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Special Education

Special Education

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Special education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent/ guardian, to meet the unique needs of a student eligible for special education, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and instruction in physical education. (WAC 392.172A.01175(1))

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that ensures a free appropriate public education is provided for all students, including those with disabilities, through the provision of special education and related services for qualifying students. In the law, Congress states:

    Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. (ed.gov)

    Students who qualify for special education have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living; (WAC 392.172A.01005(2)).

  • IDEA defines a child with a disability, or, a student eligible for special education, as a student who has been evaluated and determined to need special education services because of having a disability in one of the following eligibility categories: 

    • Intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), an emotional/behavioral disability, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, another health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, or for students, three through eight, a developmental delay and who, because of the disability and adverse educational impact, has unique needs that cannot be addressed exclusively through education in general education classes with or without individual accommodations, and needs special education and related services.(WAC 392.172A.01035(1)(a))

  • Students may qualify for special education services under one of the following categories: 

    • Autism
    • Communication Disorders
    • Deafness
    • Deaf-Blindness
    • Developmental Delay
    • Emotional/ Behavioral Delay
    • Health Impairment
    • Intellectual Disability
    • Multiple Disabilities
    • Orthopedic Impairment
    • Specific Learning Disability
    • Traumatic Brain Injury
    • Visual Impairment

  • This process begins by making a request in writing for a special education evaluation. Your request will be reviewed by the school student study team to determine if an evaluation is needed.

    Click Here to download the Chehalis School District Optional Referral for Special Education Form

  • The process of determining if a student requires an IEP requires several steps:

    1. The student is referred for an evaluation due to a suspected disability.
      • A referral is a written request to evaluate a student. Please include the name of the student, all areas of suspected disability, any additional relevant information you choose to share, and the best method to contact you.
    2. The referral is considered by the school’s student study team, which reviews relevant student data and information presented in the referral before the team determines if an evaluation is needed. The team has 25 school days to determine if an evaluation is needed.
      • A Prior Written Notice indicating the decision to evaluate or not will be provided to the parent/ guardian.
    3. If an evaluation is determined to be needed, the parent or guardian or adult student will be requested to provide written consent to evaluate the student.
    4. Once written consent is received, the evaluation is initiated in all areas of suspected disability.
      • The school has up to 35 school days to complete the evaluation.
    5. The evaluation team meets to review the results of the evaluation and determine if the student is eligible for special education.
      • All three prongs must be met to qualify for special education:
        • The student has a disability.
        • The disability adversely affects the student’s education.
        • The student requires specially designed instruction.
    6. If the student is found eligible for special education, then an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed by the IEP team, which includes the parent/ guardian/ adult student. An IEP is a written plan that addresses the student’s unique learning needs.
      • The IEP team has up to 30 calendar days to develop the IEP.
      • The IEP includes specially designed instruction, and possibly related services, accommodations, modifications, and supplementary aids and services.
    7. IEPs are reviewed at least annually.
    8. Re-evaluations are completed at least once every three years but may occur more often at the request of an IEP team member.

    Click Here to download the Chehalis School District Optional Referral for Special Education Form

  • Thank you for telling the school about your student’s new diagnosis. Sharing this information with the teacher, principal, and school psychologist will assist the team to determine if your student needs additional support to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

  • The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide the parents/guardians of a student who is eligible for or referred for special education with a notice containing a full explanation of the rights available to them. Click here to view more information about your rights and procedural safeguards. Guides are available in a variety of languages.

    Procedural Safeguards

  • Contact Student Support at (360) 807-7245 or studentsupport@chehalisschools.org

  • A Free, Appropriate, Public Education, or FAPE, means that every student has the right to an education at no cost that is provided through the public school system. For students who qualify for special education, this means that specially designed instruction (SDI) and, potentially, related services, that are calculated to meet the unique needs of the student based on their individual circumstances, are provided to the student.

  • An IEP is a written plan for a student who qualifies for special education services that are developed by the student’s IEP team. The plan includes information about the student’s unique needs, present levels of functional and academic skills, annual goals, services minutes and locations, and accommodations/ modifications necessary for the student to access their education.

    The IEP team includes the parent/ guardian, student, special education case manager, general education teacher, district representative, and any other service providers (such as the speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, teacher of the visually impaired, etc.).

  • The law in Washington State says that, subject to the exceptions for students in adult correctional facilities, school districts shall ensure that the provision of services to each student eligible for special education, including preschool students and students in public or private institutions or other care facilities, shall be provided: (1) To the maximum extent appropriate in the general education environment with students who are nondisabled; and (2) Special classes, separate schooling or other removal of students eligible for special education from the general educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in general education classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.  (WAC 392.172A.02050 (1)(2))

  • Assistive technology is used to maximize a student’s access to the general education curriculum. It may include devices, equipment, and/ or systems that range from low tech to high tech.

    Assistive technology includes any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system, either off the shelf or modified that is used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of a student with a disability. It may be used to assist with speaking, writing, typing, remembering, pointing, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, or other things. Examples include a specialized pencil grip, slant board, button that plays a recorded message when activated, a device that speaks messages from picture icons, or a text-to-speech program on a computer.

  • Click Here: WAC 392-172A

  • The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Resources

    Other Local Resources:

Child Find

I suspect my child has a disability

Child Find is the process of locating, evaluating, and identifying all children with suspected disabilities, aged 3 to 21 years old, who reside within the boundaries of Chehalis School District; this includes students who are attending private schools, homeless, and/ or migratory. WAC 392.172A.02040

If you suspect that your child has difficulty learning, thinking, moving, speaking, seeing, hearing, managing emotions, or using self-help skills, we are here to help.  

  • If your child is less than 3 years old, please reach out to the Summit Center for Child Development at 360-736-0086 or info@sccdkids.org. 
  • If your child is 3-5 years old (not yet in kindergarten), please contact us at ChildFind@chehalisschools.org to schedule an appointment for a FREE developmental screening. 
  • If your child is between the ages of 5-22 years (already in kindergarten), please contact your child’s school and ask for the school psychologist, principal or assistant principal. That information is below. Completing and emailing the optional Chehalis Schools Referral for Special Education will help with the next steps; you may also write a letter or email with your concerns, or request assistance. 

Child Find Resources for Families

Support for Preschool Age Students

Who Qualifies for Preschool Services?

Students who are not yet 5 years old by August 31st of the current school year, who have an IEP, and reside within the Chehalis School District boundaries are eligible for our developmental preschool program.

  • How does my child get an IEP? If you suspect that your child has a disability in one or more areas, please contact our Child Find team at ChildFind@chehalisschools.org to request an evaluation.

 

My Child Does Not Have a Disability, Can They Attend Preschool?

Yes! Our preschool programs have community students who serve as peer models for students in the preschool program. Taught by experienced, certified early childhood special education teachers, our preschool programs are high quality, engaging, and fun environments that meet each student where they are. 

More Preschool Information

A red circle serves as a backdrop for an individual standing in front, creating a striking visual contrast in the composition.Our developmental preschool also includes some spots for children who do not qualify for special education services. The cost for tuition for our Preschool Community Peers is $200 per month. If you are interested in registering your child as a Community Peer, call (360) 807-7215.

A red circle serves as a backdrop for an individual standing in front, creating a striking visual contrast in the composition.Are you having difficulty paying for preschool? Cornerstone offers preschool scholarships to many local programs. Please click here for for more information on the Cornerstone Program.