Special Education
What is the Special Education Program?
Our Special Education Program (SPED) focuses on improving student performance and program effectiveness for students with disabilities ages 3 through 21.Our Staff supports school systems in meeting the requirements of law and service effectiveness through training and technical assistance for teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, support staff, and administration.
Our Priorities:
- Achievement of students with disabilities
- Access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities
- First point of contact for students, parents, district and community stakeholders in areas of special education
- State and federal accountability support
- High-quality professional learning opportunities
- Collaborative partnerships
- Educator training on research-based effective instructional strategies
Specialists collaborate across the service center to ensure the inclusion of and consideration of the needs of students with disabilities for district improvement. Special education staff members provide insight and guidance on issues of accountability, student performance and factors which affect the performance of students with disabilities.
Services
- Access to the General Curriculum
- Assistive Technology
- Autism
- Behavior
- Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Evaluation
- Impact of School Leaders
- Leading Research
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
- On-Site Training
- Professional Development and Technical Support
- Special Education Program Review
- Parent Coordination
- Visual Impairment
Access to the General Curriculum
Educators and Administrators receive support that includes on-site and virtual training, guidance, and technical assistance and information sharing about resources to help all children be successful in the general education curriculum. Information about assessment and other support agencies is also provided.
Assistive Technology
Region One ESC provides Assistive Technology Services through the Special Education Department. The Assistive Technology program provides workshops and technical support which enables students with disabilities to access the curriculum, increase independence and participate actively in education and life activities
Autism
This program provides access to highly skilled professionals in support of school system efforts to ensure the highest levels of quality education is accessible to all gifted students.
Our mission is to promote and achieve educational excellence by providing quality professional development that leads to the development of innovative products and performances as part of Special Education Program Services. We collaboratively develop customized training and support solutions with Region One area school systems.
Behavior
We offer professional development in the areas of discipline and behavior that is designed to give Educators the knowledge and skills to assess behavior, apply appropriate interventions, and promote positive behavior supports.
Our staff offers customized training and technical assistance including on-site support and Teacher consultation in specific areas such as classroom management, behavior intervention plans, data collection, program development, and crisis intervention procedures.
Certified trainers are available to support the work of professionals who work with challenging or potentially violent individuals by providing a relevant practical behavior management program.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing
The Region One Special Education Program provides basics of hearing loss and the potential impact that hearing loss has on language development and academic success.
A basic understanding of types and degrees of hearing loss and Hearing Assistive Technology (HAT) are available. Supports provide a better understanding of the relationship between classroom Teacher, deaf education Teacher, Interpreter, and the student, and identify accommodations appropriate for students who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Early Childhood Special Education
Evaluation
Professional development is provided for assessment personnel on legal updates, compliance requirements, best practice for student services, and assessment issues in special education. Emphasis is placed on bilingual assessment, an integrative assessment approach, and general appropriate evaluation practices. Authors and publishers of the testing instruments and evaluation literature present
sessions that provide understanding of the proper use and interpretation of the instruments as well as training on competent practices in evaluation. Technical assistance and training is also available for evaluation personnel to ensure compliance with the law as it relates to evaluation. Initiatives include the Legal Framework, the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) Academies, and specialized training on the Integrative Approach to Evaluation.
Impact of School Leaders
The profession of educational leadership has changed
significantly. The understanding that leaders make a difference in the academic achievement of students is evident in the leading research.
Strong leaders:
- Influence student achievement by creating challenging and supportive conditions conducive to learning
- Develop and support teachers
- Create positive working conditions • Effectively allocate resources
Leading Research
The primary goal in providing professional development and technical support is to build Educational Leader and Teacher capacity and refine Educator practice to ensure that all students have equitable access to highly effective Teachers.
Through a strategic planning process, systems engage in professional learning to increase instructional consistency and reduce Teacher variability within a system. As collaborative partners, Region One ESC supports local education agencies as they implement key findings of quality professional development represented in Professional Learning in the Learning Profession: A Status Report on Teacher Development in the United States and Abroad from the former National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward) in 2009.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
MTSS is a guiding framework for school and district leaders, as well as educators to remove academic, behavior and social-emotional barriers to learning.
