SPECIAL EDUCATION

Dripping Springs ISD provides eligible students with disabilities a continuum of special education services individualized to meet the unique needs of each student. Special education and related services are specially designed instructional services that enable all students with disabilities to make progress in the general curriculum, to participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities, and to be educated and participate with disabled and non-disabled peers in the public school system. Special Education services are provided at no cost to parents. 

Students qualifying for special education services have needs that will often require support that goes beyond what is normally received in the regular school/classroom setting. Services, as determined appropriate by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee, are available in many different instructional settings. 

Services may include:

• consultative and/or direct support from special education staff within the general education classroom; 
• direct instruction in a small group setting to reinforce instruction given in the general education classroom; 
• pull-out services for specific subject areas.

Dripping Springs ISD also provides support in communication skills, life skills, vocational skills and behavior interventions for qualified students. Related services may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services and adaptive physical education for students meeting eligibility criteria for these specific interventions.

To qualify for special education, students must have been evaluated in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, and be identified as having a disability in one of the following areas: 

Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH)
Autism (AU)
Deaf Blindness (DB)
Emotional Disturbance (ED)
Intellectual Disability (ID)
Multiple Disabilities (MD)
Noncategorical Early Childhood (NCEC)
Orthopedically Impaired (OI)
Other Health Impaired (OHI)
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Speech or Language Impairment (SI)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Visual Impairment (VI)

PARENT RESOURCES

Special Education Resources

Procedural Safeguards-English

Procedural Safeguards-Spanish

Additional languages can be found at Procedural Safeguards - SPEDTex

ARD Guidelines-English

ARD Guidelines-Spanish

Additional languages can be found at Parent's Guide to the ARD Process - SPEDTex

Audio recording of Procedural Safeguards - English