The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to  eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. To learn more about the 13 disability categories, visit the SPEDTex website.

Special education means instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability. It includes any related services like transportation, occupational or physical therapy, or assistive technology, needed for the student to benefit from his or her special education services. Special education is not a place, but a set of services and supports that can be provided in many ways and in many different settings.  What special education looks like for an individual student is outlined in his or her IEP (Individualized Education Program).  The IEP is developed by a team referred to in Texas as the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee.  The parent is a member of the ARD committee.

Download the PDF file: Overview of Special Education for Parents (English | Spanish)

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services are for children three through five years of age. ECSE teachers provide services in a variety of settings such as Head Start, pre-kindergarten 3 & 4, kindergarten, and other early childhood settings. To learn more about Early Childhood Special Education services and programs, visit the SPEDTex Early Childhood Guidance Document or contact Kelly Volding, the Austin ISD ECSE Coordinator, at kelly.volding@austinisd.org. If you would like to request an evaluation for your child, please visit the Child Find page.

What are Compensatory Services? Compensatory services are used to help students make up for progress or skills they lost when their special education services were not provided. This includes situations where a child does not get special education services because he or she was denied a timely initial evaluation, but later found eligible. If an initial evaluation was denied when it should not have been, compensatory services may be needed to make up for the delay in your child getting special education services. 

Who Decides if Compensatory Services are Needed? Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD} committees decide if compensatory services are needed and what those services will be. Parents and guardians are members of the ARD committee. Your participation is very important.

How Do I Request Compensatory Services for My Child? Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD} committees decide if compensatory services are needed and what those services will be. Parents and guardians are members of the ARD committee. Your participation is very important. 

• Resources: English, Spanish

Transition services are activities and supports that help students with disabilities, receiving special education services, access opportunities in independent living, education and training, employment, and recreation and leisure. In the state of Texas, these services start no later than the age of 14, and are updated annually. Austin Independent School District highly recommends beginning planning as soon as a student starts receiving special education services. Regardless of a student’s disability, transition planning is necessary to prepare students for life after Austin ISD. Transition services and activities take the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs into consideration to prepare them for adulthood. 

Visit the Transition Services website >