Special Education/EIS

All states and territories must provide early intervention services to children who have, or are at risk for having, developmental delays, from birth to their third birthday.

Most CONUS locations, local school districts or health departments provide these early intervention services. The program is called different names in different areas, but it is often referred to as Part C because that is the section of the law that pertains to early intervention. The Education Directory for Children with Special Needs has a list of resources specific to each state to help you determine who you should contact. Your installation EFMP Family Support provider can also answer your questions.

If you are moving OCONUS or to a CONUS location with a DODEA school (and you live on installation), your child will receive EIS through the Defense Department’s Educational and Developmental Intervention Services, or EDIS, program.

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

All states and territories provide special education and related services to eligible children between the ages of 3 through 21.

When 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. When a child transfers to another state, the receiving school must provide comparable services until an IEP review can determine if a new evaluation or IEP is appropriate.

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

• Education Directory for Children with Special Needs
• EFMP & Me digital tool
• Individualized Education Program & Moving
• Special Needs Resources
• Exceptional Family Member Program videos

There are a variety of opportunities for children with special needs who live in the National Capital Region. Services vary depending on where you choose to live and which school district your child will attend.

The DC Public Schools Parents' Special Education Service Center for example, is the only service center of its kind in the United States. This center seeks to identify the primary learning issue and substantiate other information regarding the concern. The parent is then guided to school system specialists and services where they may obtain the help necessary. The center possesses a highly trained staff versed in the complexities of Federal provisions for children in need of special education and in the policies and procedures developed by District of Columbia Public Schools.

Another example is the Sylvan Learning Centers of which there are 10 facilities located within the National Capital Region. While not part of a public school system, they offer personalized instruction to students of all ages and skill levels.

If your child has special needs, contact the Special Needs Identification and Assignment Coordination Program to obtain information on placing your child in a school and making appropriate transportation arrangements with DC Public Schools. The service provided by the base School Bus Transportation Program is not designed to handle the requirements of special needs students and they are prohibited from duplicating a transportation service that DCPS, or any other school, already provides.