Special Programs
Welcome to the LDISD Special Programs Department! We are dedicated to providing exceptional educational opportunities and support for students with diverse learning needs within our district.
In LDISD, we believe that every child deserves an inclusive and nurturing learning environment that fosters their unique abilities. Our Special Programs Department is committed to ensuring that students with special needs receive the individualized attention, resources, and services they require to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Special Programs Information & Resources
- Child Find
- Disabilities & Services
- Driving with Disabilities
- Instructional Settings
- Important Notices
- Transition Services
- Special Education Links
- General Links
- Records Destruction
- Records Request
Child Find
Child Find Describes the process by which students who are in need of special education, including children with disabilities attending private schools, are identified, located, and evaluated.
All children with disabilities residing in the state, who are in need of special education and related services, including children with disabilities attending private schools, must be identified, located, and evaluated. This process is called Child Find.
Children under 3 years old
Children who are younger than 3 years old are not evaluated or served by Lake Dallas ISD. Instead, parents with concerns are encouraged to contact the area's early childhood intervention program - Tarrant County MHMR. More information may be found here: https://www.mhmrtarrant.org/
Children 3-5 Years of Age Who Are Not Enrolled in School
The process for children 3-5 years of age – who are not enrolled in school – typically begins with a developmental screening . Information is collected in skill areas such as: language, cognition, motor, self-help, and social. To schedule an appointment or to get more information, please contact: Brooke Waggoner, Administrative Assistant, 940-497-1409, bwaggoner@ldisd.net.
Children in Private or Home or School (All Ages)
Children who are eligible for special education and attend private or home schools are not entitled to all of the services they would receive if they were in public school; however, certain services are available. To be eligible for special education services the child: must be evaluated; must meet criteria for an educational disability condition; must need special education. The services available to eligible children in private and home schools are called proportionate share services. The proportionate share services offered during a given year depend on the most “in-demand” need at that time. Evaluations for children in private or home school are typically conducted by the school district in which the private or home school is located. If your child has been or might be eligible for special education and your child attends a private or home school within the boundaries of Lake Dallas ISD, please contact: Brooke Waggoner, Administrative Assistant, 940-497-1409, bwaggoner@ldisd.net.
Children Enrolled in a Lake Dallas ISD School
Please see the information here: Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services.
How do I refer my child?
Parents of Pre-K-aged children (3-5) are encouraged to complete the CDC Child Development Checklist before requesting an assessment.
If your child is already enrolled in a Lake Dallas ISD campus, talk to their teacher or your campus administrator.
If your child does not attend a Lake Dallas ISD school, and you would like to speak to someone regarding a referral for a special education evaluation, please fill out This Form.
Disabilities & Services
Disabilities & Services lists the disability conditions defined in federal and state rules and regulations; and, lists services that eligible students might receive.
Disability Conditions
Federal and state rules and regulations define the following disability conditions for the purposes of special education:
- Auditory Impairment
- Autism
- Deaf-Blindness
- Emotional Disturbance
- Intellectual Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
- Noncategorical Early Childhood
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech or Language Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment
Services
Eligible students' programs of services are determined by their Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committees. Students' programs of services are individualized; there is not a one-size-fits-all program. The list below includes - but is not limited to - various services students might receive.
- Accommodations - Intended to reduce or even eliminate the effects of student’s disability but do not reduce learning expectations
- Modifications - Practices and procedures that change the nature of the task or target skill
- Speech therapy
- Behavior intervention
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychological services/counseling
- Orientation & mobility training
- Audiology
- Parent training
- In-home training
- Adapted physical education
- Assistive technology
- Special transportation
- Transition services - Focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities
Driving with Disabilities
As required by Texas Education Code §29.0113, Texas public schools must provide information about the options available through the Texas Driving with Disability initiative to students who:
- have a health condition or disability that may impede effective communication; and
-
receive special education services; or
- are covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Instructional Settings
Instructional settings includes descriptions of the settings in which eligible special education students receive special education services based on decisions of students' Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committees.
Instructional Settings
For each student eligible for special education, an Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee makes decisions about the programs, supports, and services that will appropriately address the student’s needs. These decisions determine the student’s instructional setting. Some students receive all of their special education services in the general education classroom; others receive most of their special education services in one or more special education classrooms. Some of the more common instructional settings for eligible special education students are listed below.
Mainstream
The student is provided special education and related services in the general education classroom.
Resource
The student is provided special education and related services in a setting other than general education for less than 21% of the student’s instructional day.
Self-Contained, Mild
The student is provided special education and related services in a setting other than general education for at least 21% but less than 50% of the student’s instructional day.
Self-Contained, Moderate
The student is provided special education and related services in a setting other than general education at least 50% but no more than 60% of the student’s instructional day.
Self-Contained, Severe
The student is provided special education and related services in a setting other than general education more than 60% of the student’s instructional day.
Full-Time Early Childhood Special Education
The student is 3 through 5 years of age and receives full-time special education and related services in educational programs designed primarily for children with disabilities.
Vocational Adjustment Class
The student participates in a special education work-based learning program and is employed in a paid or unpaid full- or part-time job with regularly scheduled direct involvement.
Speech Therapy
The student only receives speech therapy. The student does not receive any other special education services.
Important Notices
Important information that the district is required to disseminate or considers essential for parents to know.
- Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services
- Senate Bill 139: Dissemination of Information About the Special Education Referral Process
- School Health and Related Services (SHARS)
- Procedural Safeguards
Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services
Click the link below for information about support services for students, who to contact about making a referral to special education or Section 504 services, or who to contact to request an evaluation for special education or Section 504 services. This information can also be found in the Student Handbook.
Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services
Senate Bill 139: Dissemination of Information About the Special Education Referral Process
School Health and Related Services (SHARS)
Lake Dallas ISD participates in the School Health and Related Services (SHARS) program. This program is for children who have public benefits (Medicaid) and also receive special education services at school. The program allows schools to bill Medicaid for some of the special education services. Examples are speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, assistance with daily living skills, etc. This program helps LDISD receive money that it otherwise wouldn’t have.
Notice of School Health and Related Services Program (SHARS)
Lake Dallas ISD (LDISD) participates in the School Health and Related Services (SHARS) program. This program is for children who have public benefits (Medicaid) and also receive special education services at school. The program allows schools to bill Medicaid for some of the special education services. Examples are speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, assistance with daily living skills, etc. This program helps LDISD receive money that it otherwise wouldn’t have.
LDISD will not access your child’s public benefits without your consent. If we do not already have your consent, someone from the school might contact you to discuss the consent process. Please understand it is your choice to provide consent or not. The consent is to make sure you understand and agree that LDISD may access your child’s public benefits. The consent will inform you of the personally identifiable information that might be shared with Medicaid (such as information about your child’s speech therapy, occupational therapy, or other special education services). It will also specify who the information will be disclosed to (Medicaid) and why (to get reimbursed for the services).
If you consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. If you withdraw your consent, LDISD will still provide your child’s special education services at no cost to you. If you do not consent at all, LDISD will still provide your child’s special education services at no cost to you.
LDISD will not require you to sign up for or enroll in public benefits programs for your child to receive a free and appropriate education and his/her special education services. We will not require you to incur out-of-pocket expense such as deductibles or co-pays as part of the program; however, we may pay costs that parents otherwise would be required to pay. Additionally, we will not bill Medicaid for your child’s services if this would: decrease lifetime coverage for any Medicaid-insured benefit; cause you to pay for services outside of school that would otherwise be covered by Medicaid; increase premiums; cause discontinuation of your child’s Medicaid; risk loss of eligibility for home/community based programs.
Please note, the Texas Health & Human Services Department is required by the Social Security Act to seek out reimbursement for covered services from legally liable third parties – such as private insurance companies – who are responsible for paying all or part of claims for services provided to Medicaid recipients. This may occur if your child has private insurance in addition to his/her Medicaid insurance. But parents or guardians will not incur out-of-pocket expenses because Texas Medicaid pays copayments and deductibles associated with private insurance. Lifetime benefits of private insurance could be affected depending on the policy or agreement parents or guardians have with the insurance company.
Please feel free to contact Brooke Waggoner, Administrative Assistant, at 940-497-1409 with any questions about the SHARS program. Also feel free to contact Dr. Jay Weidenbach, Executive Director of Special Programs, at 940-497-1540. You may also contact the state’s Medicaid program at 1-800-252-8263.
Procedural Safeguards
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended in 2004, requires schools to provide parents of a child with a disability with a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under IDEA and its implementing regulations. The procedural safeguards are important. They are designed to help parents of children with disabilities understand their rights under IDEA.
Procedural Safeguards Documents and Resources
Transition Services
Transition services is a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that us focused on improving the academic and functional achievement and facilitates a child's movement from school to post-school activities
Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that:
- Is designed to be within a results-oriented process.
- Is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability
- Facilitates a child's movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.
For assistance, please contact our Transition Designee Cynthia Simon at csimon@ldisd.net
Special Education Links
Resources on Special Education in Texas
This is intended to provide Texas families with information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Dyslexia, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
The site provides information and resources that can help you understand your child’s disability, your rights and responsibilities under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and facilitate collaboration that supports the development and delivery of services to children with disabilities in our State.
Texas Transition and Employment Guide
The resources have been created by the Student-Centered Transitions Network (SCTN) to assist educators with implementing quality transition services for students with disabilities.
Improving Special Education in Texas
TEA site committed to improving Special Education in Texas, providing information about Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) and Special Education Strategic Plan.
Created by parents, for parents…..A project of the Family to Family Network committed to providing accurate and consistent information to parents and families of students with disabilities.
Significant Disproportionality
The State has the discretion to define what constitutes significant disproportionality for the LEAs and the State in general. However, the state's definition of significant disproportionality must be based on an analysis of
numerical information and may not include consideration of the State's or LEA's policies, procedures, or practices.
• Significant Disproportionality | Texas Education Agency
• State and Federal Activity Updates Regarding Significant Disproportionality (texas.gov)
General Links
Records Destruction
PUBLIC NOTICE
RECORDS TO BE DESTROYED
Lake Dallas ISD Special Education, 504, and Dyslexia records are destroyed in compliance with federal law five years after the cessation of Special Education, 504, and Dyslexia services through graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal of services. Accordingly, LDISD will destroy Special Education, 504, and Dyslexia records from 2018-2019 school year or earlier. Those students or their legal guardian may request their records prior to destruction by contacting Brooke Wagonner, LDISD Special Programs Dept., on or before June 30, 2024, at 940-497-1409 or email to bwaggoner@ldisd.net.