During the 2012-2013 school year, in the Northshore School District, 2,660 students with disabilities were served by special education services, and 5.4% of Northshore's student population. was classified as an English language learner. (Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction). Understanding the foundation and history of special education and English language development programs can help an educator better meet the needs of a diverse classroom. According to the federal government, special education is made up of three main components. First, the unique needs of a student with a disability must be met through individualized instruction, at no cost to the parent(s)/guardian(s). Second, special education must include related services, which are defined as various types of supports that help students with disabilities access education. In other words, a related service makes education accessible to students with disabilities (e.g., school bus with wheelchair lift, elevator, wheelchair ramp, etc.) (Friend, 2014, p. 5). And finally, students with disabilities must have access to additional aids and services, an example of additional aid or service is computer software that transcribes a lecture, an ASL interpreter, etc. (Friend, 2014, p7). Special education is the vehicle through which students with disabilities receive an individualized education, and it ensures that appropriate supports are in place for the student to reach their learning potential. Similarly, English language development programs support English language learners (ELLs) so that they do not fall behind in their general education while still gaining proficiency in English. To better understand English...... middle of article ......ure, the lecture notes can then be uploaded to a learning management system (Canvas, Blackboard, etc. ) for students with disabilities or even for all students. use a reference document. Another technology that could be evaluated is the use of video recording hardware and software. Courses can be recorded on video and then published to an LMS for future reference. And finally, evaluation and next steps. Each member of the multidisciplinary team will complete a unique evaluation form. Then, collectively, as a team, they will discuss their individual assessment and, as a team, recommend next steps. The team may decide that a technology is not suitable, or recommend further evaluation, or recommend implementation. If recommended for implementation, the team's recommendations and assessments will be forwarded to the Disability Services Team for final review and financial approval..