2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | What's so Special About Special Factors | 315/316
What's so Special About Special Factors
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a cornerstone of special education in the United States, designed to ensure that children with disabilities receive an appropriate public education. This session explores the concept of "special factors" outlined in IDEA, which include considerations for the unique needs of students with disabilities, such as behavioral interventions, communication needs, and the need for assistive technology. A particular focus is placed on the special factors relevant to deafness, including the necessity of effective communication, the provision of qualified interpreters, and access to specialized educational resources. This session will describe how these factors are integral to developing effective Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and fostering an inclusive learning environment for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. This session will highlight the importance of tailoring educational approaches to address the diverse challenges faced by these students. Ultimately, this session will show that recognizing and implementing special factors not only enhances educational outcomes but also promotes equity and access in education for all students, particularly those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Attendees will gain a concrete understand of IDEA's special factors
- Participants will learn how to use these special factors to drive IFSP and IEP development
- Attendees will gain an understanding of the professional role at the IEP meeting concerning special factors
Presentation:
3545975_18131AndreaMarwah.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Andrea Marwah
(Primary Presenter), IL Hands & Voices Guide By Your Side, executivedirector@ilhandsandvoices.com;
Andrea Marwah received her BA degree in Psychology from North Central College. Since her daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss in 2002, she has taken a special interest in educating parents and professionals on matters concerning ADA, IDEA - special education rights, and advocacy for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind. Andrea presents both locally and nationally on advocacy and IDEA; deafness with other disabilities; impact of deafness; socialization and many other topics surrounding parenting and working with children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing. She works for the Illinois School for the Deaf as an outreach trainer/consultant for families and professionals who work with children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision or deaf-blind. She is also a parent advocate supporting families in Illinois at their child’s IEP meeting or behind the scenes preparing them to attend the meeting and advocate themselves. Andrea is the Executive Director at Illinois Hands & Voices and has been a leader with them since 2010 and is a national trainer for the Hands & Voices ASTra Training Program and a member of the Hands & Voices speakers bureau. She works closely with Designated Service Coordinators providing group training and individual consulting. These are trained individuals who work directly with infants and toddlers in Illinois birth to three who have a diagnosis involving vision, hearing or a combination of both in her state early intervention program. Andrea works as a liaison with the Early Intervention Training Program on issues surrounding deafness and hearing loss. She sits on numerous committees both locally and nationally. Andrea also served for six years on the Advisory Commission on Disabilities in her hometown of Naperville, where she lives with her husband Ajay and children Samantha, Julia and Andrew.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.