Does My Child Need to Be in Special Education?
There are different reasons why a student may be referred to special education. A child qualifies for special education when they:
​
-
Have a disability and
-
Their disability affects their school performance and
-
Their needs cannot be met in general education
​
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities"
​
How Do I Get My Student(s) Tested?
Washington County School District Policy:
​
When parent(s), adult student, or school staff member suspects a student may have a disability, a request for an initial evaluation may be made through the following referral procedure:
-
Teachers document results of classroom instruction and intervention
-
The person making the referral/request for initial evaluation completes and signs a referral form.
-
The referral form is given to the Administrator, who reviews existing data on the student and determines if the referral should go forward for a full evaluation.
-
If it is decided that the evaluation should take place, the Administrator assigns a staff member to oversee/conduct the evaluation, including obtaining the parental or adult student consent.
-
If the referral is not going to result in a full evaluation, the Principal/Administrator sends the parent a Written Prior Notice of Refusal to conduct an evaluation.
-
Washington County School District responds to each request for evaluation within a reasonable timeframe.
How is My Student Evaluated for Special Education?
Washington County Policy States:
​
-
Review of Existing Data:
-
​​​When conducting an initial evaluation, the case manager gathers existing data about the student's educational performance for the evaluation team to consider.
-
-
Administration of Additional Assessments:
-
​A variety of assessments are used to gather relevant information about the student as indicated on the Consent for Evaluation form. This information will help in determining whether the student has a disability as well as their educational needs.
-