Early Childhood Special Education Services
Referral Information
Any child between the ages of 3 and 5 whose parents or legal guardians live within the boundaries of Lipan ISD may be referred for evaluation. Referrals can be made by contacting the Special Education Department. This referral may occur at any time during the school year.
Referral may be initiated by:
- Parents
- Physicians
- Hospitals
- Private Child Care Centers
- Community Agencies
- Private Preschool Teachers
- Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Programs for children who are 0 – 2 years of age.
- Head Start Programs
Evaluation
When the initial referral is completed, a Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) is scheduled. Each child’s individual needs will determine the type of evaluation that is done. A child may be evaluated by a speech language pathologist or by an evaluation team. The evaluation team may consist of an education diagnostician, licensed specialist in school psychology, speech pathologist, teacher, occupational therapist or physical therapist. Parents are invited to be a part of the evaluation process.
Eligibility Requirements
Children must meet Texas Education Agency (TEA) eligibility criteria for one or more of the following disabilities and demonstrate and educational need for services:
- Auditory Impairment
- Multiple Disabilities
- Autism
- Other Health Impairment
- Deaf-Blindness
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Emotional Disturbance
- Speech Impairment
- Intellectual Disability
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Learning Disability
- Visual Impairment
Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee
Placement in a special education program requires an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee meeting. The committee establishes a child’s eligibility for services, develops the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and decides on an appropriate educational placement. The required members of the ARD committee are the parent, a school administrator, an evaluation specialist, a special education teacher, and a general education teacher.
Individualized Education Program
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed for each child qualifying for services. The IEP is based on the child’s present level of performance in developmental domains such as language, cognition, self-help, social, or motor skills. The IEP consists of annual goals and short-term instructional objectives.
Related Services
Related services are available to children eligible for special education services. Related services are corrective and supportive services a child with a disability needs to benefit from special education services. Related services included, but are not limited to:
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Psychological Services
- Transportation
Continuum of Placement Options
Lipan ISD offers several program options for children ages 3 – 5 who meet specific eligibility criteria for special education services. The ARD committee is required to address the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) or where a child would be receiving educational services if he or she did not have a disability. The program options include:
- Itinerant or Consultant Services
- Speech and Language Services
- General Education Classrooms with Special Education Support
- General Education Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms taught by a dually certified teacher
- Special Education Classrooms
The Texas Education Agency has produced a document on Preschool Least Restrictive Environment/Settings. The document can be accessed by clicking here.