Referral Process

Referrals may be made by parents, teachers, or another person involved in the education or care of the student.

Are you concerned your child or student has a disability and is in need of services?

• Please contact the campus counselor or the Department of Special Education to discuss your concerns related to your child.
• If your child is between 0-36 months old, please contact Early Childhood Intervention of North Central Texas (ECI) for a referral.
• • ECI provides services to children with disabilities from birth to the age of 3.
  • ECI contacts the district to notify VISD to schedule a transition conference between the parent, ECI, and district to begin the evaluation process & transition the child into the public school system prior to their third birthday, if eligible.

​What will happens if a parent makes a request for a referral to special education?

• The campus designee will request parent information and work with the Student Support Team to gather and review information about the student to make a data-based decision on how to proceed.  The parent will be provided an opportunity to give consent for evaluation or receive written notice of refusal for an evaluation within 15 school days after the written request is made.

Evaluation Process

Venus ISD will conduct a full and individual initial evaluation (FIIE) using a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information, including information provided by the parent, that may assist in determining:

• Whether the child is a child with a disability in need of special education services; and
• The content of the child’s individualized education program (IEP), including information related to enabling the child to be involved in and progress in the general education curriculum, or for the preschool child, to participate in appropriate activities.

VISD must complete the evaluation and the written report within 45 school days from the date Frisco ISD receives the written consent and will provide a copy of the evaluation report to the parent. In accordance with state mandates, timelines may extend due to student absences.

Delayed or Denied Evaluations/ Evaluaciones Retrasadas o Denegadas

Eligibility

There is a two-part test for determining whether your child is eligible for special education services:

1. your child must have a disability and
2. as a result of the disability, your child must need special education services to benefit from education.

The term “special education” means specially-designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. The term “child with a disability” means the child must meet eligibility criteria for at least one of the 13 disabilities specifically outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and, as a result of the disability, has a need for specially designed instruction that can only be provided through special education.

ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) Process

The ARD is the Admission, Review and Dismissal Meeting held for students who are being considered for eligibility as a student with an identified disability who also needs specialized education.  Every year, an annual ARD is held to discuss the student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and plan for educational and related services.

After the initial evaluation report is completed, an ARD committee must be formed to consider the report and determine whether your child is eligible for special education and related services.  The committee must make the eligibility determination within 30 school days from the date of completion of the initial evaluation report.

Disability Categories

Students ages 3-21 must meet one or more of the eligibility requirements listed below in order to receive special education services:

• Autism (AU)
• Deaf-Blindness (DB)
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH)
• Emotional Disturbance (ED)
• Intellectual Disability (ID)
• Non-categorical Early-Childhood (NCEC)
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
• Other Health Impairment (OHI)
• Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
• Speech or Language Impairment (SI)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or
• Visual Impairment (VI)