Special Education

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Beginning with the 2017 school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) changed the way it reports special education enrollment in school systems. TEA no longer includes a target for a school system’s total numbers of students in special  education as part of state monitoring. For special education representation, TEA only reports on overrepresentation within certain race, ethnicity and disability categories, as required by federal law. School systems cannot use this reporting data to delay, deny or prevent a referral for an evaluation for special education services.

Special Education/IDEA Eligibility

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA, is a federal law that gives eligible students with disabilities the right to receive special education services and assistance in school. To be eligible for special education services, a student with a disability must need instruction that is specially designed to meet the student’s unique needs based on that disability.

Who can request an evaluation for special education?

 

Parents or Guardians:

A parent or guardian has the right to request a special education evaluation at any time. It is best to submit this request in writing to your school’s principal or to the school district’s special education director. If your child is pre-school age and not yet enrolled in school, send the letter to the district’s special education director. 

School:

If the school knows or has reason to suspect that the student has a disability and a need for special education services, the school must refer the student for a special education evaluation. More information on evaluation timelines can be found at direc.to/dVYR

A parent or guardian has the right to request a special education evaluation at any time.

Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) program.

New eligibility criteria will begin on November 1, 2021 for the Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) program.

This program provides $1,500 one-time online grants for parents/caregivers of eligible students served by special education that have been impacted by COVID-19 school closures. 

Families of eligible students can use the online accounts to obtain educational materials, resources, and/or services such as additional therapy, tutoring, or other specific services.

Beginning November 1, 2021, to be eligible for the SSES grant, students must currently be:

• Enrolled in a Texas public school
• Enrolled in PreK - 12th grade
• A student with a disability served through Special Education

Apply Today:

English, Spanish

For additional questions or assistance, contact:
Email: ssesinfo@tea.texas.gov
Call: SPEDTex at 1-855-773-3839

Resources:

What is SSES? Program Overview PDF: English, Spanish 
SSES Overview Video: English, Spanish
SSES Parent Webinar: English, Spanish
SSES Homepage: English, Spanish
SSES FAQs: English, Spanish
Additional Resources: English (landing page with Spanish and other languages resources included)

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Beginning with the 2017 school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) changed the way it reports special education enrollment in school systems. TEA no longer includes a target for a school system’s total numbers of students in special education as part of state monitoring.

For special education representation, TEA only reports on over-representation within certain race, ethnicity and disability categories, as required by federal law. School systems cannot use this reporting data to delay, deny or prevent a referral for an evaluation for special education services. 

View the 2023 Summer Camps flyer here.

New Braunfels Independent School District serves over 160 students who meet eligibility as a student with an autism spectrum disorder. These students are enrolled throughout the district in many different settings.  

For the following services or additional information:

Autism Evaluations:  Diagnostician at your local campus
NBSD Campus List

In-Home and Parent Training:

Karen Feldman
Coordinator

Extended School Year (ESY) services:  

Catherine Archer

View the Special Education Department Directory here.

New Braunfels ISD offers a comprehensive system of "Child Find" in which all individuals birth through 21 who may or may not be in school and who fall within our jurisdiction, regardless of the severity of the disability, will be located, identified and evaluated. Efforts include contact with private, parochial and home schools (if applicable); and public awareness activities.

• For a child younger than 4 years with special needs, Contact Leticia Gonzales, NBISD Coordinator, 830.643.5741 or contact Camino Real ECI at 1-888-543-5750.
• For a child 4 years or older with special needs, contact the Diagnostician or Speech-Language Pathologist at your local school.
• For a school-age child with special needs or suspected disability who is not enrolled in school, contact your local school to enroll your child and meet with the Multidisciplinary Review Team (MTSS) to discuss special education services.

Note: Services are provided at no cost to the parents
 

Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.003 defines dyslexia in the following way:

“Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity.

“Related disorders” include disorders similar to or related to dyslexia, such as developmental spelling disability.

The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia in the following way:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.  It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.  These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.  Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge (Adopted by the International Dyslexia Association Board of Directors, November 12, 2002).

NBISD Dyslexia Program

New Braunfels ISD is committed to supporting students with dyslexia through a comprehensive intervention program. To achieve this goal, the district has implemented Reading By Design as their dyslexia intervention program. This program is a systematic, multisensory approach to literacy development that is aligned with research-based practices.

