Your children have the right to attend the school they were attending even if you are living outside the school district’s boundaries. This is called “school of origin rights” under federal law (the McKinney Vento Act) to help maintain school stability for students. Contact your children’s school and ask to speak with their homeless education liaison.

Under California law, students with disabilities with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must have an Emergency Plan in placeCal. Ed. Code § 56345(a)(9). The law requires IEP teams to consider how a student’s individual needs may be impacted in emergency situations.

Students and school applicants with disabilities are protected against disability-based discrimination, and have a right to reasonable accommodations, under federal and state law.

Emergency Preparedness/Housing and Homelessness/Special Education: This resource provides a brief introduction to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This law protects homeless students right to an education. This includes homeless students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may have become homeless due to natural disasters like wildfires that are impacting many parts of the state of California.

This publication provides information about youth rights to special education while in juvenile detention.

This publication is about how different agencies should help young people with disabilities as they move into adult life. This process is called TRANSITION. These agencies are school districts and the Department of Rehabilitation. Some young people are also clients of a regional center. Regional centers also have to help with transition

This document will provide you with tips before, during, and after an IEP meeting to help you advocate for your child.

This publication gives a summary of bullying and harassment of students with disabilities.

Early Start is a program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. This pub explains a change in the law about using private insurance for Early Start services.  If private insurance will not cover the service, the regional center can pay for it. This pub tells you what to do if the regional center wants to change your child’s services and where to get help.

This publication provides information on how to obtain an independent educational evaluation at public expense from a school district. Another way that you can obtain an independent educational evaluation is to pay for the evaluation on your own.

Retaliation is an act of discrimination, coercion, intimidation or threat against a person for the purpose of interfering with the exercise of a protected right. Retaliation is illegal under both federal and state laws.

This pub tells you about “suspension” and “expulsion.” It tells you the rules that apply to a student with disabilities. It tells you what to do if it happens to your child.

Many special education students require occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) services in order to benefit from special education. OT and PT are "related services" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Actively participate in the IEP team meetings. Decisions will be made relating to the identification, evaluation, and placement of your child and the provision of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE includes the duty to provide a child with appropriate behavior goals and services. So often, a child is unlawfully secluded or restrained because school has failed to provide appropriate behavioral interventions

This pub tells you when a school has to give your child needed medication. It tells you what medications a school can give to your child. It tells you who can give your child their medication. It gives you other information about giving your child medication at school.