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Special Education
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- Overview
- Assessment and Related Services
- Child Find
- Diagnostician
- Dyslexia
- Specialized Programs
- Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP)
- Inclusion
Overview
Mission Statement
We will ensure student success by providing a free and appropriate public education through a continuum of services to maximize each student's academic and functional abilities.
We believe…that all students should have appropriate access to a full continuum of services that will allow individual educational needs to be met in the least restrictive environment.
We believe…that intentional leadership leads to the development and retention of personnel for the benefit of student achievement.
We believe…that the special educational services and supports will prepare the students to transition into post-secondary opportunities.
Assessment and Related Services
Evaluation
Once it has been determined that a student continues to experience difficulty in the general education curriculum after appropriate interventions have been provided, the student may be referred for a Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) to determine if a disability is present and if there is a need for specially designed instruction through special education. A referral for a FIE may be initiated by the parent or school personnel through the RTI Committee or School Counselor. In GPISD, evaluations are conducted by highly qualified personnel which may include: Educational Diagnostician, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP), and/or Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP).
Once written consent is obtained to evaluate your child, GPISD has 45 school days to complete the FIE and then 30 calendar days from the date of the FIE to convene an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meeting to review the results of that evaluation. A child between the ages of three and twenty-one must meet the criteria for one or more of the disability categories listed below to be considered for special education services:
- Autism
- Deaf-Blindness
- Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Emotional Disturbance
- Intellectual Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
- Non-Categorical Early Childhood (age 3-5)
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech or Language Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment
Parent consent for an evaluation is required. A parent may refuse to sign the consent for evaluation or revoke consent for the evaluation once the evaluation has started. Any information obtained prior to the revocation will be reported.
If a parent wishes to request an initial evaluation, the request must be made in writing to a District Administrative staff member (i.e. Campus Principal and/or Executive Director of Special Education). GPISD campus administrator then has 15 school days to respond to this request by setting up an RTI meeting to either obtain consent or provide written response of refusal.
Eligibility
Eligibility for special education services is determined based on two criteria: (1) a student must have a disability in one of the areas listed above, and (2) as a result of the disability, the student must demonstrate an educational need and therefore require specially designed instruction through special education. As part of considering eligibility, the evaluation must determine that the student has had appropriate instruction and that the academic or behavioral difficulties cannot be explained by other factors such as frequent absences, limited English proficiency, or other factors that could be the primary cause of the difficulties.
Re-evaluation
A re-evaluation must occur at least once every 3 years, unless the parent and the district agree that a reevaluation is not necessary.
Related Services
The term “related services” refers to an array of support services that are an integral part of the special education program for students with disabilities. Their purpose is to allow the child with disabilities to benefit from his/her program. Each child’s need for related services must be determined on an individual basis and included in the child’s IEP. It must determine first that a disability is present and need for special education exists before a related service can be considered through special education. GPISD supports the following related services in the school setting.
- Music Therapy
- Occupational and Physical Therapy in the School Setting
- Orientation & Mobility Services
- Psychological Services
- Special Education Counseling in the School Setting
- Transportation
Child Find
The purpose of Child Find is to locate, identify, and evaluate infants, children and young adults through age 21 who may have a disability, such as learning, speech and language, vision, hearing, physical or health impairments.
GPISD ensures all students are afforded an appropriate education. GPISD provides Child Find information to district employees, physician, day cares, private schools, and other entities in the city of Grand Prairie and surrounding areas. GPISD ensures special education services at no cost are available to eligible students ages three through 21 years and to children from birth through age 21 years who have a hearing or visual impairment. Children from birth to age three with other disabilities will be referred to appropriate agencies for services.
Special services are available to eligible infants, children, and your adults identified with a disability who may be experiencing difficulties in one or more of the following areas:
- Auditory Impairment
- Autism
- Deaf-Blindness
- Emotional Disturbance
- Intellectual Disability
- Other Health Impairment
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech/Language Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment
Grand Prairie ISD identifies children ages three, four, and five who may be eligible and would benefit from a Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). Request for a Child Find Meeting may be made by parents, other concerned persons or Head Start. ECI case workers will initiate the referral process for children that have been identified with a delay. GPISD completes Child Find Meetings and/or evaluations during the school year.