It uses evidence-based practices to support the whole child along a tiered continuum and allows school personnel to make decisions for targeted and intensive intervention based on data. Region One Education Service Center is committed to supporting area school systems in their MTSS implementation efforts.
On-Site Training
Professional Development and Technical Support
Region One offers high-quality professional development and customized technical support. Our services are based on leading educational research and incorporate effective instructional strategies to boost student academic performance. We provide professional learning that adheres to professional development standards, ensuring improved outcomes for all students.
Special Education Program Review
The Program Review process supports district level continuous improvement efforts in the area of Special Education.
The process includes professional development, interviews of multi-disciplinary educator teams, representatives of the school district, classroom observations of select students with disabilities, review of eligibility folders, provider service logs, and local policies and procedures.
A written report that describes program highlights and identified trends from the Program Review are shared with the district. Program Reviews are completed by a team of ESC staff members and require on-site visits and classroom walk-throughs.
Parent Coordination
Parent Coordination is committed to ensuring parents of students with disabilities receive
accurate and timely information to assist them in making informed choices in their child’s education.
Information regarding the procedural safeguards, ARD Guide, ARD Decision Making Manual and other resources key to parent participation are provided via technical assistance and staff development.
Through collaboration with the Statewide Parent Coordination Network, the Region One ESC Special Education Program works closely with school districts for collection of the Texas Survey of Parents of Students Receiving Special Education Services as part of the State Performance Plan Indicator 8-Parent Participation.
Indicator 8 asks each state to report “the percent of parents with a child receiving special education services that report school facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with disabilities”.
Region One ESC provides technical assistance to school systems that receive the surveys. Region One ESC offers parents opportunities for staff development through joint sessions with district service providers.
Visual Impairment
Resources
- Assistive Technology
- Child Find
- Preschool Transition Resources
- Early Childhood Transition
- Early Childhood Special Education
- Identification
- School, Family & Community Engagement
- Visual Impairment
Assistive Technology
Through the network of 20 regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) around the state and in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training (TSLAT) provides a mechanism to access training, technical assistance, support, and resources for educators who serve students with autism. TSLAT is a part of TEA's Texas Statewide Leadership Functions and Projects and are housed at Education Service Center Region 13.
Statewide leadership in addressing identified areas of need in special education services is provided through eleven functions and five projects directed by various ESCs. Their primary responsibility is to provide leadership, training, technical assistance, and the dissemination of information throughout the state. The ESCs coordinating these statewide leadership functions and projects are responsible for the implementation of many of the state’s continuous improvement activities.
Though both functions and projects provide statewide leadership, each ESC function lead establishes and coordinates a 20-region network. The networks ensure ongoing communication among ESCs about state-level needs assessment processes, planning, as well as implementing and evaluating statewide activities. Project leadership focuses on a specific special education related function.
The TSLAT website offers support through access to TARGET (Texas Autism Resource Guide for Effective Teaching), a learning library, and resources.
Assistive Technology Services and Devices Defined
According to IDEA, an assistive technology device is any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. [20 U.S.C. Chapter 33, Section 1401 (25)].
Additionaly, An Assistive Technology Service is defined as "any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device."
Texas Regulations
- State Law (Texas Education Code): §30.0015
- Commissioner's Rule (Texas Administrative Code): §89.1056
Federal Regulations
- §300.5
- §300.6
- §300.105
- §300.324
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
- Tech Act (PL 100-407)- Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act
- ADA (PL 101-336)- Americans with Disabilities Act
Legal Framework Search for Assistive Technology
PEIMS Coding Guidance for Assistive Technology Indicator
School districts in Texas are required to collect and report information to the Public Information Management System (PEIMS). If a student with a disability receives assistive technology devices or services that are included in the IEP, the PEIMS assistive technology indicator should be coded affirmatively.
