Helping Families Navigate Special Education in Texas

Explore special education resources to help your family understand your child's disability, navigate your rights under IDEA, and collaborate with schools to support special education services.

How can we help you today?

I think my child might need special education services

Learn how to request an evaluation and the evaluation process for special education

I'm new to special education

Learn about IDEA, Texas laws, and your child's rights.

Understanding my child's IEP

Learn about IEP requirements and how to prepare for an ARD Committee Meeting.

Options if I disagree with the ARD Committee

Learn more about the available state and federal dispute resolution options.

Explore Resource by Topic

Featured

ARD Committee Meetings

Behavior/Discipline

Consent to Evaluate

Determine Eligibility

Develop the IEP

Dispute Resolution

Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

Evaluation

Graduation

Implement the IEP

New to Texas

New to Special Education

Requesting an Evaluation

Transition

Understanding Parent Rights

Additional Resources

Evaluation, Determine Eligibility

Child Find/Evaluation

Upcoming Webinar: Child Find/Evaluation

Behavior/Discipline, Determine Eligibility

Emotional Disability

This fact sheet defines Emotional Disability (IDEA: emotional disturbance), its traits, related disorders, and stresses early support in schools.

Requesting an Evaluation, New to Special Education, Determine Eligibility

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Fact Sheet for Families - Texas Education Agency

Fact sheet for families explaining MTSS, how it helps students succeed, and the type of academic, behavioral, and social/emotional supports offered at each tier.

Dispute Resolution, Determine Eligibility, Understanding Parent Rights

Independent Education Evaluation

Parents may request a free independent educational evaluation if they disagree with the school evaluation.

Determine Eligibility

Response to Intervention

A framework providing tiered academic and non-academic supports to meet the needs of all students through data-driven interventions.

Teacher and high school student walking in hallway

Behavior/Discipline, Determine Eligibility

Does My Child Have a Mental Health, Emotional, or Behavior Disorder?

Helps parents recognize signs of mental health, behavioral, or emotional disorders in their child and understand when to seek support.

New to Special Education, Evaluation, Determine Eligibility

Milestones Matter for Families

Parents describe how CDC tools helped them track their child’s development, recognize milestones, and know when to seek support.

Determine Eligibility

Find your nearest ECI Program

Allows families to search by location to find Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services for children with developmental delays or disabilities.

Explore Resources by Disability

Popular

All Disability Areas

Autism (AU)

Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH)

Deafblind (DB)

Developmental Delay (DD)

Emotional Disability (ED)

Intellectual Disability (ID)

Orthopedic Impairment (OI)

Other Health Impairment (OHI)

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

Speech or Language Impairment (SI)

Visual Impairment (VI)

ARD Committee Meetings, New to Special Education

Family Video: ARD Meeting – During the Meeting (Spanish)

This video focuses on what happens during an ARD committee meeting. It explains the purpose of ARD meetings and guides families through the process, helping them understand meeting discussions, participate effectively, ask questions, and advocate for their child’s educational needs.

ARD Committee Meetings

ARD Meeting Prep Sheet

This prep sheet provides parents with a clear checklist to help them prepare for an ARD meeting and know what to expect.

Behavior/Discipline, Determine Eligibility

Emotional Disability

This fact sheet defines Emotional Disability (IDEA: emotional disturbance), its traits, related disorders, and stresses early support in schools.

ARD Committee Meetings, New to Special Education

Family Video: ARD Meeting – After the Meeting (Spanish)

This video focuses on what happens after an ARD committee meeting. It explains the purpose of ARD meetings and guides families through next steps, helping them understand decisions made during the meeting and how to support their child's special education services moving forward.