Reading By Design provides an intensive, explicit, and cumulative approach to remediating reading and writing skills at all grade levels. This intervention program is designed to provide targeted instruction and support to students with dyslexia to help them develop the foundational literacy skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

With this program, students receive the individualized instruction and support they need to build the literacy skills they need to succeed. The district is dedicated to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their learning differences.

Reading By Design (Region 20)

TEA Dyslexia and Related Disorders
 

Provides services to eligible 3, 4, and 5-year-old children with disabilities in Early Childhood Special Education.

• For children referred prior to age three as a referral through an early intervention program while receiving services through ECI, special education services must be made available to the child on his or her third birthday if the child is found eligible.
• A child who is four years old on or before September 1st and meets district pre-kindergarten requirements may enroll in the district's pre-kindergarten program.  Certain guidelines must be met for pre-kindergarten attendance.
• A student must be five years of age on or before September 1st to participate in the district's kindergarten program.
• If the child is to be evaluated by our Assessment Team for Preschool Children, the child participates in a screening and the parent completes appropriate referral paperwork, notice and consent.  Based on the referral information, the assessment will be assigned to an assessment team or a speech-language pathologist.  The evaluation team and/or the SLP completes the evaluation.

The NBISD Gateway Transition Program serves special education students who have completed their high school experience and requirements, but are still entitled to receive special ed. services and would benefit from training to allow them to live as independently as possible in their community.

Transitional Areas Addressed in the Gateway Program

• Life-long learning
• Independent Living Skills
• Employment
• Recreation and Leisure

Contact:

Classroom Number:
830-627-6976

Homebound instruction is a service provided through New Braunfels ISD for students whose medical difficulties are so severe that the student is unable to attend school.

A referral for the Homebound program may be made if a NBISD student is experiencing significant medical problems that will prevent regular school attendance for an extended period of time. All referrals to the Homebound program must be accompanied by a physician's statement of eligibility for Homebound services. Referrals to the Homebound program should be made as soon as the physician anticipates an extended absence. Several requirements must be fulfilled before a student can be enrolled in the Homebound program:
 
The parent must complete required district forms requesting consideration for Homebound services. The parent must give consent for the district to contact the student's physician. 

• The physician must complete required medical forms documenting that the student's disability/illness/injury is so severe that the student is unable to attend school for a minimum of four school weeks.
• Once paperwork has been completed, a referral for evaluation is made to the Section 504 Campus Coordinator and all Section 504 Procedures are followed.  If the student is served in Special Education, then an ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal Committee) convenes and Special Education procedures are followed.  

The Homebound program of instruction is designed to help students keep up with their schoolwork during their absence so that the student can return to school.  When the physician has determined that the student is medically able to return to school, a medical release must be obtained prior to the reentry into the home campus.

Homebound Contact:
Karen Feldman
830.643.5745

View the Special Education Department Directory here.

Related Services are developmental, corrective, or other supportive services that are required to assist a student with a disability to benefit from special education.  Related service must be related to a disability or handicapping condition.  
 
Related services can include, but are not limited to:

• Audiology
• Counseling Services
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Parent Counseling and Training
• Adaptive Physical Education
• School Health Services
• Transportation
• In-Home Training 

Information for the Regional Day School for the Deaf is coming soon.

Resources on Special Education in Texas

This resource provides Texas families with information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Dyslexia, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

• Resources on Special Education in Texas

Delayed or Denied Evaluations & Compensatory Services

These resources are TEA-developed document intended to assist parents whose children may have been previously delayed or denied an evaluation under the IDEA in requesting compensatory services for their child

• Delayed or Denied Evaluations & Compensatory Services (English)
• Evaluaciones Retrasadas o Denegadas & Servicios Compensatorios (Spanish)
   

Student Handbook Statement 

• Student Handbook Statement: English | Texas Education  Agency 
• Student Handbook Statement: Spanish | Texas Education Agency 

Texas Transition and Employment Guide

Resources that have been created by the Student-Centered Transitions Network (SCTN) to assist educators with implementing quality transition services for students with disabilities.

• Texas Transition and Employment Guide (English/Spanish)   

SB 139 Notice to Families 

• SB 139 Notice to Families (English Version) 
• SB 139 Notice to Families (Spanish Version) 

IDEA, Dyslexia, MTSS, and Section 504 

• Resources | Texas Education Agency

Compensatory Services 

• Compensatory Services - Sept 2021 - ENG  
• Compensatory Services - Sept 2021 - SPAN     

Dyslexia Handbook 2021 

• Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update Important Changes  
• Actualización del manual de dislexia 2021 
• Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update 

Records for students still receiving special education services remain on the home campus with the diagnostician and/or speech pathologist.

