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Home » Under Secretary for Management » Bureau of Human Resources » Family Liaison Office (FLO) » Education and Youth » Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child

• Employee Consultation Service
• Special Needs Allowance

There are unique challenges inherent in raising a child with special needs, and this is especially so in the internationally mobile lifestyle of the Foreign Service. There has been a significant effort to increase the number of programs for children with special needs in American-International schools around the world. However, the quality of these programs varies greatly from school to school, and even from year to year. While more children who have mild learning disabilities are adequately served in international schools, children with moderate to severe disabilities still encounter major challenges. In addition to the lack of available programs overseas, very often there is also a lack of other support or therapeutic specialists to serve the requirements of special needs children.

Always remember, you are your child’s best advocate. The Foreign Service has procedures in place to help you find the right resources and educational options for your child, however, finding the right fit and making the final decision about what is best for your child is up to you.

Foreign Service families with children applying to colleges and universities and looking for assistance should contact the Education and Youth Team in the Family Liaison Office.  Also see the College: Considerations and Resources section of this page.

The Family Liaison Office serves Foreign Service families looking for help with the special educational needs of their child(ren). For more assistance, please contact FLO's Education and Youth Team.

Overseas

The Family Liaison Office strongly urges families to carefully research their options before bidding on and accepting an overseas assignment. You may wish to read the Office of Overseas Schools brochure,  Transitioning to an Overseas Assignment with a Special Needs Child.  There are several offices in the Department of State that work together to assist families of children with special needs as described below. 

Steps for Going to Post with a Child with Special Needs

1. Contact Employee Consultation Services (ECS). In order for your child to receive the Special Needs Education Allowance from the U.S. Department of State, the request must be approved by the Employee Consultation Service, MEDECS@state.gov.
2. Once you have received approval for the allowance, consult with your assigned social worker on the resources available at post. If you are considering a special needs boarding school, now would be a good time to ask your social worker if they have recommendations given your child’s particular needs.
3. Consult FLO or the Office of Allowances if you have questions regarding the process of the Special Needs Allowance FLOAskEducation@state.gov and AllowancesO@state.gov.
4. Contact the at-post school directly if you have questions about their programs. The Office of Overseas Schools has Regional Education Officers (REOs) who are able to assist you with special needs questions OverseasSchools@state.gov.

In the Washington, DC Area

Find resources in the Washington, DC area by location:

Washington, D.C.

Maryland

Virginia

Quick Links to Additional Resources for Special Needs Concerns

Use the links below to go to the related content on this page:

Attention Deficity/Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD and ADD)

• ADD Helpline - Online support group for parents, chat room, medical information, and videos.
• ADDers.org - U.K.-based family support group, promotes awareness, multilingual site offers contacts with international support groups.
• Attention Deficit Disorders Association (ADDA) - Information sections describing ADHD specially focused for children, teens, or adults; books, family support issues.
• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) - Science based fact sheets, legal rights, advocacy, promotes research, education, newsletters.
• Fact Sheets on research advances, medications and treatments affecting individuals with ADHD.
• National Resource Center on AD/HD
• Optometrists Network - AD/HD information from a visual perspective, vision therapy, diagnosis.
• Advice for Teachers - "50 Tips: Classroom Management of ADD" by Edward M. Hallowell, MD, adapted from Answers to Distraction, Edward M. Hallowell, MD, and John J. Ratey, MD, Pantheon, New York, 1995.
• Checklists for Teachers - by Sandra F. Rief, M.A., includes tips for getting student's attention, focusing student's attention, maintaining student's attention, and keeping kids on-task during seat work.

AD/HD and the College Student

• Virginia Tech - The counseling center at Virginia Tech puts out an excellent online ADHD survival guide that covers a ton of issues that college students face.
• ADD Resources - This website offers articles which lay out the issues of ADD and provide some practical suggestions for dealing with them.
• Henderson State University - Offers practical list of things that can help the ADHD college student.
• "Ten Things I Wish Students with ADHD Knew"
• Book list - Excellent list of books about ADD and the college student

Autism

• The Autism Society of America - Website covers topics such as understanding autism, living with autism, treatment and education, and further resources.
• The Autism Society of Northern Virginia - Advocacy and information, connection with parent support groups, regional resources from barbers and dentists to lawyers.
• Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies - Information on autism and treatments such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

 Blind and Visually Impaired

• American Council of the Blind - Information including statistics and answers to children's questions.
• National Federation of the Blind - Largest organization of blind and visually impaired in U.S., information, forums, radio stations, resources.
• American Foundation for the Blind - Information and referrals.
• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic National Headquarters (RFB & D) - Library of over 93,000 recorded books, at all academic levels, available to anyone with a documented disability reading printed books.

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Cerebral Palsy

• Understanding Disabilities-Creating Opportunities - Information about cerebral palsy and advocacy for all disabilities.

