Home-Bound Services

What Is Required

This instructional arrangement/setting is for providing special education and related services to students who are served at home or hospital bedside. (A) Students served on a homebound or hospital bedside basis are expected to be confined for a minimum of four consecutive weeks as documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. Homebound or hospital bedside instruction may, as provided by local district policy, also be provided to chronically ill students who are expected to be confined for any period of time totaling at least four weeks throughout the school year as documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. The student's ARD committee shall determine the amount of services to be provided to the student in this instructional arrangement/setting in accordance with federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, including the provisions specified in subsection (b) of this section. (B) Home instruction may also be used for services to infants and toddlers (birth through age 2) and young children (ages 3-5) when determined appropriate by the child's individualized family services plan (IFSP) committee or ARD committee. This arrangement/setting also applies to school districts described in Texas Education

Code, §29.0

What We Do

Homebound instruction takes place in the student’s home when medical evidence has been submitted by a licensed physician, stating that the student will be unable to attend school for a duration that exceeds four weeks. A diagnosis with an explanation of how symptoms affect school attendance and the span of time absences will occur is required. A specific treatment plan and a plan for returning the student to school is determined prior to start of services. In no case will full-time homebound instruction be provided when a student can participate in a less restrictive school setting.

Purpose Of Homebound

The purpose of Homebound Services is to provide students with academic instruction at home or hospital bedside during a temporary period of absence, and re-engage students successfully at their home campus when they are released by their physician to return. Homebound Services are designed to enable students with a medical condition to continue their coursework while they are temporarily unable to attend school. The ARD Committee (for students receiving special educational services) or the General Education Homebound Committee members (for general education students) consider homebound services for students who are currently enrolled in school and will be confined to a home or hospital setting for (4) or more weeks. Homebound instruction is not intended to replicate what a student receives in their classroom setting. However, the same content that was provided in the classroom setting and current accommodations and supports will remain in effect and will be provided to the student through their homebound instructional services.

Qualifying Descriptor

A student must be enrolled in an Floresville ISD school in order to be considered for homebound instructional services.

Eligibility for homebound instruction is determined on the basis of medical evidence submitted by a licensed medical doctor. A diagnosis with an explanation of how symptoms affect school attendance is required. A specific treatment plan and a plan for returning the student to school is requested; however, this information is required if the student is expected to miss more than nine weeks of school.

Physical condition: Students with physical conditions causing them to be unable to attend school may include those with serious or terminal illnesses, those undergoing treatments that compromise their immune systems, those undergoing surgery, or in postpartum recovery (up to six weeks). The student must be free of infectious or communicable disease.

Mental health condition: In order to consider homebound instruction for students with psychiatric disorders, a mental health professional must be treating the student, and a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist must provide the medical documentation. It should be noted that in some instances when a student is experiencing psychiatric difficulties, homebound instruction may exacerbate the student’s problems and would, therefore, not be approved. Other school-based alternatives may be appropriate.

EXPECTATIONS OF Miles ISD HOMEBOUND:

Due to the nature of the student's documented medical condition and their inability to physically attend school;

• The student will be excluded from all non–academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities with peers until the physician releases the student to return to school.
• The student's services can be terminated if they are able to be active and involved in social, church, and family activities outside the home, but remain unable to attend school.
• The student will remain enrolled on their home campus and the homebound instructor will act as a liaison between the campus and the home.
• The student will complete 90% of class assignments independently as they will receive limited hours of face to face instruction from their homebound instructor. However, all students will have access to their campus teachers by phone or email for any questions or concerns.
• The student along with the parent(s) are encouraged to remain in communication with the student’s teachers at school to ensure clear understanding of the TEKS for a successfully transition back into the classroom.
• Parents must remain involved and active in their child’s education while on homebound
• Parents are asked to be responsible for making sure assignments are completed and the student is engaged in his or her school work as much as physically possible.
• Parents must provide doctors orders to the school every 4 weeks for continuation of homebound services.

* Please remember all requests for Homebound Services are initiated at the students’ campus by the diagnostician or school counselor.

Procedures for Special Education Home-bound Instruction:

1. The diagnostician/LSSP is notified of a request for home-bound services

2. The diagnostician/LSSP:

• Chairs the ARD committee meetings (which includes administrator, counselor, general ed teacher, special education teacher, and other appropriate service providers)
• Is the primary contact between the parent and the school
• Provides physician with all paperwork that is required for homebound request

3. The diagnostician/LSSP contacts the Special Education Director to discuss the request of homebound services for the student.

4. The diagnostician/LSSP will have parents sign the “Consent to Request Confidential Information (Medical)” form for the homebound paperwork to be completed by the referring physician. This consent form is also for district personnel to speak to the referring physician regarding the student’s medical condition.

5. The diagnostician will print off all forms. The forms to be sent to the doctor include:

• Fax Cover Page (send to doctor)
• Consent form (signed by parent) (send to doctor)
• Explanation of Homebound Services (send to doctor)
• Physician Verification of Homebound Services (send to doctor)
• Homebound Service Request form

6. After all forms are received and verified the diagnostician/LSSP will be notified so that an ARD can be set up to consider homebound placement and services.

7. To qualify for homebound services the student’s physician must complete a “Physician Verification of Need for HB Services” Form which indicates:

• The physician is licensed to practice in the United States
• The student is expected to be confined at home for a minimum of 4 weeks
• The weeks do not have to be consecutive
• The student is confined at home for medical reasons only
• The students medical condition and severity

8. Diagnostician/LSSP contacts the student’s doctor to verify that the student is:

• Confined to the home or hospital for at least 4 weeks
• Has a medical condition (e.g. illness, injury or surgery)

Note: The “Physician Verification of Need for HB Services” is ONLY a RECOMMENDATION for the ARD Committee to consider. It is not the sole determining factor in considering the need for homebound services.

9. Conduct an ARD Committee meeting to determine if homebound is appropriate for the student.The ARD Committee determines the type(s) and amount of instruction to be provided.

• The ARD Committee includes (parent or legal guardian, administrator or designee, counselor, general education teacher(s) who is (are) familiar with the student, special education teacher and diagnostician).
• Data to be considered:

Physician Verification of Need for HB Services Form

10. ARD Committee develops a plan of service which includes:

• Identification and responsibilities of homebound teacher
• The type and amount of instruction to be provided, including the designated amount of time per week; typically 30 minutes to 1 hour per week equals 1 class / course (e.g. Reading – Algebra)
• Review IEP’s (current IEP’s will remain in effect new IEP’s do not have to be created)
• Date for initiation of services and estimated dismissal date
• Plan to transition back to the classroom
• Homebound teacher will provide a copy of the Weekly Doc Log to Barbara Smith for attendance documentation.

11. The Students special education teacher will provide the student/parent all of his / her teacher’s e-mail addresses so that questions may be e-mailed as needed.

12. The homebound teacher will return completed assignments to the school for the classroom teachers to grade and calculate progress reports and report cards. Grading can be in collaboration with the homebound teacher.

13. The student will continue to be enrolled on the home campus. The home campus registrar will enter the homebound service code which will be maintained through the homebound period. The homebound teacher will submit a schedule of services and attendance information to Barbara Smith using the Weekly Documentation Log. The campus teacher(s) of record for any student receiving homebound instruction will remain the same.

14. When the student is able to return to the campus, a signed release from the referring physician must be obtained and an ARD must be held to dismiss the student from homebound. In the meeting discuss the students’ current schedule and possible assistive strategies to ensure a successful transition back to the home campus.