For information on referring children enrolled in GPISD suspected of having a disability, contact the GPISD special education department or your child’s campus RTI team.
For information on referring children not enrolled in GPISD suspected of having a disability, contact the GPISD Child Find Department.
For services for children less than 3 years old contact Dallas Metrocare - Early Childhood Intervention Services at 214-333-7076.
Diagnostician
Educational Diagnosticians are here to assess and diagnose students' learning problems. The assessment will determine if the child is eligible for special education, or bilingual education programs. Once the problem has been identified our diagnosticians will plan an appropriate program for that student. Then support personnel will counsel the children, teachers and parents on the child's progress. It is the Diagnostician’s responsibility to see that the program is implemented to ensure students' success.
Recommendations may include:
- Child be allowed extra time during tests
- Child may be required to take tests orally if they struggle with written communication
- A distractible child may be moved to the front of the classroom near the teacher's desk
Special Education
We am committed to ensure that students with disabilities are fully involved in all areas of campus life and make progress in the general curriculum successfully and appropriately as a result of teachers, parents, and administrative staff effectively implementing modifications, adaptations, and/or accommodations.
We believe Special Education should meet the individual needs of each student and that it should be based on assessment results.
Consider…
- Learning rate
- Learning style
- Cultural/Ethnic/Linguistic Differences
- Be outcome-oriented
- Be linked to the strategies and curriculum of the general education classroom
- Be monitored regularly and modified when necessary
- Create a level playing field for all students
Dyslexia
Our Mission
In partnership with our parents, teachers, and administrators, the mission of Grand Prairie ISD Dyslexia Services is to provide students intensive, research-based, multisensory instruction in safe and nurturing classrooms focused on maximizing academic performance and supporting social-emotional needs.
Our Goals
- Provide ongoing professional development for all staff in dyslexia identification, instruction, and dyslexia services.
- Empower our dyslexia strategists and inclusion teachers with ongoing training and resources in effective strategies in order to deliver highly effective dyslexia services to meet the individual needs of each student.
- Support the social-emotional growth of our dyslexic students by helping them gain a heightened awareness of their strengths and potential to foster a greater sense of confidence and self-worth.
- Build community awareness of dyslexia and related services.
- Strengthen the communication process between administration, general education, and special education.
Specialized Programs
GPISD provides a continuum of specially designed instructional services to meet the needs of students with disabilities from 3-21 years of age. Special education services include mainstream instructional settings to self-contained instructional settings, and related services. Services provided in special programs are designed to allow individual students access to specially designed instruction that has increased intensity, frequency, and duration in the student’s area of need. These services are designed to allow students to develop the academic, functional, social-emotional, or behavioral skills needed to access and make progress on the general or alternate curriculum as appropriate.
Instructional settings are determined based on the special education supports and services provided to a student and not the location in which those services are provided. If required, special education services may take place in an instructional setting deemed a specialized program. Additionally, educational disability does not determine placement but rather the manifestation of the student’s disability and need. Special education services and support may require a change of placement to include a change from a student’s home campus to another campus located in the school district. Specialized programs are located on age-appropriate campuses throughout the district and offer smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
- Continuum of Services
- Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD)
- Children with Autism and Related Exceptionalities (CARE)
- Daily Living Skills (DLS)
- Functional Skills (FS)
- Social Emotional Achievement (SEA)
- 180 Reclaiming Center (180RC)
- 18-Plus Transition Program
Continuum of Services
Behavioral Support
Behavioral support is a service provided to special education students who participate in a general education classroom but have behavioral deficits that require specialized support beyond what can be provided by the general education teacher. A special education provider will collaborate with the general education teacher to implement specially designed instruction that supports the student’s IEP goals.
Instructional Support
Instructional support is a service provided to special education students who participate in a general education setting but have academic deficits that require specialized support beyond what can be provided by the general education teacher. A special education provider will collaborate with the general education teacher to implement specially designed instruction that supports the student’s IEP goals.
Supplemental Support
Supplemental support is a service provided to special education students who participate in a general education classroom but have academic deficits that require specialized support in a special education setting. Services will be provided in a Special Education setting for intensive remediation of skills.
Foundations
Foundations is a resource instructional service provided to special education students who have cognitive deficits impacting academic performance, and who generally do not demonstrate any functional needs. Students considered for services are five or more instructional levels behind in Reading and/or Math for grades 6-12. Services will be provided in a Special Education setting utilizing a modified general education curriculum, vertically aligned to grade level academic standards.
Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD)
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) – Grand Prairie ISD offers a Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) and a Preschool Program for Improving Communication Skills (PPICS) under the umbrella of ECSE.
The PPCD program is for students ages 3-5 and offers a full continuum of services designed to target pre-academic skills, adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. Students who demonstrate a need for PPCD have mild to profound developmental delays in adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, or physical development. GPISD’s PPCD programs include five specialized settings:
- Pre-K Blended - Pre-K Blended is a general education setting that includes rigorous, developmentally appropriate instruction for students with and without disabilities. Students receiving services in this program may receive instructional support, supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate.
- PPCD- Positive Behavior Support (PBS) - PPCD-PBS is a special education setting that includes rigorous, developmentally appropriate instruction for students with disabilities. Students receiving services are provided instruction on the general curriculum. The PPCD-PBS program focuses on social-emotional and behavior development, with one instructional period dedicated to explicit instruction in coping and social skills development. Students receiving services in this program demonstrate moderate to severe delays in social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Student services range from participation in a mainstream instructional setting with instructional support, supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate or a self-contained instructional setting smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
- PPCD- Self-Contained - PPCD- Self-Contained is a special education setting that includes rigorous, developmentally appropriate instruction for students with disabilities. Students receiving services are provided instruction on an alternate curriculum. The PPCD-Self-Contained program focuses on pre-academic skills, adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. Students receiving services in this program generally demonstrate severe to profound developmental delays in a variety of domains. Student services range from supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
- PPCD- Severe and Medically Fragile (SMF) - PPCD-SMF is a special education setting that includes a developmentally appropriate alternate curriculum for students with disabilities. The PPCD-SMF is designed to for students with a serious, ongoing illness or chronic condition dependent on medical care and other specialized interventions. Student services are generally in a self-contained instructional setting with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff and nursing services.
- Preschool Program for Improving Communication (PPICS) – PPICS is a special education setting that focuses on speech and language development. The PPICS program is designed for students who demonstrate moderate to severe expressive language impairments and/or severe articulation or phonological delays in age-appropriate suppression of phonological processes.
Children with Autism and Related Exceptionalities (CARE)
The CARE program is designed for students in grades K-12 and offers a full continuum of services designed for students with Autism and related exceptionalities (e.g., Williams Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome,) and comorbid conditions such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression. The program targets academic skills, adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. Students who demonstrate a need for CARE have mild to profound delays in adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. GPISD’s CARE programs include three specialized settings:
- Daily Skills (DS) - CARE DS is a special education setting designed to serve students who are severely to profoundly impacted by Autism, a related exceptionality or a comorbid condition that substantially impacts the students functioning across a variety of domains. Students in this program are dependent on specialized interventions and supports to perform activities of daily living. Student services are generally in a self-contained instructional setting on an alternate curriculum, with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff and nursing services.
- Life Skills (LS) - CARE LS is a special education setting designed to serve students who are moderately impacted by Autism, a related exceptionality or a comorbid condition that moderately impacts the students functioning across a variety of domains. The CARE LS program focuses on activities of daily living, social skills development, and post-secondary readiness skills. Student services range from participation in mainstream instructional settings with instructional support, resource instructional settings with supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate or a self-contained instructional setting with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
- Specialized Supports (SS) - CARE SS is a special education setting designed to serve students who are mildly to moderately impacted by Autism, a related exceptionality or a comorbid condition that may minimally impact a student’s functioning across a variety of domains. Students receiving services are provided instruction on the general curriculum. Students receiving services in this program generally demonstrate mild to moderate delays in sensory, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Student services range from participation in a mainstream instructional setting with instructional support, supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate or a self-contained instructional setting with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
Daily Living Skills (DLS)
The DLS program is designed for students in grades K-12 and offers a continuum of services designed for students with severe to profound developmental delays, serious illness, or other chronic conditions. The program targets academic skills, adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. Students who demonstrate a need for DLS require direct, intensive instruction to acquire, maintain, and generalize skills, and are dependent on medical care and other specialized intervention to support activities of daily living. Student services are generally in a self-contained instructional setting using an alternative curriculum with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff and nursing services.