Classroom Accommodations

The following links offer sample plans for accommodations and modifications that can be done in the classroom to help students with learning disabilities. Note: Many accommodations are specified in a student's psycho-educational evaluation or Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This is not intended to replace those recommendations, nor are all recommendations appropriate for all children. This is only to suggest possible ways for teachers, parents, and students to form better partnerships by exploring those recommendations that might be appropriate.

• Student Accommodation Classroom Plan
• Student Accommodation Plan
• Accommodations and Modifications
• Suggested Classroom Interventions for Children with ADD and Learning Disabilities

College: Considerations and Resources

• From the College Board - This press release explains the new policy to drop "flagging" of special needs students on the SAT test.
• A Guide to College Success for Students with Disabilities
• KidsSource - Basic information and links to important websites on college planning for students with learning disabilities.
• Council for Exceptional Children - Largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, whether gifted or disabled.
• "Education's Most Damaging 'Urban Legend'" - This article, by Rick Lavoiehe, dispels the myth that kids won't get help with their work once they get to college. The article takes a look at the various learning support centers available on college campuses today.
• Colleges with Programs for Learning Disabled Students  
• Post Secondary Options for Young Adults with Learning Disabilities (from the Learning Disabilities Association website)
• http://www.petersons.com is a website with an electronic database of colleges and universities that you can search for programs that provide services for students with special needs.
• The K&W Guide to College Programs & Services for Students with Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, 11th Edition (College Admissions Guides) by Princeton Review, Marybeth Kravets and Imy Wax (Sep 18, 2012)
• Colleges with Programs for Learning Disabled Students
• Post Secondary Options for Young Adults with Learning Disabilities (from the Learning Disabilities Association website)

Cued Speech

• The Northern Virginia Cued Speech Association - Give Literacy a Hand - Clear and unambiguous visual representations of all sounds of a spoken language.-

Dyscalculia

• Math Learning Disability Resource

Dsylexia

• The International Dyslexia Association - A non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia.
• The National Center for Learning Disabilities
• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic National Headquarters (RFB & D) - Library of over 93,000 recorded books, at all academic levels, available to anyone with a documented disability reading printed books.

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Early Intervention and Young Children

• Early Head Start National Resource Center
• Kids Source - Information and help for parents of young special needs children.
• National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) - Includes information on early intervention and explains the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), a development plan used for young children with special needs, and links to many national and local organizations.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Zero to Three Organization
• ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education (ERIC EC) - Short reports and articles regarding special education, lists of resources.

Family Support

• All Kinds of Minds - A non-profit institute for the understanding of differences in learning. The Institute was founded by Dr. Mel Levine, a nationally recognized expert in the field of learning differences. The site has information for families, educators, and clinicians.
• The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry - Publishes Facts for Families, a series of articles written by professionals in laymen's language to help families receive concise, current information on a wide variety of topics relating to children and adolescent issues. The list of topics is given in alphabetical order to make it easy to access. The articles are also available in Spanish, German, French, and Polish.
• Services in School for Children with Special Needs: What Parents Need to Know - Provides an example of an AACAP article with a clear and concise summary for parents. It discusses identifying and qualifying children with special needs for special education and briefly covers the related legal issues in public schools.
• Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation - A non-profit organization that includes information on identification issues and programs for LD, AD/HD and those who struggle with learning.
• Family Education - Strategies and skills-building techniques, information on AD and AD/HD including a parent discussion forum.

Hearing Issues

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Advocates independence through listening and talking.
• National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management - Information on resources, early testing, early intervention.
• American Speech-Language Hearing Association - ASHA's mission is to ensure that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders have access to quality services to help them communicate effectively
• National Information Center on Deafness- Clerc Center - The Clerc Center has been mandated by congress to develop, evaluate, and disseminate innovative curricula, instructional techniques and strategies, and materials. The aim of the Clerc Center is to improve the quality of education for deaf and hard of hearing children and youth from birth through age 21.
• National Association for the Deaf
• American Society of Deaf Children - ASDC is a national, independent non-profit organization whose purpose is providing support, encouragement, and information to families raising children who are deaf or hard of hearing

 Homeschooling a Special Needs Child

• About Homeschooling - Articles, resources, email groups, online forums.

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Learning Disabililties

• National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities - NICHCY's Web site provides information about specific disabilities, special education and related services for children in school, individualized education programs, parent materials, disability organizations, professional associations, education rights and what the law requires, early intervention services for infants and toddlers, and transition to adult life.
• Learning Disabilities Association of America - The association's goal is to advance education and general welfare of children and adults with learning disabilities.
• Learning Disabilities On-line - Information for parents and other professionals, including topics such as Choosing a Tutor:
• The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) - Offers a variety of information and further links on the full range of learning disabilities. The website provides registration to an LD News Link for updates and includes information on advocacy, fact sheets on various aspects and types of learning disabilities, common concerns, a screening test for reading readiness, and interactive reading games
• Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities - Helping parents help their children succeed; this organization also offers the Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Youth Achievement Award, honoring the accomplishments of a young person with learning disabilities or ADHD.

