Special Education/EIS

Children from birth to 3 years of age

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, requires all states and territories to provide early intervention services to children from birth to 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 by different names in different areas, but it is often called Part C (because Part C 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 directors and funded programs on their website. Also, Military OneSource can assist you in identifying early intervention programs in your area.

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

Children between 3 and 21 years of age

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

The IDEA requires that if a child transfers to a different district in the same state, the receiving school must provide comparable services until the new school develops and implements a new individualized education program. 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 individualized education program.

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 individualized education program 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.

Other resources

Parent Training and Information Centers serve families and adults with special needs from birth to 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 out more at the Center for Parent Information and Resources website.

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 Parent Toolkit
• Special Needs Resources
• Exceptional Family Member Program videos