Eligibility for Special Education Services

All students who are referred to Special Education must be assessed to determine eligibility for Special Education services. In Pflugerville ISD, assessments are performed by a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology and Speech-Language Pathologist. Other qualified professionals also may contribute to the assessment. All evaluations include information about the student’s health, language skills, sociological status, emotional and behavioral status, cognitive abilities, adaptive behavior, academic performance, and assistive technology needs.

According to Texas Education Agency’s Parent’s Guide to the Admission, Review and Dismissal Process (Spanish):

“There is a two-part test for determining whether your child is eligible for special education and related services: (1) your child must have a disability; and (2) as a result of the disability, your child must need special education and related services to benefit from education. To meet the first part of the two-part test for eligibility, a child between the ages of 3 through 21, except as noted, must meet the criteria for one or more of the disability categories listed below:

•  auditory impairment  (from birth);
•  autism;  
•  deaf-blindness (from birth);
•  emotional disturbance;
•  intellectual disability;
•  multiple disabilities;
•  noncategorical early childhood (ages three through five);
•  orthopedic impairment;
•  other health impairment;
•  specific learning disability;
•  speech or language impairment;
•  traumatic brain injury; or
•  visual impairment (including blindness from birth).

The ARD committee must make the eligibility determination within 30 calendar days from the date of completion of the initial evaluation report.”

The assessment will produce a Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE), which will assist in determining the presence of a disability and identifying an educational need for specialized instruction. Students placed in special education are re-evaluated every three years to determine whether they continue to qualify for services. While the evaluation team determines the disability, the ARD committee determines placement in special education and instructional programming.

For more information, contact:

Ashley Peay, M.Ed

Evaluation Coordinator

Pflugerville ISD Special Education Department 

512-594-0168

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