Family Voices Indiana (FV-I) has produced an excellent white paper to help families understand the potential impact of the revisions to Article 7, Indiana's special education law, that will be recommended early next month to the Indiana State Board of Education by Dr. Bob Marra, Associate Superintendent of the Division of Exceptional Learners, and the State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities (SAC). The position paper is attached to this message.

Very brief background: the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized in 2004, during which process families' rights were greatly diminished in a number of key areas. Our State Board of Education has instructed Dr. Marra and the SAC to align Article 7 with the revised IDEA 2004. Unless the State Board can be persuaded to continue to go beyond federal law in several critical areas, families will face even greater difficulties in obtaining appropriate educational services for their children with autism and other developmental disabilities than they already do.

FV is asking various organizations and individuals within the disabilities community to sign on in agreement with the recommendations contained in the white paper, which will be forwarded to the State Board of Education prior to Dr. Marra's presentation at their February 6 meeting.

Having attended the majority of the SAC meetings during the past year, I can tell you that FV has accurately framed the issues of greatest concern to families with school-age children in special education and I am in full agreement with their recommendations.

The Autism Society of Indiana's (ASI's) board of directors has voted to sign on as an organization and several of our board members are signing on as individuals.

I'm asking each of you to read the attached white paper and ask your members whether they would like to join ASI and others leaders in the disability advocacy community in signing on. If your group or any individual members decide to sign on, please get back to me at lizff@... or to Family Voices Indiana at fv.indiana@... no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 25.

Revisions made to Article 7 now could significantly affect special education services provided to students with autism and other developmental disabilities in Indiana for years to come. Please contact me by phone or email if you would like more information on the recommendations presented in the white paper. 

Thank you,

Liz