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

Identification

Yuma School District One and Crane District are committed to making sure that all children with disabilities, including children attending religious or private schools are identified and evaluated.

Children from birth through two years who require screening, evaluation, or early intervention services should be referred to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP). In Yuma County, please call (928) 329-8095.

Three to five-year-olds should be referred to the following programs: Yuma School District One, (North End Preschool 928-502-8140), Crane School District (Great Beginnings Preschool (928) 373-3949) for appointments and screenings. The identification procedures shall include screening and evaluation procedures consistent with considerations for older students. Information regarding such screenings and regarding the rights of children with disabilities shall be made available in a mode of communication that will be understandable to parents, regardless of their ethnic, linguistic, or cultural background. Vision and hearing screening shall be in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Health Services. The evaluation procedures shall include consideration of academic progress, communication, emotional/behavioral, adaptive living, and psychomotor problems (A.A.C. R7-2-401). If the child is determined to be eligible for services, the Team will establish educational services and placement.

The district shall complete screening procedures within 45 calendar days after enrollment for each kindergarten student and new students enrolling without appropriate screening records. If the screening procedures indicate a possible disability, a referral for evaluation shall occur after appropriate pre-referral procedures have taken place (Student Assistance Team {SAT} referral). This process includes parents, administrator, general education teacher, and others who may be providing support to the student. If the SAT team refers the student to ESS for evaluation, a meeting will be called which includes the SAT team, school psychologist and special education teacher. A determination is made by the team whether or not to proceed with a full psycho-educational evaluation. Parents and/or students may request a referral for evaluation and that request will follow a similar pattern, SAT to ESS referral (A.A.C. R7-2-401). Contact the school of attendance to request a SAT team meeting to discuss evaluation needs and provide input.

Other Resources

Yuma School District One Exceptional Student Services provides services for students between the ages of 3 and 14 with special needs. All students with disabilities categorically eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), regardless of severity, may receive services. These include students with impairments in speech and language, hearing, health, and vision; developmental delays; emotional and learning disabilities; intellectual disabilities; autism; traumatic brain injury; multiple disabilities; and other health impairments.

Services are provided in the general education classroom, to off-campus alternative setting, to homebound services. A team of individuals familiar with the student’s needs determines the least restrictive environment (LRE) for eligible students. Specialists include our school psychologists and assistants, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Extended school year services are provided when deemed appropriate.

Yuma School District One offers preschool classes for eligible students from their third birthday to age five (or prior to Kindergarten). Eligibility is based on a child’s developmental level by measuring for significant speech or language delays, moderate developmental delays, or severe developmental delays.

For more information, contact the Exceptional Student Services office at (928) 502.7800.

Crane School District Exceptional Student Services department provides services to evaluate a child’s need for special education and related services. Students with disabilities are to be provided with an education in the least restrictive environment possible.

Each year, the process of writing and reviewing the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is repeated. Progress made on the last IEP will be reviewed, and new goals and objectives will be set for the coming year. Parental input is always encouraged and welcome as well as input from outside sources that parents would like to bring to a child’s IEP meeting.

Students with disabilities who require special classes or separate schooling are placed in those environments only if the nature and severity of their disability is such that education in general classes with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. The student should be provided with an education as close as possible to the child’s home and in the school he/she would attend if he/she did not have disabilities, unless that IEP requires some other arrangement.

Through the IEP process, a child may qualify for special transportation. Transportation accommodations for child who are in wheel chairs or are non-ambulatory.

Extended School Year (ESY) provides Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students with disabilities when the educational benefits gained during the regular school year are significantly jeopardized by a break in service. ESY can be necessary to enable a student to benefit from instruction received during the regular school year when the lack of ESY services would thwart the goal of maintaining the meaningful progress gained during the regular school year.

The Crane School District Exceptional Children’s Services can be contacted at (928) 373-3451.