADA").
It is important to emphasize that Colorado is a local-control state, which means, that decisions about implementation and procedures to fulfill legal requirements are made locally; for example, districts are legally required to have an assessment process to identify gifted students, but that process will vary in different districts.
Remember to use the horizontal arrows or chapter menu to the right to proceed through the course to get to all the pages in Lesson 1.