NAVIGATING SPECIAL EDUCATION LANDSCAPE
An interview with BES’s Director of Parent Support Services, Steven Hammam, M. ED
We know the special education system can seem daunting! We’re here to help you navigate.
PART 1:
I think my child needs special education services, what can I do?
A parent may initiate a referral for an initial evaluation of their child at any time. In most schools, a parent can make a written request for an initial evaluation for special education services to the campus administration. Once the school has received your written request for evaluation, the school must not later than the 15th school day after the date the school receives the request provide the parent with a prior written notice of their proposal to conduct an evaluation or provide a written notice to the parent of their refusal to evaluate the child. If the school notifies the parent that they will evaluate the child then they must inform the parent of the evaluation procedures, and assessments to be conducted and the rights of the parents and the procedural safeguards related to evaluation as outlined in the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). If the school notifies the parent that they refuse to evaluate the child then the parent and school should discuss the parent concerns about the child’s learning or behavior and consider the child for all support services that are available for all children. These services may include tutoring, remedial services or response to scientific, research-based interventions and other academic or behavior support services.
A public or charter school also has a duty to make a referral for an initial evaluation for special education services any time it suspects that a child has a disability and a need for special education services.
My child just got diagnosed with a specific learning disability, what can I expect?
A school district is required to provide the parents with written notice of the evaluation that they conduct and to obtain their consent for an initial evaluation. A parent’s consent does not mean that they have also given consent for the school to begin providing special education services. If a child qualifies for special education services as a child with a specific learning disability, the evaluation report must identify the specific learning disability(ies) that the child meets the criteria for which include: basic reading skills, reading fluency skills, reading comprehension, written expression, listening comprehension, oral expression, mathematics calculation or mathematics problem solving. A parent must also provide written consent to the school district prior to special education services being provided. Even if a parent gives their initial consent for their child to receive special education services, they still have the option to later revoke those services in writing.
In Texas, a child’s eligibility for special education services as well as the major decisions about a child’s special education program are made by the admission, review and dismissal (ARD) committee. In other states this is usually referred to as the individualized education program (IEP) team. A parent is a required member of the ARD committee and the committee also includes a special education teacher, a general education teacher, a representative of the school (administrator), evaluation staff, and other individuals who have knowledge or expertise regarding the child’s needs and are invited by the parent or the school.
The ARD committee is required to convene to determine if a child demonstrates both the criteria for the disability and an educational need. Once the ARD committee has made this determination, the committee is responsible for developing an IEP for the child based on the unique and individual needs of the child as well as the strengths and present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. The IEP should include specific annual goals which address the identified needs resulting from the disability so that the child can progress in the general curriculum. The IEP must describe exactly how the child’s progress on the annual goals will be measured and how this progress will be reported to the parent. The IEP should also identify the specific duration (minutes/hours) and frequency (daily, weekly etc.) of the special education services that the child will receive on a daily or weekly basis.
Additionally, the IEP must specify the specific accommodations and modifications, assistive technology or social/behavioral supports that the student will receive in all educational settings. The IEP is also required to identify any related services if needed such as speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy. The IEP must also specify the state assessment that the student will be given as well as identify the specific accommodations that they will receive during the assessment.
If you are interested in learning more about the ARD/IEP Process you may be interested in watching this Webinar that I presented for Imagine A Way in September 2020.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
The IDEA of 2004 is the federal law that governs the special education process. The law defines special education as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. One of the main purposes of the law is to ensure that children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes specialized services that are designed to meet their individual needs and to prepare them for further education, employment and independent living. If a child qualifies for special education services, the IDEA requires that the ARD committee develop an IEP and that the school the child attends fully implement the IEP.
The IEP is developed based on the unique needs and the strengths of the child that are identified in the full and individual evaluation that identifies the disabilities of the child. The IEP must include annual goals which address the unique needs of the child, accommodations and modifications and supplementary aids and services that are required to assist the child in making progress, state assessment participation, behavioral supports, transition services beginning at age 14 and related services as required based on the student’s needs.
The law requires that the IEP for each student receiving special education services must be reviewed and revised annually by the ARD committee to determine if the student is making progress. In Texas, if a child is identified with autism, the ARD committee must consider 11 strategies and when needed these strategies must be included in the student’s IEP. Additionally, the IEP must address several considerations for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and blind or visually impaired.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance. The Office of Civil Rights enforces Section 504 in all programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance. To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or have a record of such an impairment or be regarded as having such an impairment.
For children who do not qualify for special education services but meet the requirements of Section 504, the law specifies that a 504 plan must be developed by a group of people who know the child and understand the need of the child for accommodations. Unlike with an IEP, there are no specific requirements regarding who must participate. The team typically includes the child’s parent, a school administrator and teachers who know the child. The requirements of the 504 plans are also much less formalized than an IEP. The law does not outline specific components that must be included in a 504 plan.
However, most schools have developed systematic forms and procedures which consist of a list of accommodations or support services related to the needs of the child that will be provided to the child and often identify the staff who are responsible for implementing the plan. Most schools typically review the plans annually like an IEP. One significant difference is that a child’s 504 plan (unlike an IEP) can follow a child through college if the college receives Federal assistance.
If you are interested in more information about the difference between the IEP and 504 click here to review a chart that highlights the differences between an IEP and a 504 plan.
