SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special Education INQUIRIES

Please direct all Special Education inquiries to: specialeducation@thegatheringplacek12.org

Legally Required Postings

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide - English

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide - Spanish

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide - Korean

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide - Vietnamese

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide - Chinese

• SB 139 Updates - English

• SB 139 Updates - Spanish

• Special Education Resource Center | Texas Education Agency

• Autism Resources for Families| National Autism Center

• Dyslexia Guide for Parents

• Delayed or Denied Compensatory Services - English

• Delayed or Denied Compensatory Services - Spanish

• Dyslexia Handbook Updated August 2024 - English

• Dyslexia Handbook Updated August 2024 - Spanish

• Dyslexia Handbook 2021

  • Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update Important Changes - English

  • Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update Important Changes - Spanish

  • Additional Dyslexia Resources

• Notice of Procedural Safeguards - English

• Notice of Procedural Safeguards - Spanish

• Texas Special Education Information Center

• Texas Center for Learning Disabilities

• Department of Ed Website

• Special Education Policies

• Family Guide to the ARD Process:

  • ARD Guide - English

  • ARD Guide - Spanish

  • Additional languages of the ARD Guide can be found here.

Definitions

Admission -Initial placement of a student into Special Education.​    

Annual review- A review of the student's Individual Educational Program (IEP) is required​ at least annually.

Dismissal -​ Students are dismissed from Special Education when they are no longer considered as having a disability or when there is no further educational need for Special Education intervention. Students are also dismissed upon graduation.

Re-evaluation-​ A re-evaluation of eligibility is required at least every three years and consists of a thorough review of existing data by the ARD committee(REED). lf additional assessment is needed to determine continuing eligibility it can be requested by the REED Committee.

Manifestation Determination-​ If the student's behavior has caused him/her to be removed from the classroom for disciplinary reasons for more than ten days in a school year, the ARD committee must determine whether the behavior is a manifestation of the student's disability and plan appropriately. A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) must also be completed and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) developed or revised within ten days.

Special Review -​ An ARD committee can be requested by parent or school staff at any time to review the Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) -​ A comprehensive individual evaluation report is​   completed before students are placed in Special Education. It serves as the basis for determining eligibility as a student with a disability and for developing an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Related Services Evaluation ​ -​ A report by the Related Service provider that evaluates need for related services and makes recommendations.

Determination of Eligibility -​ Based upon evaluation information, the committee certifies that the student meets the criteria for one or more of the following disability category(s) as defined in relevant regulations. Specific eligibility criteria for each category are identified in an Eligibility Report located in the student's Special Education file.

LD - Learning Disability

OH - Orthopedic Impairment

SI - Speech Impairment

TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury

ED - Emotionally Disturbed

DB - Deaf Blind

VI - Visual Impairment

AU - Autism

AI - Auditory Impairment

OI - Other Health Impaired                   

NCEC - Non-Categorical Early Childhood

Multiply Disabled-​ A student who has two or more disabilities that are expected to continue indefinitely and that severely impair performance in at least two of the following areas: self-care skills, communication skills, social and emotional development, cognition.

Educational need-​ In order to be eligible for Special Education services there must be a legally defined disability that interferes with learning to the extent that the student cannot be adequately educated without provision of such services and therefore demonstrates an educational need that cannot be met by General Education, even with supplementary aids and services.

Individual Educational Program (IEP)-​ The committee should make decisions based upon the educational needs of the student. If the current IEP is reviewed and no changes are recommended, the decisions of the previous ARD meeting remain in effect.

Measurable Goals/Benchmarks-​ Required for all Special Education students. Based upon current competencies, measurable goals are identified in each area of identified need.

ARD/IEP Supplements:

Visually Impaired (VI)-​ Required for all students with a visual impairment. A Consultant​for the Visually Impaired should attend the ARD to provide supplementary information and make recommendations for development of an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP)

Auditory Impaired (AI) -​ Required for all students with an auditory impairment. A Consultant for the Auditory Impaired should attend the ARD to provide supplementary information and make recommendations for development of an appropriate Individual Educational Program (IEP).

Autism (AU)-​ Required for all students served under the disability category of Autism. It​ should address extended educational programming, daily schedule, in-home and community-based training, positive behavioral support strategies, parent/family training, futures planning, communication interventions, professional educator/staff supports, teaching strategies, social skills supports and strategies, and suitable staff to student ratio.

(Age 14) Transition Service Needs - Required for all students beginning at age 14. This is a​ statement of the transition service needs of the student with a focus on the student's courses of study (method of graduation, goals for post-secondary education or employment, and services needed to assist transition).

(Age 16) Needed Transition Services -​ Required for all students beginning at age 16. This is a statement of needed transition services for the student that is based on the student's anticipated method of graduation and assures that the student's expectations and needs are written in the Individual Educational Program for the student. It must be developed with participation of the student and may include a statement of inter-agency responsibilities related to transition.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)​-​Required for all students whose behavior interferes with educational progress. It should be based upon a Functional Behavioral Assessment(FBA) and should contain positive strategies as well as appropriate interventions/consequences. 

Extended School Year (ESY)​-​Required for all students who are at risk for suffering severe regression/recoupment difficulties following breaks in the educational year. This supplement addresses the eligibility requirements for an extended school year and prescribes an appropriate program based upon current school year goals and objectives, if needed to prevent regression/recoupment difficulties.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)​-​Required for all students who are removed from the General Education classroom for any amount of time in order to receive Special Education services. It should address reasons the student cannot be served entirely in the General Education classroom, discuss opportunity to participate with non-disabled students in nonacademic and extracurricular activities, and potentially harmful effects of the removal.

SPEDTex: The Special Education Information Center (SPEDTex) provides resources and interactive features for increasing family awareness of disabilities and special education processes, with the goal of improving partnerships between schools and families.

Contact information:

Phone: 1-855-773-3839

Email: inquire@spedtex.org

Live Chat: www.spedtex.org