Functional Skills (FS)
The FS program is designed for students in grades K-12 and offers a continuum of services designed for students with moderate developmental delays that impacts the students functioning across a variety of domains to include academic skills, adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, social-emotional and behavior development, and physical development. The FS program focuses on activities of daily living, social skills development, and post-secondary readiness skills. Student services range from participation in mainstream instructional settings with instructional support, resource instructional settings with supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate or a self-contained instructional setting with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
Social Emotional Achievement (SEA)
SEA is a program designed for students in grades K-12 and offers a full continuum of services with instruction provided on the general curriculum. The SEA program focuses on social-emotional and behavior development, with one instructional period dedicated to explicit instruction in coping and social skills development. Students receiving services in this program demonstrate moderate to severe delays in social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Student services range from participation in a mainstream instructional setting with instructional support, supplemental support, behavioral support, speech therapy services, and related services as appropriate or a self-contained instructional setting with smaller student-to-teacher ratios, individualized instruction to target IEP goals and objectives, and specially trained instructional staff.
180 Reclaiming Center (180RC)
180RC is an off-campus program designed for students in grades K-12 who demonstrate intense sensory, emotional, and behavioral concerns that result in safety concerns for the student, other students, and staff. These concerns disrupt the learning environment and prevent the student and the students’ peers from fully participating in the educational environment. The 180RC program provides a highly structured therapeutic environment focused on coping skills, and retraining of socially appropriate responses.
18-Plus Transition Program
LIVE (Life Skills, Independent Living, Vocational Skills, Employment Opportunities) - 18-Plus Transition Program (18+)
The 18+ program is a special education setting designed for students ages 18 to 22 who have met graduation requirements, but require continued instruction in independent living, employment and vocation, leisure, and recreation. The 18+ program provides transition services for students through classroom instruction, community-based learning, and work-based learning experiences. Participation is IEP driven and based solely on post-secondary goals identified for the student. Completion and mastery of IEP goals results in the cessation of services. GPISD’s transition services include three pathways.
LIVE - Independent Living
Students receiving transition services for independent living are focused on living in a supported living arrangement or at home with a caregiver. Students will develop social skills, home and community safety, self-care and other valuable skills needed to access home and community settings independently or with minimal assistance. Prerequisite skills include the following: Toilet independently or with minimal support and able to regulate behavior
LIVE - Employment
Students receiving transition services for employment are focused on developing employability skills in order for students to be gainfully employed and contribute to the workforce and community independently or with minimal assistance. Students may participate in work-based learning experiences, internships/externships, or other related tasks. Prerequisite skills include the following: Toilet independently or with minimal support and able to regulate behavior.
LIVE - Daily Skills
Students receiving transition services for daily skills are focused on volunteerism and community involvement in order for students to participate in vocational, recreational and leisure activities in the community. Prerequisite skills include the following: Toilet independently or with minimal support and able to regulate behavior.
Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP)
Speech-Language Therapy encompasses a wide array of communication disorders. Therapy may focus on management of articulation, phonological, language, fluency or voice disorders demonstrated by children.
Articulation
Children receiving articulation therapy are taught the motor component of speech and speech sounds. Correct and incorrect speech sounds are practiced in therapy. Phonological therapy focuses on the linguistic aspect of speech production.
Language
Children with language disorders may have difficulty understanding concepts being presented and/or expressing themselves. Language therapy focuses on strengthening the child’s receptive and expressive language skills that will help them succeed in the classroom. Comprehension, production, semantics, morphology, syntax, pragmatics and phonology are different areas of language that may be addressed in speech therapy.
Stuttering
Children who are seen for fluency or stuttering disorders experience an abnormally high frequency and/or duration of stoppages in speech. Different strategies or techniques are taught to help the child have smoother, more fluent speech.
Voice Disorders
Children with voice disorders may experience disturbances in pitch, loudness, or quality of voice. These children learn strategies to help the quality of their voice.
Inclusion
Inclusion is a service provided by the Special Education department so that all students can be included and make progress in the regular curriculum. Certified teachers and paraprofessionals provide identified disabled students with a range of accommodations and/or modifications in the regular education classroom. Eligibility for services is determined by the Special Education department and the students’ ARD committee.