Special Education

Special education is instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of children who have disabilities. Certain children with disabilities are eligible for special education and related services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines childhood disabilities to include a number of different emotional or physical conditions. Specifically, IDEA defines a “child with a disability” as a child with mental retardation; hearing, speech, or language impairments; visual impairments; orthopedic impairments; serious emotional disturbance; autism; traumatic brain injury; other health impairments; or specific learning disabilities, who for this reason, needs special education and related services.

Children with learning disabilities receive instruction designed to meet their needs that result from the disability and to help them learn the information and skills that their non-disabled classmates are learning.

Special Education in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, every child with a disability is guaranteed a Free and Appropriate Public Education* (FAPE). Each school district is responsible for identifying children who have a disability that could interfere with their learning and for making accommodations for that child so that he/she may have access to the general curriculum and be able to participate with regular education students to the maximum extent possible. In the pre-school years, identification is attempted through the district's ChildFind program. During the schooling years, identification is customarily a result of a parent or teacher referral, but a referral can be made by anyone who is familiar with the child and is concerned about his/her academic success. Once a referral is made, the Special Education Process begins.

*Free and Appropriate Public Education

Free appropriate public education (FAPE) means special education and related services that are provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge in conformity with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This includes preschool, elementary school, and secondary school.

The Special Education Process

1. Referral

Referral is the process by which a student with possible educational needs is brought to the attention of the special education staff for consideration of testing/evaluation to determine if the child needs special education to be successful. A referral can be made by any person who knows the child and feels that s/he is having academic difficulty that could be addressed by special education and related services.

2. Evaluation in Special Education

Initial Evaluation

Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), each public agency shall ensure that a full and individual evaluation is conducted for each child being considered for special education and related services to determine if the child is a child with a disability and to determine the educational needs of the child. The evaluation results are later used to develop the child's Individual Education Plan (IEP), if appropriate.

The Evaluation Report shall include, but not be limited to:

  • the results of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report
  • a written summary of the findings of the procedure, test, record, and/or report
  • information regarding the parent/guardian's rights of appeal
  • description of the parent/guardian's right to an independent educational evaluation

Click here to see Types of Evaluations / Assessments

Tests / Evaluations...

  • Are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis;
  • Include those tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and not merely those that are designed to provide a single intelligence quotient;
  • Are provided and administered in the child's native language or other mode of communication (unless it is not feasible to do so);
  • Have been validated for the specific purpose for which they are used;
  • Are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of the tests;
  • Are selected and administered so as best to ensure that if a test is administered to a child with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the child's aptitude, achievement level or other factors the tests are meant to measure, rather than reflecting the child's impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills (unless those are what is being measured).

3. Determination of Eligibility

Determination of eligibility for special education and related services is conducted by a multidisciplinary committee of persons who are familiar with the child. The committee considers the evaluation data, the placement options, and all other significant factors relating to the student's learning process.

4. The Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written document that describes the intended education of an educationally disabled child that has been developed by a school district in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Education and that provides necessary special education and educationally related services within an approved program.

5. Placement

Placement refers to a child's educational plan. Under IDEA, a student's placement may be any combination of special and general educational settings, as long as it is in the least restrictive environment possible. (click here to see the continuum of learning environments).