{"id":1671,"date":"2020-02-27T10:17:55","date_gmt":"2020-02-27T10:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/memphisschools.wpengine.com\/?page_id=1671"},"modified":"2020-08-25T16:38:16","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T16:38:16","slug":"special-needs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/memphisschoolguide.org\/en\/extra-credit\/special-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Needs Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1582775316865{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”1596″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”flipInX”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1598373330731{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

At private schools:\u00a0<\/strong>Some private schools do provide services for special needs students, and we provide info on those schools\u2019 profile pages where they have provided it to us. And, because of legislation passed in 2016, parents of\u00a0some<\/em>\u00a0special needs children can apply for a new state program that allows you to use the state\u2019s public education funding for your child (about $6,000 in most places) to help pay for private services. The catch? You give up your right to a spot in a public school. All the details (and there are a lot) can be found on the state\u2019s\u00a0Individualized Education Account<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0page.<\/p>\n

At public schools:\u00a0<\/strong>All students in public schools (including charter schools) in Tennessee who qualify for special education services have certain rights by law. While special education law is lengthy and complex, there are three main things guaranteed to all special education students:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1582775316865{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1582798339869{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
    \n
  1. A Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)<\/b>, which may comprise of education in regular classes, education in regular classes with the use of related aids and services, or special education and related services in separate classrooms for all or portions of the school day.<\/li>\n
  2. An Individualized Education Program (IEP)\u00a0<\/b>is a plan created by a team of the child\u2019s parents, educators and others participating in the child\u2019s care or education that defines how a disabled child will receive a free, appropriate public education.<\/li>\n
  3. Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)<\/b>, meaning that a child should be educated to the greatest extent possible with children who are not disabled.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You, as the parent of a child with a disability, must be given the opportunity to participate in meetings with respect to the identification, evaluation, and educational placement of the child, and the provision of FAPE to the child.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1582797954895{margin-top: 40px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1582798457278{margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

    More on Special Education<\/h1>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1582798469236{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n

    Special education gets much more complicated and technical than we can get into here, but here are some frequently asked questions:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][vc_tta_accordion shape=”square” active_section=”0″ collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”What is Special Education?” tab_id=”1582798305782-c9b86bfe-681a”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    Special education is defined in Federal law as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, provided at no cost to the parents. Federal and state constitutions and laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), give parents of students with qualifying disabilities the right to participate in the educational path for their children.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What is Child Find?” tab_id=”1582798305877-665cfe0c-58ff”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    Child Find is the Local Education Agency\u2019s (LEA) \u2014 aka the school district\u2019s \u2014 duty to identify, locate, and evaluate children who need special education and related services. When a child is suspected, by parents or teachers, of having a disability under IDEA, such as speech impairment, emotional disturbance or other health impairment, the school must evaluate the child to determine whether he or she qualifies for special education services.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What is Response to Instruction and Intervention?” tab_id=”1582798305965-950ae68b-8e03″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    Response to Instruction and Intervention, or RTI2, is a teaching system that uses data to identify students\u2019 specific needs and match those needs with appropriate instructional strategies. If a child is suspected of having a specific learning disability (SLD), the Tennessee Board of Education requires all districts and schools to use RTI2 to determine eligibility of those students to receive Special Education services. Before making a special education referral for a student suspected of having an SLD, schools are required to provide tiered interventions, and provide data showing that the interventions were not successful in closing any academic gaps of the student. A student may be referred for Special Education during Tier III \u2013 the most intense intervention \u2014 but eligibility for Special Education will not be determined until interventions have been given time to show academic progress or a lack thereof. \u00a0If at any point in the RTI2 process it is suspected that a child is a child with a disability, a special education referral should be made. \u00a0Here\u2019s more about the RTI2 process.<\/a>\u00a0Here\u2019s an article about how RTI2 is playing out in Tennessee.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What must be in an IEP?” tab_id=”1582798306053-692eed16-d313″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    An IEP (individualized education program) must be developed for each child eligible for special education services and must contain specific explanations, levels, goals, and other items required by law. For a much more detailed description, see this\u00a0IEP article at Understood.org<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What happens when my special needs child starts at a new school?” tab_id=”1582798306139-92aa7a05-7cbc”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \n

    When enrolling in or transferring to a different public school, including a public charter school, the law requires the following:<\/p>\n