 Legal Rights

• Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services - This is the law that gives those with disabilities the right to an appropriate education (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), U.S. Department of Education.

 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

• The ARC - Nationwide association promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports their inclusion and participation in their communities.
• The ARC of Maryland
• The ARC of Montgomery County - For more information: info@arcmontmd.org
• The ARC of Northern Virginia - For more information: iainfo@arcofnova.org

Parent Advocacy

• Parent Advocacy Training Center - Numerous parent resources specializing in developing parent support groups.

 Parent Resources

• From Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS): Sign up for information from FCPS; Special Needs Home Page for FCPS; Parent Handbook for Special Education from FCPS.
• Virginia Department of Education's Parent's Guide to Special Education - All parents who have children who qualify for special education in Virginia are given this guide to help them understand and navigate the system.
• For more parent resources, please see individual school district's special education services or the FLO's Washington Area Schools web pages.

Pre-referral

• GreatSchools.org - Parent information on the first steps in addressing the needs of a learning difficulty, how to work with the school, managing needs.

 Reading Readiness

• PBS Kids - Between the Lions, Get Wild About Reading - Activities and information for parents and children.
• Reading Rockets - A free online newsletter devoted to helping parents and teachers help all students develop a love of reading, including reluctant readers and those who struggle.

Twice Exceptional Students

More about children that exhibit characteristics of being gifted and talented with learning disabilities:

• Council for Exceptional Children - Information Center on Disabilities and Gifted Education.
• Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students
• Research: Diamonds in the Rough

 Written Resources (not available for reading on line)

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4^th Ed. - The professional manual that lists criteria for specific diagnoses, such as, AD/HD, various LDs, autism, and mental retardation. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. A new edition is due to be released in May 2013: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
• The Guide to Private Special Education lists and describes educational programs for elementary and secondary students with special needs. Guide listings include such information as student eligibility, admission requirements, therapeutic offerings, tuition and aid, and curricular details.

Washington Area Programs by Location

All Washington area public school systems have special education programs for mentally, physically, and emotionally challenged children. Some still contract out some of their special education cases, but many have moved to academic integration, sometimes called inclusion, of the student into regular classes. For information on programs in the following districts, contact the appropriate office.  Also see the Regional listings information.

District of Columbia Public Schools

Office of Special Education
825 N. Capitol St., NE, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 442-4800
Fax: (202) 442-5517/5518

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Maryland

Anne Arundel County

Division of Special Education
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
2644 Riva Road
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 222-5000

Howard County

Department of Special Education
Howard County Public Schools
10910 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD
Phone: (410) 313-6742

Montgomery County

Department of Special Education
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville , MD 20850
Phone: (301) 279-3125

Prince George 's County

Department of Special Education
Prince George’s County Public Schools14201 School Lane
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Phone: (301) 817-3142

Virginia

Alexandria

Director of Student Services
Alexandria City Public Schools
2000 North Beauregard
Alexandria , Virginia 22311
Phone: (703) 824-6650
Fax: (703) 931-0187

Arlington

Office of Special Education
Arlington Public Schools
1426 North Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22207
Phone: (703) 228-6040
Fax: 703-228-6298

Fairfax County

Office of Special Education
Fairfax County Public Schools
8115 Gatehouse Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22030
Phone: (571) 423-4100
Fax: (571) 423-4137

Falls Church

Office of Special Education and Student Services
Falls Church City Public Schools
803 West Broad Street
Suite 302
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 248-5630

Loudon County

Office of Special Education
21000 Education Court
Ashburn Virginia 20148
Phone: (571) 252-1011

Prince William County

Office of Special Education
Prince William County Public Schools
P. O. Box 389
Manassas, VA 22110

Stafford County

Special Education Center
Stafford County Public Schools
1729 Jefferson Davis Highway
Stafford, VA 22554
Phone: (703) 720-3336

Regional Listings

Special-Needs Private Schools in DC, Maryland, & Virginia (Washingtonian magazine, 2011)

The Independent School Guide to Washington, D.C. and Surrounding Area (out of print with limited availablity from on-line booksellers) lists all private schools with programs for children with special needs. Three highly regarded private day school programs for the learning disabled are:

Lab School of Washington
4759 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 965-6600

Website: http://www.labschool.org/
This school, for children in grades K-12 with learning disabilities, also offers diagnostic services, tutoring, an after-school program, and career counseling.

Kingsbury Day School
5000 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
Phone: (202) 722-5555

Website: http://www.kingsbury.org/
This school is for children and adults with learning disabilities and also offers diagnostic testing and tutoring.

The Chelsea School
711 Pershing Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 585-1430

Website: http://www.chelseaschool.edu/
This school is for children in grades five through twelve with language-based learning disabilities.

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FLO Web links for Special Needs

Employee Consultation Service
Special Needs Allowance

Information provided by the Family Liaison Office

Contact the Family Liaison Office