Fort Irwin  Exceptional Family Member Program

The IDEA requires that all states and territories provide special education and related services to eligible children between the ages of 3 through 21. Each local school district has a special education director, and each school should have an individualized education program, or IEP, team or school-based committee that supports students with special education needs.

The IDEA requires that if a child transfers to a different district in the same state, the new school must provide a free, appropriate public education, including comparable services, until the previously held IEP is adopted or a new one is developed and implemented. If a child transfers to another state, the receiving district must provide comparable services until the receiving district completes an evaluation and creates a new IEP, if appropriate.

If you are moving and your child receives special education and related services, you should hand-carry all pertinent school and medical documents, including the IEP and current evaluation reports. Hand-carrying these documents ensures that they are not lost and allows the new school district to begin the process as soon as you move.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, offers the Parent Center Hub – also known as the Center for Parent Information and Resources – which has collections of links to serve families and adults with special needs from birth through age 26. They assist families in getting appropriate education and services for their children, work to improve education services for all children, train and inform parents and professionals, resolve problems between families and schools or other agencies and connect those with disabilities to community resources. Find your local parenting center and more by visiting their website.

You can also try these resources from Military OneSource:

• EFMP & Me digital tool
• Special Needs Parent Toolkit download
• Special needs resources 
• Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
• Exceptional Family Member Program videos 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, requires all states and territories to provide early intervention services to children from birth through 3 years of age who have, or are at risk for having, developmental delays. 

Local school districts or health departments often provide these early intervention services. The program is called different names in different areas, but it is often referred to as Part C because it is the section of the law that pertains to early intervention. The national Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center provides a list of State Part C coordinators and funded programs on their website. 

When moving, you should hand-carry copies of your child's individual family service plan, or IFSP, and the most current evaluation reports to your new home to ensure they are not lost.

Special Education services are provided at all schools in the Silver Valley Unified School District. Each school serving students from Fort Irwin has at least one Special Day Class (SDC) and a Resource Specialist Program (RSP) classroom. Based on student need, sites may have multiple SDC and RSP classrooms. Silver Valley also has an Alternative School, which meets the special education needs of students who are unable to function within or graduate from the comprehensive high school. This is on a case by case basis.

Special Day Classes

SDC is a self-contained classroom in which students who require special education instruction for 50% or more of the school day are enrolled and instructed. Silver Valley's SDC program is designed to mainstream students in the regular education programs every opportunity appropriate for each student. SDC classrooms are located at Lewis Elementary School, Tiefort View Intermediate School, Fort Irwin Middle School and Silver Valley High School. Severely or profoundly disabled children may be transferred to a county program should their needs not be met within the schools of the Silver Valley Unified School District. 

Resource Specialist Programs

RSP is a program for students receiving special education instruction for less than 50% of the school day. These students are typically provided with extra support within the regular education classroom and, as needed, may be pulled out of the regular education classroom for special assistance during specifically scheduled periods of the day or week. They are taught by credentialed resource specialists. RSP programs are available at Lewis Elementary School, Tiefort View Intermediate School, Fort Irwin Middle School and Silver Valley High School.

Students with Severe Behavioral Problems

SED students experience severe behavioral problems which prevent them and their peers from learning and getting along with others. Their special needs are many times met within the district's SDC programs. In extreme cases, there are alternative settings for the students. In Silver Valley USD, SED students are served through the Alternative Education Center's SUCCESS Program. Younger severe behavior students may be transferred to a county program only if necessary to meet their unique needs.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy helps children with difficulties in speaking and/or using language appropriately. Speech students are pulled out of the regular education classroom for group and/or individual therapy sessions during regularly scheduled periods of the week or month and are taught by a speech and language therapist or pathologist. Silver Valley has five speech therapists serving our students from 3 years of age through twelfth grade.