Joint Base San Antonio (Lackland, Randolph, Sam Houston)  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.

Students with disabilities are guaranteed an equal opportunity for a free and appropriate public education. Services are provided in the least restrictive environment appropriate to meet individual student needs.

Students who are ages three through twenty-one with one or more of the following disabilities may be eligible for special education:

• Learning Disability
• Visual Impairment
• Emotional Disturbance
• Speech Impairment
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Mental Retardation
• Auditory Impairment
• Deaf Blind
• Multiple Disabilities
• Autism
• Traumatic Brain Injury

Students who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, or both, may be served from birth through twenty-one years of age.

Special Education Eligibility

To be eligible for special education services in Texas, a student must have been determined to have one or more of the qualifying conditions listed in federal regulations or in state law.

Once eligibility is determined, special needs students have the right to a free appropriate education in the least restrictive setting possible; that may be the regular classroom, instruction through special teaching, or instruction through approved contracts.

As part of enrolling a special needs child in an independent school district, it is necessary to contact the appropriate school district to arrange for an evaluation. Be sure to bring the existing individual education plan and any other pertinent information to the evaluation. The child will then be assigned to the appropriate setting based on the findings.

For additional information please see Child and Youth Service Special Needs Contact topic below.

Education Eligibility

Members being assigned to Lackland AFB:

Personnel arriving with a Special Needs Family Member should contact the Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical (EFMP-M) office upon arrival; they are located in Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC). Appointments are required for all incoming sponsors who are Q-coded in order to update information and establish a Lackland EFMP file, information and limited resources will be provided. Please call 210-292-2775 or 210-292-5864 for an appointment. For additional information on support services and resources for exceptional family members, please contact the Exceptional Family Member Program - Family Support (EFMP-FS) Coordinator located at the Airman and Family Readiness Center, building 1249. See the Airman and Family Readiness Center in the contact list.

Members being assigned to Randolph AFB:

Personnel arriving with a Special Needs Family Member should contact the Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical (EFMP-M) office upon arrival; they are located in base clinic.  At your initial appointment you will learn the medical appointment system and the community referral system, and will be offered supportive counseling. If you have an EFMP child, the school district in which you live is required by law to meet the educational needs of all children beginning at age three. For additional information on support services and resources for exceptional family members, to include Respite Care, please contact the Exceptional Family Member Program - Family Support (EFMP-FS) Coordinator located at the Military & Family Readiness Center, building 692, 210-652-5321.

For Members assigned to Fort Sam Houston:

If your child is currently enrolled in a special education program, it is vital that the principal or counselor be notified of this fact at the time of registration. If you feel that your child is in need of referral to a special education program, work with the school principal to set up the testing process.

Personnel arriving with a special needs family member should contact the Exception Family Member Program Coordinator immediately upon arrival for a detailed assessment, enrollment and other requirements.

Special Education Services may be available on post for students with one or more disabilities who reside within the post schools. The district accomplishes this through individual instruction

Parent Information Line
1-800-252-9668 (Toll Free)

This toll-free message line is reserved for parents and other family members who have questions about students rights and regulatory requirements as they relate to special education complains investigations, mediations, and due process hearings. Trained professionals return calls during normal business hours.