PART 2:
What is the difference in special education settings such as resource, self-contained, inclusion etc.?
A core part of the special education process involves determining the appropriate educational placement for properly implementing a child’s IEP. IDEA identifies that to the maximum extent possible, children with disabilities are educated with children who are nondisabled and in the least restrictive environment. IDEA also identifies that every public school district and charter school must ensure that a continuum of alternative placements is available to meet the needs of children with disabilities for special education and related services.
A variety of instructional arrangements/educational settings are available for students who receive special education services such as inclusion support by a special education teacher in the general education classroom to provide a student with academic, behavioral or social support; pull-out services in a special education resource classroom for support in reading and math and core academic subjects; self-contained classroom where a student may spend more than half of their educational day to receive academic support as well as social, behavior support and life skills support.
Additionally, some students in order to meet their educational and social/behavioral needs may need to be served on a separate special education campus, in a hospital setting or in a residential facility. Instructional arrangements/ educational settings are based on the individual needs and the student’s IEP goals and typically relate to the amount of daily/weekly special education services that are required to meet the needs of the student.
In my experience, I have seen many children who have been served in various settings to support their instructional needs. For example, a student may receive science and social studies in the general education classroom with inclusion support provided by a special education teacher, but also be pulled out of the general education classroom to receive support for reading and writing in a small resource classroom where they receive support by a special education teacher.
A student who attends a self-contained classroom for part of the school day due to social/behavioral challenges, may also receive inclusion support for science and social studies in the general education classroom and attend a resource classroom for help with reading. The ARD committee must review the instructional arrangement/educational setting for the child at least on an annual basis to ensure that the child is being served in the least restrictive environment.
What are the purposes of accommodations and modifications?
An accommodation is any technique that alters the academic setting or environment in some way but does not change the content of the required work. An accommodation simply changes how a student learns the material. Accommodations can help children learn the same material as their peers. For example, a student with dyslexia might listen to an audio version of a book. It is the same book that the rest of the class is reading. Another example would be a student who has trouble focusing might get seated next to the teacher, but is still expected to do all the same assignments as their classmates.
A modification is any technique that alters the work required in such a way that it differs in substance from the work required of other students in the same class. A modification changes what a student is taught or is expected to learn. Children who are far behind their peers may need changes to the curriculum they are learning. For example, a student could be assigned a shorter or easier reading assignment, or homework that is different from the rest of the class. Another example would be a student who might only have to learn 10 spelling words for a test when all of their classmates take a test on 20 words.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brings you to BES.
I began my career in special education as a special education teacher in Austin ISD. I served as a teacher for 12 years and during that time I worked with students ages 3 – 22 with a variety of disabilities including cognitive impairments, specific learning disabilities, significant health impairments, physical disabilities, autism, emotional and behavioral challenges and students with multiple disabilities. I had the opportunity to serve as the assistant principal and principal of Rosedale School which serves students with significant and multiple disabilities.
During my time at Rosedale, I helped to develop the Austin ISD Family Support Cooperative, a multi-agency collaboration designed to inform and support families of students with special needs. While at Rosedale, I also served as the Director of the AISD Occupational and Physical Therapy department and as a special education supervisor for several Austin ISD campuses. Later, as Director and Assistant Director of Special Education, I supervised district-wide special education programs, and advocated that students with disabilities experience inclusion in meaningful educational and social environments. Additionally, I supervised the district-wide behavior specialists, autism specialists and special education counselors.
After retiring from Austin ISD, I served as a statewide Special Education Program specialist and consultant at Texas Education Agency. For ten years, I traveled across the state, assisting school districts in creating more inclusive settings and improving student outcomes for students with disabilities across Texas.
I am so grateful to be part of the BES team. It really feels serendipitous that I was given this opportunity to work with such a talented and inspired team of professionals that align with the philosophy and passion for teaching and learning that I have had across my career. I believe that my work at BES invites me to use my many diverse experiences in education to make a difference and to benefit others. I am so excited to have the opportunity to once again work directly with students and families. My wife has told me that I have the “twinkle” in my eye back that she remembers from my classroom teaching days!
What supports does Boutique Educational Services offer?
Our mission at BES is to provide care-driven, student-centered support that nurtures individual growth through meaningful relationships. I believe that one of the most significant features of the services that we provide is that all of our services and supports are highly customized through one-on-one instruction and are designed to meet the child exactly where they are and to be able to focus on the child’s individual and unique needs. Our team consists of highly trained education specialists (many of which are certified special education teachers), academic language therapists and speech therapists. We have the ability to provide intensive instruction in the core areas of reading, writing and math as well as support students across the continuum of the curriculum.
Additionally, we can assist students in improving organization skills, executive function skills and social skills. Our certified academic language therapists provide systematic, highly structured lessons in reading, spelling and writing. Our speech pathologists focus on interventions which support verbal expression, problem solving and social skills development. Additionally, BES team members collaborate with school staff and other professionals who serve children to ensure continuity and consistency in our supports and services. As the Director of Parent Support Services for BES, I am available to consult with parents about IEP’s, 504 plans, behavior plans and other school services. I am also available to collaborate with school staff and to provide parent support and advocacy services by attending ARD committee meetings and 504 meetings with parents.