CLICK HERE TO PROVIDE BROWNWOOD ISD SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FEEDBACK ON YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE ARD COMMITTEE MEETING PROCESS

SPEDTEX will be hosting a free statewide webinar on January 22, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. (CT). David Mapps, Special Education Technical Assistance Manager at the Texas Education Agency will join us for an informative presentation about the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) process. This webinar is designed to answer questions families may have regarding the IEP and ARD process. We will discuss what happens during the ARD committee meeting and who should be there. Register here. 

Federal regulations refer to an individualized education program (IEP) team. In Texas, this team is called the Admission, Review, Dismissal (ARD) Committee. The ARD committee is a team of individuals, including parents and school personnel, who work together to develop an IEP for a child who qualifies for special education services. As a parent/guardian, you are an important member of your child’s ARD committee. See document below to read more about the roles and responsibilities of ARD committee members. 

The Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program, previously, the Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) program is a one-time $1,500 online grant for parents/guardians of eligible students served by special education and who are enrolled in a Texas public school. Parents/guardians of eligible students can use the online accounts to shop the marketplace to obtain educational materials and resources such as textbooks, curriculum, or technology devices and/or services such as additional speech therapy, tutoring, or other specific services.

Please note, the PDSES program is the same as the SSES program, just with a new name to better reflect the importance of parents as decision makers in the educational process. Families with current SSES applications will still be awarded accounts based on the order they applied. The same students who were eligible for the SSES program are eligible for the PDSES program.  If students already received an SSES grant, they will not be eligible for a PDSES program grant. 

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

CLICK HERE FOR TEA FAQ'S REGARDING THE GRANT PROGRAM

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION PROCESS

If you have previously submitted an application:

1. Families (applicants) will receive a confirmation email stating that their application has been received.

2. Families with applications on a waitlist or a “waiting to be processed” status, will receive a monthly email with a status update.

3. Applications are processed and reviewed in the order they are received.

4. Families will receive notice of eligibility or denial.

Effective September 1, 2023, Texas public schools must provide information about the Texas Driving with Disability program 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. 

This information must be provided annually to each student who is 16 years of age or older until graduation or until their 21st birthday. The information about the Texas Driving with Disability program must also be provided to the parents or guardians of eligible students. It may be provided with any transition planning materials that the school provides. 

The information on the Texas Driving with Disability page linked below may be used by schools to share with students and parents. In addition, the Texas Transition and Employment Guide will be updated to include information about the Texas Driving with Disability program as it applies to students receiving special education services in Texas public schools. 

https://gov.texas.gov/organization/disabilities/texas-driving-with-disability