What is Special Education?
Special education is a service designed to meet the unique needs of students who have disabilities through instruction or special services or programs. In New York State, services related to special education are provided on a continuum from birth through age 26. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that outlines the way states deliver special education services from birth through age 26, and includes the rights parents possess throughout the special education process.
How can Starbridge help you?
At Starbridge, our staff can provide information about –
- Federal and state laws and regulations governing the delivery of special education
- How to navigate school systems and policies
- Techniques to help you communicate effectively with your child's school team
- Resources available to assist you
What types of educational supports and services are available?
Where can you get more information about special education?
Please use the Contact Us form or call us at 585-224-7359 and leave a message for our Intake Coordinator. The Coordinator will call you back to ask for information about you or the person you are calling about (if you are phoning for someone else) and can connect you with further resources or staff.
Funding
Starbridge is a Parent Training & Information Center (PTIC), funded by the US Department of Education. Our PTIC provides workshops and resources for families and professionals regarding special education rights and responsibilities, and promotes meaningful involvement of families in their children’s education programs.
Starbridge's PTIC serves all of New York State, except the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. Our Rochester-based staff serve families in the following counties: Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Wayne and Yates. To speak with one of our Family Education Specialists, please contact us at 585-546-1700 or use the Contact Us form.
For residents in Central New York – Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Onondaga, Otsego, and Tompkins Counties – please contact Kara Georgi, Family Education Specialist serving Central New York, by phone at 315-345-2555 or by email at kgeorgi@starbridgeinc.org.
We contract with Core Community Partners across the state to provide services in these regions –
- Northern Regional Center for Independent Living – serving the North Country
- Parent Network of Western New York – serving Buffalo and Western New York
- Parent to Parent (Capital District) – serving Albany and the Capital District
- Putnam Independent Living Services & Westchester Independent Living Center – serving the Hudson Valley region
Starbridge is a part of the New York State Parent Network, a collaboration between all federally-funded Parent Centers in the state.
To find your Parent Center in other parts of New York or the USA, go to http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/
Starbridge is a New York State Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), serving all of New York State except the 5 boroughs of New York City and Long Island. The contents of this website were developed in part under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M150079.However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government Project Officer, Carmen Sanchez.