Child Find

Early Intervention services are also available for children birth – age 3, please call the HHS Office of the Ombudsman at 1-877-787-8999, select a language, and then select Option 3. The Ombudsman staff will ask for your zip code, county or city and provide the name and number of the local ECI program. Callers with hearing impairment may use the relay option of their choice or dial 7-1-1 to connect with Relay Texas.

ECI Program in Lockhart, Texas:

Bluebonnet Trails Community Services

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

Referral Number:  844-309-6385   

Fax Number: 512-853-6236

Email: ECIreferrals@bbtrails.org 

Website: www.bbtrails.org

Do you feel your child may need special education services?

If your child is too young to be enrolled in Lockhart ISD schools and you suspect your child may have a disability as recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and may need for special education services, please fill out the Lockhart ISD Referral Information for Early Childhood Evaluation Google Form below, and we will contact you regarding your child and your interest in the special eduction evaluation process and special education services.

Referral Information for Early Childhood Evaluation Google Form

My child currently attends a Lockhart ISD campus. I would like to request a special education evaluation, what is the process? 

You may contact your child's Campus Administrator or Campus Counselor to request a special education evaluation. Your request may be written or verbal and the campus must respond to your request not later than the 15th school day after the date of the request. 

I am moving to Lockhart ISD and my child has special education services through our current district. What is the enrollment process?

• All campuses in Lockhart ISD are equipped to provide a range of special education services and supports.

• Begin by enrolling your child at the home campus based on your address :

  • Enrollment site

  • How to find your home school

• Reach out to the Campus Registrar to let them know your child accesses special education services. If you are able to provide the most recent evaluation (Full Individual Evaluation or FIE) and/or paperwork from the most recent IEP/ARD meeting, that would be helpful!

• The team on your child’s home campus will work to determine how Lockhart ISD can most closely match services to the most recent recommendations from your last school. If a specialized classroom is required, but not available on the home campus, the home campus will coordinate with parents/guardians to identify the closest available classroom and transportation will be available.

• Parents will be invited to an ARD meeting with the campus staff to review recommendations and discuss any further information that is required.

My family homeschools/attends a local private school. What services/supports are available to us?

Proportionate Share is a program where a student can access a portion of the services on their IEP (Individual Education Program) while continuing to access homeschool or private school. Please the Director of Special Services, Christina Smith, christina.smith@lockhart.txed.net or 512-398-0260, for more information. 

My child attends a charter school, and we live in Lockhart ISD boundaries. What services/supports are available to us?

Charter schools are public schools that receive federal funding. Special education services should be addressed by charter school staff.

If you have further questions, please contact the Lockhart ISD Special Services Office at (512) 390-0260 or email us at lisd.sped@lockhart.txed.net

Referrals may be initiated by (but are not limited to):

• Child's Parents or Legal Guardian

• School Personnel

• Another Person Involved in the Education or Care of the Student

• Students receiving services through ECI will be transitioned into the public school system starting as early as 120 days prior to their third birthday.

A parent, guardian, and/or community agency has the right to request a special education evaluation when there is a suspicion of a disability. It is best to submit this request in writing to your campus’s principal or administrator. 

If your child is currently in private school, homeschool, or is below the age of 5, please see sections above.

Additionally, if your child’s campus knows or has reason to suspect that the student has a disability and a need for special education services, the school must refer the student for a special education evaluation. See the Child Find information below in English and Spanish.

Updates in Special Education / Actualizaciones en Educación Especial

The only people in Lockhart ISD that can obtain Initial Consent for a Special Education Evaluation is an:

• Educational Diagnostician, 

• School Psychologist, or a

• Speech Language Pathologist. 

If parental consent for an initial evaluation is given, the campus will conduct an evaluation of the child in all areas of suspected disability to determine if they have a disability, and to determine their educational needs. The evaluation process for the child must:

• Include information about the child’s academic, developmental and functional performance;

• Be administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel;

• Be administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication; and

• Be unbiased or given in such a way so as not to discriminate against the child, regardless of his or her cultural background, race, or disability.

The written request for an evaluation will begin a timelines that the school must follow. More information on evaluation timelines can be found at the Initial Referral Timeline.

There are 13 disabilities as identified under special education law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) provide explanations of the criteria for disability condition determination. Learn more about specific disabilities on the SPEDTex website.

Of note, dyslexia is a type of specific learning disability, Emotional Disturbance has been updated to Emotional Disability, and Developmental Delay has been added to the eligibilities in Texas. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, also known as IDEA, is a federal law that gives eligible students with disabilities the right to receive special education services and assistance in school. To be eligible for special education services, a student with a disability must need instruction that is specially designed to meet the student’s unique needs based on that disability. 

To determine the specially designed instruction needed to meet the student’s unique needs based on that disability, an evaluation must be conducted and reviewed with the Admission, Review, Dismissal (ARD) committee. 

A student identified through child find is not automatically guaranteed services under IDEA. First, a full and individual initial evaluation (FIIE) of the child must be conducted.

Special education eligibility is dependent on the student meeting the following two criteria:

1. Does the child have a disability as defined by IDEA? The Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) report addresses these seven areas:

• Language (Communicative Status)

• Physical (Motor Abilities, Health, Vision, Hearing)

• Emotional/Behavioral

• Sociological

• Intellectual/Adaptive Behavior

• Educational Learning Competencies (Academic Performance)

• The need for Assistive Technology (AT)

2. Does the child need specially designed instruction as a result of their disability condition?

There must be a demonstrated need for adapting as appropriate the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the needs resulting from the disability and ensure access to the general curriculum so that the child can meet the education standards that apply to all children. (34 CFR 300.26(b)(3))

The Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) determines whether state disability criteria are met. Eligibility for specially designed instruction as a result of the disability is determined by the ARD Committee within 30 calendar days of the date of the FIE. An ARD meeting must be held at least once a year (Annual ARD); however, a Review ARD or an Amendment can be held at any time if changes to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) are necessary.

Once your child begins receiving special education and related services, periodic reevaluations are required. A reevaluation is similar to the initial evaluation. The reevaluation must be comprehensive enough to determine whether your child continues to be a child with a disability and the educational needs of your child. Unless you and the school agree otherwise, a reevaluation of your child’s needs must be done at least every three years. The ARD committee will conduct a review of existing evaluation data (REED) to determine what additional data, if any, is needed to determine whether additions or modifications will be made to your child’s special education and related services. 

If the ARD committee decides that an additional formal evaluation is not needed to determine whether your child continues to need special education and related services, the reason for this decision must be explained to you. After explaining the reasons why the ARD committee has concluded that existing evaluation data are sufficient, the school does not have to conduct a new formal evaluation to complete a required reevaluation unless you request that the school do so.

As a parent, you can initiate a conversation about evaluation at any time and request that the ARD committee considers updated evaluations. If any member of the ARD committee suspects that an unidentified disability is present an evaluation should be considered. 

• Students must have an educational need for special education services

• Teachers, parents, and other staff members must look at how the disability affects participation in age-appropriate activities

• A recommendation for special education services always follows evaluation

  • The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee (to include the parent) can recommend special education services 

OR

• • Not recommend special education services if there is no educational need

• Access to Child Find is part of your child’s free and appropriate public education (FAPE)