Guidelines for Special Education

Q: What questions should I ask my child's teacher if I believe they need special education services?

You should ask: What are my child's strengths and challenges in the classroom? How do you support my child when they need help? Do you have examples of my child's work that we can look at together? Is my child learning and developing at a rate that is expected for their age? How does my child get along with other students in the classroom? Are there programs in the community that might help my child? What are some learning activities I can do at home or in the neighborhood? What are some questions I can ask my child when we read together? How can I help my child if they are struggling with homework?

Special Education Parent Guide

Ask Questions from the Start

If you believe your child requires special education services, it is helpful to ask the right questions. Here are some questions you might want to ask your child’s teacher:

What are my child’s strengths and challenges in the classroom?

How do you support my child when they need help?

Do you have examples of my child's work that we can look at together?

Is my child learning and developing at a rate that is expected for their age?

How does my child get along with other students in the classroom?

Are there programs in the community that might help my child?

What are some learning activities I can do at home or in the neighborhood?

What are some questions I can ask my child when we read together?

How can I help my child if they are struggling with homework?

Determining Eligibility

The IEP team will decide if your child is eligible for special education services based on the criteria for one or more of these disability classifications: see page 9

Autism

Learning Disability

Other Health Impairment

Deafness

Intellectual Disability

Speech or Language Impairment

Deaf-Blindness

Multiple Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury

Emotional Disturbance

Orthopedic Impairment

Visual Impairment

Hearing Impairment

Initial Referral or Request for Referral

The first step is determining if your child has a disability and requires special education services.
You or a school official may start the process with an initial referral, or another individual may make a request for referral.
Once an initial referral has been made, you will be invited to a social history meeting.
A school social worker will explain the special education process and will request your written consent to evaluate your child.

Evaluation

Once you give consent, your child will be evaluated to determine their developmental history and behavior, what they know and how they learn, and their skills, abilities and areas of need.
The DOE will conduct assessments in all areas related to the suspected disability.
If your child's home language is not English, the evaluation can be conducted bilingually.

IEP Meeting

After the evaluation is complete, you will attend the IEP meeting to discuss the assessments and determine if your child is eligible for special education services.
If your child is eligible, the IEP team—of which you are an important member—will create an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
If your child is attending a private or religious school and is eligible for special education services, the team will create an Individualized Educational Services Plan (IESP).

Important: At any point during this process, it may be determined that your child is not eligible or does not require special education services.

What is an IEP?

The IEP is a written statement of the plan to provide special education services to meet your child's unique needs.
It has specific information about your child and the education program designed to meet these needs, including:

- Your child's current performance in school and annual goals
- Special education programs and services including related services
- Participation in state and district wide tests, testing accommodations and diploma objectives