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Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii (LDAH) is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 by parents of children with disabilities.
We are the Parent Training & Information Center (PTI) for the state of Hawaii. It is our mission to enhance education, work and life opportunities for children and youth with disabilities by empowering them and their families through information, training and mentoring, and by public outreach and advocacy.
LDAH supports parents of children with any disability and the professionals who serve them throughout Hawaii in a variety of ways:
- Information/Referral
- Education and Training
- Mentoring and Advocacy
- Persons-In-Need Program (PIN) (small grant awards to benefit children with disabilities)
- School Readiness Project
- Sharing the Committment (STC)-- Po`okela Project
We Need Your Help!
Click on "Become a Member" or "Donate to LDAH" at the top of this page and find out how you can make a difference. Every little bit helps more than you can imagine!
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LDAH’s site offers many PDF files for download, which require Adobe Reader to view.
QUESTION from Parent: Is there a way to speed up the DOE process for identifying problems and creating the IEP? It seems to take a really long time.
ANSWER from Advocacy Guru: The answer is "no," because determining if a student has a disability is a complex process. There are several steps involved in this process with clearly defined timelines found in Chapter 60 and IDEA. According to Chapter 60, within fifteen days from the date of receipt of a referral for an evaluation, the parent shall (a) receive a written notice of the department's proposal to assess the student or, (b) receive a written notice of the department's refusal to assess the student.
If the student is going to submit to an initial evaluation, under Chapter 60, evaluations and the eligibility meeting must be completed on or by the 60th day. At the eligibility meeting, the team will determine if the student has a disability, and if so, under which of the 14 categories he or she is eligible.
Under Chapter 60, the Hawaii DOE has 15 days to hold a meeting and develop the IEP, which then becomes its offer of Free Appropriate Public Education for the student. The 90 days are needed to ensure compliance with the law and to protect the rights of students with disabilities.
Send your questions to the Advocacy Guru! Important NOTE: Your question may be published on this website or within the LDAH Newsletter. If you would rather it wasn't published, please type DO NOT PUBLISH in the Name Section of your contact. Mahalo.
