This fillable “All About Me” template from FFF gives families and students a simple way to share critical information with teachers, staff and others who can benefit from the essential key facts about a child or youth.
This was shared as part of our “Just So You Know… Strategies for Nontraditional Families to Share Their Information with Schools” training. It can be used by any family or student.
Fill in the blanks
Instructions
Sample completed All About Me
From the Virginia Department of Education, this launch page offers a copy of state regulations for implementation of IDEA, and other state and federal special education policies.
From the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Education (CADRE) national center, this online fact sheet guides families of children and youth with disabilities through considerations for non-public school choice.
Questions to Ask Fact Sheet
From https://myschoolchoice.com/, this fact sheet compares different school choice options in Virginia.
School Choice Snapshot fact sheet
From Creating A Family, this webpage helps families learn how to partner with educators, communicate effectively, document concerns, and ensure their children receives the support needed to succeed at school.
How to Advocate for Your Child at School
From the Fairfax County Public Schools, this Handbook is designed to help parents, caregivers, educators, and students with disabilities achieve successful learning outcomes. FCPS provides a range of special education services for students aged 2 to 21 who have disabilities.
Special Education Parent Handbook
Published in March 2026, these one-pagers summarize key aspects of state regulations in 5 areas:
• Determination of Eligibility
• Procedural Safeguards
• Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
• School Discipline and Students with Disabilities
• Manifestation Determination Review
These accompany The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education.
Determination of Eligibility one pager
Independent Educational Evaluation one-pager
Procedural Safeguards one pager
School Discipline one-pager
Manifestation Determination one pager
Presented live on March 16, 2026, this webinar was presented by attorney Joan Proper. The session provided an overview of the discipline process in area school districts with a focus on the types of suspensions and more serious discipline that be imposed, appeal rights through school systems, what to do if suspensions are a frequent occurrence, how to prepare if there is a pending school system hearing, and the interplay between discipline and a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.
Presentation slides
Webinar recording
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have unique strengths and challenges. Understanding the underlying characteristics of ASD and effective practices that support their needs is essential.
Designed for those who support, instruct, work with, or live with someone with autism, the Autism Internet Modules (AIM) guide users through case studies, instructional videos, pre- and post-assessments, discussion questions, activities, and more.
AIM website
This resource from the Center for Parent Information and Resources offers links to key information about IEPs.
Short and Sweet IEP Overview
This series of tip sheets introduce key components of the individualized education program (IEP). They include brief summaries of federal regulations, tips for implementation, and resources.
The Overview of the Statement of Services & Aids includes four additional tip sheets that outline the four parts of the statement of services and aids.
Link to Tip Sheets
Hosted and presented by FFF on December 9, 2025, this webinar covers the basics of individualized education programs (IEPs), with an focus on issues specific to foster, adoptive and kinship families.
Presentation slides
Recording of IEP Webinar
Presented live by Formed Families Forward on November 12, 2025, this webinar covers the basics of referral, reevaluation, eligibility, and reevaluation for special education.
Webinar slides
From Referral to Eligibility webinar recording
From VCU’s Center on Transition Innovations and the Virginia Family Engagement Network (FEN):
This easy-to-use guide empowers families to navigate post-secondary transition planning for children with disabilities, starting in early childhood and continuing into adulthood. It covers four key areas of transition planning: self-determination, postsecondary education and training, employment, and independent living and community participation. Regardless of where your child begins their special education journey, these considerations provide a supportive framework for addressing your child’s unique needs. Plan and help your child thrive in every stage of life!
Link to Transition Across the Grade Span resource
From Understood, this comparison chart describes basic differences between Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans.
From the Virginia Department of Education, March 2025.
VDOE FBA Guidelines
When the parent or caregiver of a child with a disability does not agree with the results of the individualized evaluation of their child, as conducted by the school system, they have the right to obtain what is known as an Independent Educational Evaluation, or an IEE (§300.502). In an IEE, a professional, competent evaluator who is not employed by the school system conducts another evaluation of the child.
The webpage from the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) provides a brief overview and links to additional resources.
IEE overview
Presented live on March 4, 2025, this webinar is presented by Geoffrey Weber, Coordinator, Assistive Technology, Region 4 Training and Technical Assistance Center.
The session presents an introduction to assistive technology, understand its importance for your student, find out how they can access it, and learn about resources that can guide you through the process.
What Families Need to Know about AT slides
What Families Need to Know About AT webinar recording
In this technical assistance document (a companion to the Questions and Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA’s Discipline Provisions, which outlines the legal requirements related to behavior support and discipline for eligible students with disabilities under IDEA), the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides information about resources, strategies, and evidence-based practices that (while not required by law) can help States, LEAs, schools, early childhood programs, educators, and families in their efforts to meet IDEA requirements and, in doing so, improve outcomes for children with disabilities.
Guide to Positive, Proactive Approaches
From the US Departments of Education and Health and Human Services:
ED and HHS have frequently collaborated to assist agencies in improving and aligning their policies and programs to better serve students in foster care. In June 2016, following the reauthorization of the ESEA, ED and HHS released joint non-regulatory guidance (2016 guidance) on the implementation of the Title I educational stability provisions. This guidance was developed to guide State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and child welfare agencies in their collaborative efforts to fully implement the Title I educational stability provisions.
This 2024 Guidance supercedes the 2016 joint guidance.
Guidance
Originally broadcast live on December 12, 2024, this FFF webinar reviews key components and considerations of individualized education programs (IEP). Specific strategies for strengthening present level of performance statements and IEP goals are offered.
Webinar presentation slides
Recording of IEP Goals webinar
From the Virginia Department of Education, this technical assistance document enhances training and guidance on the development of Individualized Education Program (IEPs) for students with disabilities by incorporating more specific examples of high quality present levels of academic achievement and functional performance descriptions (commonly known as the present level of performance), annual goals, and postsecondary transition sections. The guide provides an introduction to the present level of performance descriptions and examples of aligned goals for pre-kindergarten through postsecondary transition IEPs. Additional resources for IEP development and suggestions on how to use the guide during local professional development activities are provided.
Standards-Based IEP Technical Assistance