If you are interested in picking up a copy of Special Education records, please, call the Special Education  Records Office to request records:

Elva Luna
830.643.5741
OFFICE HOURS:
8 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday
Allow two business days for processing.

View the Special Education Department Directory here.

The term "Speech" encompasses the formation and arrangement of sounds, the rhythm and cadence of speaking, and the pitch and quality of one's voice.

"Language" includes both receptive language, or what a child comprehends, and expressive language, or what a child communicates verbally.

New Braunfels ISD provides speech-language services to children aged 3-22 who exhibit a "speech impairment."

A "speech impairment" refers to a communication disorder that negatively impacts a child's educational performance, such as stuttering, difficulty with articulation, language disorders, or voice disorders.

To determine eligibility for speech-language services, New Braunfels ISD considers information from a range of sources, including parent referrals, observations, and evaluations by certified speech-language pathologists.

Transition is an ongoing process that develops over time, with goals evolving and changing as the student matures and gains new perspectives. Transition planning should concentrate on these essential components:

• Assessing the student's transition preferences, needs, strengths, and interests;
• Providing instruction;
• Offering related services;
• Providing opportunities for community experiences;
• Preparing for employment; and, if required,
• Conducting vocational evaluations;
• Developing daily living skills; and
• Connecting with community agencies.

Who provides services to students with vision impairments?

A Teacher of the Visually Impaired, who has:

• A degree in special or general education
• Certification in vision impairments
• Specialized training in Braille and technology

An Orientation and Mobility Specialist (O&M), who has:

• A degree in a related field (e.g., Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Rehabilitation Teaching Low Vision Specialist)
• Completed all O&M core curricula
• One year of full-time experience in O&M

Important Links:

• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
• American Foundation for the Blind
• National Federal of the Blind website
• The Texas Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
• American Printing House for the Blind website
• Texas Talking Books website
• Texas Department of Assisted Living

View information from The Arc (Advocating Inclusion for Texans) below.

The Arc of Texas

View guidance on ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) from the TEA below.

ARD Guide Information

• ARD Guide (English)
• ARD Guide (Spanish)

Special Education Parent Advisory Committee

Establishing Committee:

Principals appointed one representative to serve on the district-wide committee. This year a Facebook page has also been created to increase the support and awareness of the group to the families of students in special education for NBISD. The twelve member group included parents from a variety of backgrounds with students having various disabilities and instructional settings. Members of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) will represent each campus in the school district, not just their child. Now parents will be asked to also serve the NBISD Special Education Parent Advisory Committee if they choose and possibly the NBISD Parent Advisory Committee. Please contact the Special Education office if you have any further questions. 

Purpose of the Committee:

The purpose of the NBISD SEPAC is to collaborate and create a partnership between the district and parents so that communication, action, and positive progress can result in benefit for the special education community in NBISD. This committee will allow for opportunities for parents to formulate suggestions and to participate, as appropriate, in decisions regarding the education of NBISD’s special education children.

Information:

• NBISD Special Education Parental Advisory Council (SEPAC)  Facebook Group
• TEA Family Resources

Chairperson:

Sharon Carlson
Email

We are in need of Surrogate Parents

What is a Surrogate Parent?

The Individual with disabilities Education ACT (IDEA) requires that state and local school systems involve parents in decisions regarding their child’s needs. In cases where the child has no parents, none can be located, or the child is a ward of the state, a parent surrogate must be appointed to represent the child and protect the child’s rights in matters relating to identification, evaluation, and placement in a special education program. A surrogate parent must also complete required training regarding special education laws, rules, to a child with disability and be willing to put in the time to adequately represent the best interests of the child.
 
The Special Education Department of New Braunfels  Independent School District is looking for Surrogate Parents. If you or someone you know would like to serve in this voluntary role for our students, please contact Heather Jarboe  (830) 643-5718.

View Surrogate Parents Information Flyer (English)

View Surrogate Parents Information Flyer (SPANISH)

View the Texas Project First website, which provides Accurate and Consistent Information on the Special Education Process.

Texas Project First

• Austin Resource Guide
• Center for Learning Disabilities
• Disability Rights
• 83rd Legislature: Texans Care for Children
• Governor's Committee
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Legal Framework
• National Down Syndrome Association
• Partners Resource Network
• Procedural Safeguards (English)
• Procedural Safeguards (Spanish)
• SPEDTex - Special Education Information Center
• Texas Parent to Parent
• Region 13
• Texas Education Agency