Referral
Are you concerned that your child or a child in our community has a disability and is in need of support and services?
CHILD FIND STEPS
- If a parent or guardian suspects their child has a disability, a referral should be made to the campus principal. Campus principal will notify the diagnostician assigned to their campus to begin the Evaluation Referral Process.
EVALUATION
Special Education Evaluation Referral Process
At any time, a parent may request an evaluation for special education services by contacting the campus to request consideration by the Student Support Team. The committee recommends a special education evaluation. If the evaluation is needed, the parent will be notified and offered an opportunity to provide informed written consent for the evaluation after the written request for evaluation is made.
The Heart of Texas Education Coop must complete the evaluation and the written report within 45 school days from the date the written consent is received and will provide a copy of the evaluation report to the parent five days prior to ARD meeting. In accordance with state mandates, timelines may extend due to student absences.
The Heart of Texas Education Coop will not use intervention strategies, including multi-tiered systems of support, to delay or deny the provision of a full and individual evaluation of a child suspected of having a specific learning disability, including dyslexia or a related disorder.
If an evaluation is not warranted, the Heart of Texas Education Coop will provide the parent with prior written notice which explains why the student will not be evaluated. This written notice will include a statement that informs parents of their rights, in addition, a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards. Additional information regarding IDEA is available in a companion document, Parent’s Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process.
ELIGIBILITY
Which children are served by Special Education?
Students served through special education are children who are identified as having one of the following disabilities and by reason of that disability, the child need special education and related services:
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Autism (AU)
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Deaf-Blindness (DB)
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Deaf or Hard of Hearing (HH)
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Emotional Disability (ED)
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Intellectual Disability (ID)
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Multiple Disabilities (MD)
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Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
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Other Health Impairment (OHI)
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Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
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Speech or Language Impairment (SI)
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Visual Impairment (VI)
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Non-Categorical Early Childhood (NCEC)
The Heart of Texas Education complies with all state and federal mandates to provide special education to students including the state’s policies and procedures designed to prevent the inappropriate over-identification or disproportionate representation by race and ethnicity of children as children with disabilities, including children with disabilities with a particular impairment.