Learning Ally Connects with the Individuals with the Disabilities Education Act

The 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that students with disabilities are provided a free and appropriate public education. There are three specific areas of this law within which RFB&D can be of assistance.

1. Individual Education Programs (IEP): During the IEP planning process the team must consider whether a child needs assistive technology or services, and then add the identified needs to the IEP. RFB&D’s Learning Through Listening programs and services are an affordable, research-based accommodation that provides students with print disabilities access to educational materials.
   
   Read RFB&D’s Effectiveness Research Summary in either a PDF or RTF Format.
   Download in PDF format
   Download in RTF format
2. Transition and the Summary of Performance: When a student is due to graduate from high school, the IEP team must provide a summary of the student’s academic achievement and functional performance, including any recommendations for assistance or services that the student will need in meeting his postsecondary goals. RFB&D provides access to educational materials to students with print disabilities enabling them to pursue their academic, personal and professional endeavors.
   
   Read more about RFB&D on its website at www.rfbd.org
3. Response to Intervention (RtI): The 2004 revisions of IDEA give authority to the local educational agency to use a procedure termed “Response to Intervention” as one form of evaluation when determining eligibility for students with learning disabilities. RtI requires the school to evaluate a student’s response to scientific, research-based interventions. RFB&D is a research-based intervention that provides students with print disabilities access to the printed word.
   • RFB&D supplements nearly any reading intervention program. RFB&D’s AudioPlus^® and AudioAccess^SM books complement the independent reading, vocabulary development, comprehension and language development portions of any reading program.
   • RFB&D enables students to access all other subject areas, such as social studies, science and math, by providing the necessary textbooks in audio format.
   • RFB&D provides students with audio-versions of authentic literature, i.e. Catcher in the Rye, A Raisin in the Sun and Holes.

   Again, we encourage you to read more about RFB&D on its website at www.rfbd.org.

Additional Resources

US Department of Education Home Page:
http://www.ed.gov

IDEA Partnership:
http://www.ideapartnership.org/