ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Have a qualifying disability
Your disability needs to be in one of these categories.
- Autism
- Deaf-blindness
- Deafness
- Emotional disturbance
- Hearing impairment
- Intellectual disability
- Multiple disabilities
- Orthopedic impairment
- Other health impairment
- Specific learning disability
- Speech or language impairment
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visual impairment (including blindness)
Need special education services
You must need special education services because of that disability - meaning the disability affects the child's educational performance and they need specially designed instruction to make progress
Steps for Determining Eligibility
1. Referral
Anyone can refer a child for evaluation - parents, teachers, doctors, or other professionals. Parents can request an evaluation in writing at any time.
2. Initial Evaluation
The school has 60 days (or follows state timelines) to complete a comprehensive evaluation after getting written parent consent. This evaluation looks at all areas of suspected disability.
3. Eligibility Decision
A team including parents, teachers, and specialists reviews all evaluation results to determine if the child qualifies for special education services.
4. IEP Development
If eligible, the team creates an Individualized Education Program (IEP) within 30 days of the eligibility decision.
Types of Services: Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Special Education Services
Supplementary Aids and Services
Special Education Services
- Specially designed instruction to address your child's unique learning needs
- Modifications to curriculum, teaching methods, or materials
- Accommodations like extended time or alternative formats
Related Services
Supplementary Aids and Services
Special Education Services
- Speech-language therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Transportation
- Counseling services
- Assistive technology
- Nursing services
Supplementary Aids and Services
Supplementary Aids and Services
Supplementary Aids and Services
- Aide or paraprofessional support
- Modified assignments
- Assistive technology
- Peer support
Service Settings: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
LRE means your child should be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate.
The law creates a preference for inclusion, with services provided in this order of consideration:
- Regular classroom with supplementary aids and services
- Regular classroom with some time in special education settings
- Special education classroom in a regular school
- Special school or separate facility
- Home or hospital instruction (only in rare circumstances)
The key is finding the right balance where your child can make meaningful progress while participating with typical peers as much as possible.
Evaluation Costs and Independent Educational Evaluations
School Evaluation Costs
All school evaluations are free - you never pay for the school's initial evaluation, reevaluations, or any assessments the school conducts