Click on the link below to access AT codes:
Child Find
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Special Education Initial Referral Timeline
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The Special Education Initial Referral Timeline provides an overview of the timeline and legal requirements for a referral for an initial special education evaluation from the point of campus or parent request for a referral for an initial evaluation to the initial ARD committee meeting where eligibility is determined and may be another helpful resource for ensuring timelines and legal requirements are implemented.
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Special Education Full and Individual Evaluation (FIIE) Timeline
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The Special Education Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) Timeline provides an overview of the various timelines for an initial evaluation and ARD committee meetings where eligibility is determined based upon when the school district received written consent for an FIIE.
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Preschool Transition Resources
State Resources
Texas Student Data System (TSDS) Resources
- Reading Child Find SPPI-12 Reports
- TSDS Child Find: Eligibility Determination Code Guidance
- TSDS Child Find: Frequently Asked Questions (log in using TEAL username and password)
- Child Find: SPPI 12 Flowchart
- TSDS Child Find: Support Framework.
- TSDS Child Find: Unique ID for Non-enrolled Children
- TSDS Child Find Updates 2022-23
- TSDS Child Find Updates 2022-23 Presentation
- TSDS Child Find Updates 2022-24
- TSDS Child Find Updates 2023-24 Presentation
Texas Student Data System (TSDS) Links
Early Childhood Transition
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Next Steps to Independence: Skills and Strategies
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The Next Steps checklist can also serve as an informal transition assessment for self-determination skills. It is divided by age and grade ranges, starting with Birth to Age 3 and ending with 18+ (Ages 18-22), highlighting critical developmental milestones
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A Guide to Early Transitions in Texas
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This guide is intended to provide an outline of the early transition activities, timelines, and recommended practices to facilitate a child’s transition from Part C (Early Childhood Intervention) to Part B (Early Childhood Special Education) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It is important for professionals from both programs to understand the requirements of Part C and Part B of IDEA in order to ensure collaboration, compliance, and effective transitions for children and families. The law requires a smooth and effective transition from one system to the next for children who receive services in Part C and are potentially eligible for Part B services. Both programs must work together in order to meet the IDEA requirement for public schools to develop the individualized education program (IEP) for each child that is eligible by his or her third birthday.
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A Patent's Guide to Early Childhood Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education
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Supporting Early Childhood Transitions
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Successful transitions are created through supportive early childhood environments. Key components of supportive early childhood environments include: inclusive settings, clear expectations, family involvement, realistic expectations, and futures planning.
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Early Childhood Special Education
Through the network of 20 regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) around the state and in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training (TSLAT) provides a mechanism to access training, technical assistance, support, and resources for educators who serve students with autism. TSLAT is a part of TEA's Texas Statewide Leadership Functions and Projects and are housed at Education Service Center Region 13.
Statewide leadership in addressing identified areas of need in special education services is provided through eleven functions and five projects directed by various ESCs. Their primary responsibility is to provide leadership, training, technical assistance, and the dissemination of information throughout the state. The ESCs coordinating these statewide leadership functions and projects are responsible for the implementation of many of the state’s continuous improvement activities.
Though both functions and projects provide statewide leadership, each ESC function lead establishes and coordinates a 20-region network. The networks ensure ongoing communication among ESCs about state-level needs assessment processes, planning, as well as implementing and evaluating statewide activities. Project leadership focuses on a specific special education related function.
The TSLAT website offers support through access to TARGET (Texas Autism Resource Guide for Effective Teaching), a learning library, and resources.
Identification
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The Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Field User Guides are intended to be a bridge between existing student support plans and the instructional content available within the High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) suite of resources from TEA.
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Accommodation Companion Guides
These quick reference documents can be used by both general and special educators to identify support options that meet individual student support needs.
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Early Childhood Outcomes and Prekindergarten Guidelines Alignment
This document addresses the ten domains of the Prekindergarten Guidelines, retaining the same order and color coding as the 2022 PreK Guidelines. Some of the original text from the Prekindergarten Guidelines has been edited to emphasize the importance and application of these guidelines to a child with a disability who may be functioning like a younger child.
