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Services
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Houston ISD provides a continuum of special education services to meet the needs of eligible students with disabilities. We advocate for students with disabilities to receive inclusive instruction with their non-disabled peers and support them in their learning. For more information, contact your child's school or the Office of Special Education Services.
Special Education Service Programs
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SOAR – Students Obtaining Alternative Resources
This service provides out-of-district residential or day placement for students with moderate to significant disabilities when the student’s ARD/IEP team determines that such placement is necessary.
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Resource
This service provides specially designed instruction that addresses skill deficits in reading, writing, and/or math that impact achievement in the standard curriculum. Students are supported outside of the general education classroom.
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Region 4 RDSPD - Regional Day School Program for the Deaf
This service provides specially designed instruction, accommodations, and technology supports like assistive devices to access the standard and alternate curriculum for students with significant hearing impairments including deafness.
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Speech Therapy
This service provides speech and language services for students ages 3-21 who show a disability-related need in articulation, fluency, voice, and language (e.g., receptive, expressive, and pragmatics). Services are provided in a variety of models based on student needs. Service models include indirect, direct, or collaborative/inclusive practices.
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Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) formerly PALS/ PPCD
This specialized service is designed for students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 5 years old who need more structured support, modifications to the curriculum, etc. due to significant cognitive deficits, and behaviors that impede their learning and/or the learning of others. Students in this program generally follow the standard curriculum.
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BSC - Behavior Support Class
This specialized service is designed to address skill deficits in social/emotional learning for students whose disability directly impacts emotional, behavioral, and social skills and whose behavior impedes their learning or others' learning. Students in this program generally follow the standard curriculum.
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Explore
This service is designed to support students with disabilities in the general education setting between 3 and 5 years old on or before September 1st of the current school year.
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SLC-ALT - Structured Learning Class
This specialized service is designed to address the needs of students who require an elevated level of structure and support, who have significant cognitive delays, and who are working on the alternate curriculum. Services for students in the Structure Learning Class (SLC) include implementation of the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) teaching strategies, Structured Teaching strategies, specialized behavior interventions, everyday living skills, and academic skills, including sensory, communication, and social skills with a focus on lifelong transitions. Students in this program generally follow an alternate curriculum.
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SLC-Standard - Structured Learning Class
This is a continuum of inclusive support that requires collaboration between special and general educators to provide support to students with disabilities using research-based strategies that support deficits in the areas of social, behavior, sensory, communication, executive functioning, and academic learning. Students in this program are expected to meet the rigorous requirements of the standard curriculum.
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SLL - Skills for Learning and Living
This specialized service is designed to address the needs of students with significant cognitive impairments in communication, literacy, independent living skills, and community-based vocational instruction. Students in this program generally follow an alternate curriculum.
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PSI - Preparing Students for Independence
This specialized service is designed to support the needs of students identified with multiple disabilities. These disabilities include sensory impairments, moderate to severe cognitive impairments, moderate to severe communication impairments, and significant medical needs. Students in this program generally follow an alternate curriculum.
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18+ Transition Program
This service provides employability and independent living skills for students ages 18-22 as they transition into adulthood. Students who enter the program have met all academic requirements for graduation and are working on IEP goals. There are both campus and community-based programs.
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Community Services
This service provides special education and related services to students in their homes or hospitals.