Special Services FAQ

If you suspect your child has a learning problem or disability, you should write your child’s school principal a letter or email requesting special education testing (evaluation). <Sample Letter>

No, doctors are not allowed to request special education testing in public schools.  Only a parent or guardian can make that request.  Throughout this process we rely on our medical partners to provide relevant information and recommendations for medical supports to assist a student in accessing their education.

The school will contact you to set up a team meeting.  These meeting may be called an Individual Planning Meeting (IPM), or Student Study Team (SST) Meeting or Evaluation Planning Meetings depending on the school your child attends.

The school team and parent will discuss the strengths and concerns about your child.  Academic, behavior and attendance information will be reviewed and then the team will decide if special education testing should be completed.  At the end of the meeting one of two actions will be completed:

1. If the team agrees that special education testing should be completed, you will be asked to sign an “Evaluation Consent Form” that lists what tests will be completed for your child.

2. If the team decides that the information that was reviewed does not indicate that a student needs special education testing, a “Notice of Special Education Action” will be filled out and given to you.

Yes.  You will be asked to give consent by signing an “Evaluation Consent Form” that lists what tests will be completed for your child.

The school has 60 school days to complete all testing and meet with the team to review the information and determine special education eligibility.

Grades can be one factor of many in considering eligibility for special education services. 

Schools use a variety of tools to gather information including parental/guardian input, classroom observations, interviews, review of existing data, valid assessment instruments, and other additional data as determined by qualified professionals. 

You have the right to meet with the Director of Special Services and request an Independent Educational Evaluation for that assessment in question. 

Parents, a special education teacher, your child’s general education teacher, specialists who completed any testing (i.e. school psychologist, speech pathologist, autism consultant, occupational therapist, physical therapist), and a district representative who is often your child’s school principal or vice principal.

There are 13 different eligibilities

• Intellectual Disability (ID)

• Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH)

• Visual Impairment (VI)

• Deafblindess (DB)

• Speech or Language Impairment (SLI)

• Emotional Behavior Disability (EBD)

• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• Other Health Impairment (OHI)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

• Developmental Delay (DD)

You will be asked to sign a “Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education” and the school will draft an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for your child and hold a meeting to review within 30 days of being found eligible for special education services.  You are a vital member of the team and will need to provide input into the plan based on your child’s strengths and needs prior to and during the meeting.

As a parent, you have the right to request a meeting with your child’s IEP team to discuss the program and/or placement.  Ultimately it is an IEP Team decision based on your child’s goals and services.

The school/district wants to work with parents/guardians to find a time that works for both the school and the family.  If after at least three attempts (phone call, email, mail, and/or ParentSquare) to schedule a meeting and the parent/guardian does not attend, then the team will meet without them and continue to try and engage the parent.

Yes and no depending on the purpose of the IEP team meeting.

• If it is an initial IEP, the answer is no.  The district does not have the authority to implement an initial IEP without parent consent (signature).

• If it is an annual IEP or re-eligibility, then the answer is yes.  Once a student has been found eligible for special education services, and parents have consented to services (Initial Provision of Services), the district is required to offer a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) which is done through an IEP.  It is important to understand that a parent/guardian signature is not required once the “Consent for Initial Provision of Special Education” has been signed

Parents/Guardians can ask for an IEP team meeting at any time. Parents/Guardians can make this request through their child’s case manager or building administrator.

In Oregon, there are 3 diploma options and 1 Certificate of Attendance option.  The diploma options are Regular, Modified and Extended.  You can find out more information on our graduation requirements webpage. 

If your child graduated with a Regular Diploma, school-age special education services end.  If your child graduated with a Modified or Extended Diploma or a Certificate of Attendance, they can voluntarily continue to participate in our Adult Community Transition Program through the school year they turn 21 years old.  Starting when your child turns 16 years old, a transition planning section will be included in your child’s IEP.

When you register your child, make sure the incoming school knows that your child received special education services through an IEP at their previous school.  The new school will then contact the previous school to obtain records of all special education services.  Once the records are received, the school’s special education teacher and specialists will review the IEP to develop a comparable plan for the student while Oregon Special Education eligibility is established.  This eligibility process may involve additional assessments or the team may be able to use existing assessment or medical documentation from your child’s previous school. 581-015-2230 Transfer Students

• Fact Oregon
• Disability Rights Oregon