The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is committed to providing effective supports and guidance to Texas public schools in their implementation of strong and effective programs for students with disabilities. The purpose of this project is to increase capacity in Texas local education agencies (LEAs) regarding the implementation of effective practices related to child find, evaluation (including full and individual initial evaluations (FIIEs)) and the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) process. This will be accomplished through the development of easily accessible resources and professional development opportunities, both of which must reflect best practice regarding adult learning theory.

Click HERE to learn more about the network and access resources.

• Writing Effective Impact and Need Statements in the Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE)
  
• Reevaluations: From Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) to Evaluation
• Triangulating Data in the Full and Individual Evaluation: Telling the Student's Story
• Best Practices for Conducting a Virtual Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee Meeting
• ARD 101
  
• Documenting Growth in the FIE

Click HERE for recorded session links.

The application deadline for the ESC 10/TWU SLP Master’s Degree Program - Distance Venue – Cycle 12 has been extended to January 7, 2023. This applies to those participants who are also applying for the Tuition Reimbursement Program for small and/or rural schools. Go HERE for more information about this program.

Participants interested in applying to the SLP Master’s Degree Program must have attended the November information meeting or register for Virtual Information Session #2: December 7, 2022 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. CST

Medicaid has required providers to obtain a referral for speech and audiology services, and a prescription for occupational and physical therapy services. Beginning November 1, 2022, all referring and prescribing providers for these services must obtain a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number and must be enrolled in Medicaid as individual practitioners.

Occupational and physical therapists are not required to get a NPI. The prescription is completed by a physician, Physician’s Assistant (PA), or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) with a NPI that is registered with Texas Medicaid.

The speech and audiology referral can be completed by a Texas licensed speech pathologist (who is eligible to provide service independently without supervision), audiologist, or by a physician, Physician’s Assistant (PA), or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). The referrer must have a NPI that is registered with Texas Medicaid.

For the purposes of SHARS, speech therapists may only make speech referrals and audiologists may only make audiology referrals.

Speech therapists and audiologists may not make referrals of any kind outside of SHARS.

On November 10, 2022 the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services addressed a letter to state directors of special education on Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children (OSEP Policy Support 22-02). This letter and list of resources provides guidance and describes several important principles that states, school districts, school staff, parents, families, and others may find helpful in ensuring that highly mobile children with disabilities receive required special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs in a timely manner.

Click HERE to access the letter and list of resources.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Head Start authored a Dear Colleague Letter and guidance document.

These documents state that state and local educational agencies and Head Start programs have responsibilities for implementing IDEA to ensure that children with disabilities enrolled in Head Start programs receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

Related Resources

• Dear Colleague Letter on IDEA Services in Head Start (Oct. 5, 2022)
• Guidance on Creating an Effective Memorandum of Understanding to Support High-Quality Inclusive Early Childhood Systems (Oct. 5, 2022)

On July 19, 2022, the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released New Guidance Helps Schools Support Students with Disabilities and Avoid Discriminatory Use of Discipline | U.S. Department of Education.

Click HERE to access resources to support all stakeholders, including teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, administrators, local educational agencies (LEAs), State educational agencies (SEAs), and families implement this guidance.

Access these monthly newsletters with the latest information from the Office of Special Education Programs.

September 2022

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