Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base  Exceptional Family Member Program

The IDEA requires that all states and territories provide special education and related services to eligible children between the ages of 3 through 21. Each local school district has a special education director, and each school should have an individualized education program, or IEP, team or school-based committee that supports students with special education needs.

The IDEA requires that if a child transfers to a different district in the same state, the new school must provide a free, appropriate public education, including comparable services, until the previously held IEP is adopted or a new one is developed and implemented. If a child transfers to another state, the receiving district must provide comparable services until the receiving district completes an evaluation and creates a new IEP, if appropriate.

If you are moving and your child receives special education and related services, you should hand-carry all pertinent school and medical documents, including the IEP and current evaluation reports. Hand-carrying these documents ensures that they are not lost and allows the new school district to begin the process as soon as you move.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, offers the Parent Center Hub – also known as the Center for Parent Information and Resources – which has collections of links to serve families and adults with special needs from birth through age 26. They assist families in getting appropriate education and services for their children, work to improve education services for all children, train and inform parents and professionals, resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies and connect those with disabilities to community resources. Find your local parenting center and more by visiting their website.

You can also try these resources from Military OneSource:

• EFMP & Me digital tool
• Special Needs Parent Toolkit download
• Special needs resources 
• Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
• Exceptional Family Member Program videos 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, requires all states and territories to provide early intervention services to children from birth through 3 years of age who have, or are at risk for having, developmental delays. 

Local school districts or health departments often provide these early intervention services. The program is called different names in different areas, but it is often referred to as Part C because it is the section of the law that pertains to early intervention. The national Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center provides a list of State Part C coordinators and funded programs on their website. 

When moving, you should hand-carry copies of your child's individual family service plan, or IFSP, and the most current evaluation reports to your new home to ensure they are not lost.

Parents of children enrolled in special education should hand-carry all pertinent school and medical documents to include their children’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and current testing and evaluation reports.

If your child requires specialized equipment (for example large print books, an FM trainer, or Braille services) contact the Area Special Education Coordinator in Wiesbaden Germany.

DoDDS-Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany
Special Education Coordinator
Office of the Deputy Director, DoDDS-Europe
Unit 29649, Box 7000
APO AE 09096

011-49-611-380-7219
Fax: 011-49-611-380-7575
Email

District Superintendents Office
DoDDS-Kaiserslautern District
Superintendent of Schools
Unit 3405
APO AE 09094

DSN 314-489-6339/7132
011-49-631-5367132/536339
Fax: 011-49-631-98762
Email

At the AFNORTH Complex (AFNORTH Elementary and AFNORTH High Schools), DoDDS provides the following level of services.

Pre-school (3-5 years old):  Services are available for children with developmental delays and/or other identified disabilities who require daily or less frequent support in a developmental preschool classroom setting.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):  The schools provide direct instruction in the regular classroom or in a resource room. This location would not be appropriate for children with the diagnosis of autism who require an individual support or more intensive special education service.

Communication/Speech Impaired:  Services are available to provide comprehensive speech and language interventions in individual, small group, and/or general education classroom settings.

Emotionally Impaired:  Part time services are available on an as-needed-basis to support children in the general education classroom. This placement would not be appropriate for children coming out of a residential placement and/or an alternative educational placement.

Intellectual Disability (Mental Retardation):  Services are available for children who have mild to moderate mental retardation and who require major curriculum modifications to receive instruction in the general education classroom (approximately 50% or greater). The majority of the instruction may be in a resource room setting.

Specific Learning Disability: Services are available to provide the majority of individualized instruction in a resource room setting (75% of the of the day or more).

Hearing Impaired:  Services are available on an as-needed-basis to provide consultation for students with hearing impairments who can be served in the general education classrooms. The Hearing Impaired Specialist is not located within the school complex and on-site visits may be limited. Minor environmental modifications and some special materials may be available. Support is provided for children whose hearing disability is typically corrected with hearing aids. This is not an appropriate location for children who are deaf or who require the services of an interpreter.

Visually Impaired:  Consultation services are provided on an as-needed-basis to support children with low vision who can be served in a general education classroom. The Visually Impaired Specialist is not located within the school complex and on-site visits may be limited. This may include equipment for providing magnification and high contrast, large print books, and environmental modifications for light control and/or preferential seating. This is not an appropriate location for children who are blind and require pre-Braille or Braille instruction or orientation and mobility training.