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Texas SPED Support "SDI User Guides"
Technical assistance and support needs for the state. Discover resources and learning opportunities from experts in the field.
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Texas SPED Support- "Evaluation"
The Child Find, Evaluation and ARD Supports Network assists LEAs by providing resources and training that are aligned with implementing effective Child Find practices, conducting comprehensive evaluations, and practicing collaborative admission, review and dismissal (ARD) committee processes that lead to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities. Resources from the network can be found on the Texas SPED Support.
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The purpose of the project is to provide and maintain an updated web-based platform to assist stakeholders such as local educational agencies (LEAs), advocates, and parents in learning about state and federal laws and regulations by providing rich resources regarding obligations and rights for the provision of a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to students with disabilities.
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Guidance Related to Evaluations: Review of Existing Evaluation Data
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Special Education Information Center
SpedTex is committed to providing families and educators with high-quality resources to enable students with disabilities to achieve the highest outcomes.
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Texas Gateway a Resource aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
Find resources and binders aligned to individual TEKS standards.
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These developmental milestones show what most children (75% or more) can do by each age. Subject matter experts selected these milestones based on available data and expert consensus.
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STAAR Alternate 2: Instructional Decision-Making Guides
Region 4, in collaboration with ESCs 3, 9, 11, 12, and 20 and with permission from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), created a series of TEKS-based, instructional decision making guides for educators working with students on alternate academic standards (prerequisite skills that are linked and/or aligned with grade-level standards. The guides were developed to cluster prerequisite skills (with an essence statement) and combine several aspects of the State's Vertical Alignment and Curriculum Framework documents for greater ease in selecting instructional targets. A separate guide was created for each essence statement (even those not assessed in a given year) in reading, math, writing, science and social studies. Educators will want to examine the current year's essence statements to be sure they are instructing in all of the essence statements to be assessed within a particular school year. Click below to access the guides.
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Statewide Technical Assistance Networks
As part of the April 2018 special education strategic plan, TEA incorporated stakeholder feedback, data, and interviews to reimagine the network structure. As a result, the current networks launched July 1, 2019.
School, Family & Community Engagement
Parent Resource
A website created by parents for parents to help families and caregivers understand the IEP process.
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights (PACER)
PACER provides individual assistance, workshops, and publications to help families make decisions about education and other services for their child with disabilities.
Partners Resource Network is a non-profit agency that operates the Texas statewide network of Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers serving parents of children and youth with disabilities ages 0-26 as well as youth self-advocates ages 14-26.
A guide for Texas parents and caregivers of children diagnosed with or suspected disabilities from birth through 5 years of age. Parent Companion was written by parents of students with disabilities for parents of students with disabilities to provide trustworthy and relevant information.
SPED Tex provides information and resources that can help families understand their child's disability, their rights, and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and facilitate collaboration that supports the development and delivery of services to children with disabilities in Texas.
Organizations
Texas Parent to Parent provides support, information, and education for families of children and adults with disabilities, chronic and mental health conditions and other health care needs.
Promoting, protecting, and advocating for the human rights and self-determination of Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Texas Hands & Voices
State Agencies
Children with Special Health Care Needs Program
The Children with Special Health Care Needs Services Program helps children 20 and younger who have special health care needs and people with cystic fibrosis of any age improve their health, well-being, and quality of life.
Additional Resources
Disability Rights Texas is the protection and advocacy agency for Texans with disabilities. DRT provides legal assistance, referrals to programs and services, and information regarding the legal rights of people with disabilities.
School System Resources
SPEDTex is a dynamic resource designed to inform and support parents, teachers and anyone who is committed to the success of children with disabilities.
This toolkit was designed to support districts and schools as they implement the family engagement framework activities. Each of the six family engagement elements have been paired with related resources that can serve as points of reference for school administrators when teams plan, implement, and evaluate family engagement practices that directly impact outcomes for students with disabilities.
Visual Impairment
Upcoming Workshops & News
June 9 - 11, 2025 | South Padre Island Convention Center
Free Event for Region One School Systems