Special Education Referrals

Once your child has been referred for special education 

A student who is experiencing difficulties in school may be referred to the school review team by a teacher, parent, principal or other concerned person. The team reviews referral information and works with the classroom teacher to develop intervention strategies designed to help the student succeed in his or her current classroom. These interventions may be immediately implemented.

Parents are invited to their child’s team meeting. These teams may also determine the need for special education evaluation. The team will provide parents with written notification regarding its recommendations on whether or not to pursue an evaluation. Written parental consent must be obtained before an initial evaluation begins.

Upon completion of the evaluation, parents are invited to a formal conference with the team. At this meeting, parents will have the opportunity to review the evaluation results and discuss their student's eligibility for special education services. Recommendations regarding eligibility are made by a consensus of members of the team based on the data obtained through the evaluation process.

To qualify for special education, the following criteria must be met: 

1. The student must have a disability, and
2. the disability must have a significant negative impact on the student’s education, and
3. the impact can only be addressed through specially designed instruction. 

If a student is eligible for special education services, an Individual Education Program is developed.

Additional Resources

• OSPI Special Education - The OSPI website is dedicated to providing students and families with information about special education, to ensuring that students and families know about their rights, and to answer questions they may have about how the process works. This resources provides a complete and clear picture of the entire special education process.