Special needs are generally divided into three categories:
(1) General Medical Services (GMS): A variety of
physiological, psychological, or social conditions of a chronic nature
that have been medically diagnosed and require specialized treatment,
referred by a medical provider.
(2) Special Education Services (SES): Special instruction
designed to meet the unique educational needs of a
child. This includes education provided in school, at home,
in a hospital or in an institution, and physical and vocational
education program. An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
is normally required to be considered in this category.
(3) Medically Related Services (MRS): Developmental,
corrective and other required supportive services which allows the
student to benefit from a special educational program, and which are
provided by or under professional medical supervision (i.e., speech,
physical and occupational therapy; audiology, dietetics, ophthalmology,
etc.) Like the SES category, these must be on the IEP in
order to be considered MRS.
Depending on where you live within the National Capital Region
(District of Columbia, Virginia, or Maryland), there are agencies and
local community support groups available to help you address your
specific needs and identify the services you may
require. See contacts/links.
Medicaid is a program that pays for medical assistance for certain
individuals and families with low incomes and resources. This program
became law in 1965 and is jointly funded by the Federal and State
governments (including the District of Columbia and the Territories) to
assist States in providing medical long-term care assistance to people
who meet certain eligibility criteria. Medicaid is the largest source
of funding for medical and health-related services for people with
limited income.
Who Is Eligible for Medicaid? Medicaid covers many groups of
people. Within these groups, however, certain requirements
must be met. These may include your age, whether you are
pregnant, disabled, blind, or aged; your income and resources (like
bank accounts, real property, or other items that can be sold for
cash); and whether you are a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted
immigrant. The rules for counting your income and resources
vary from state to state and from group to group.
There are special Medicaid rules for disabled children living at
home. Eligibility for children is based on the child's
status, not the parent's.
The Food Stamp Program serves as the first line of defense against
hunger. It enables low-income families to buy nutritious food with
coupons and Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Food
stamp recipients spend their benefits to buy eligible food in
authorized retail food stores. The Program is the
cornerstone of the Federal food assistance programs, and provides
crucial support to needy households and to those making the transition
from welfare to work. Department of Defense Commissaries
participate in this program.
The following information pertaining to public schools is just a
sampling of the opportunities available in the National Capital Region
for special needs children:
The DC Public Schools Parents' Special Education Service Center, for
example, is the only service center of its kind in the
U.S. The center seeks to identify the primary learning issue
and substantiate other information regarding the
concern. The parent is then guided to school system
specialists and services where they may obtain the help
necessary. The center encourages calls in Chinese,
Vietnamese, Spanish, French and Amharic.
The DC Public School's Division of Special Education is committed to
supporting the delivery of specialized services, with emphasis on
increasing opportunities for students with disabilities to learn and
grow with their non-disabled peers.
The public schools in Alexandria, Virginia, provide classes and
services for children with special educational needs, such as
pre-school children; children with mental, emotional and physical
disabilities; and children for whom English is a second language. The
Special Education, Psychological Services and English As A Second
Language departments test and place children in appropriate programs
within the division and, when necessary, in regional or state
facilities.
In Maryland's Prince George's County Public School system, the well
trained staff in Special Education Department works with general
education staff members to provide students with special learning needs
appropriate services in the least restrictive
environment. Approximately 13,000 students, 10 percent of
the total student body, currently receive special education
services. A multidisciplinary team, with the parents as team
members, determines whether special education services are needed.