Special Education Covid-19 Resources
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Special Education / 504 Services during Covid-19 Pandemic
Keller ISD will ensure that students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). The district will ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, each student with a disability can be provided the educational and related services identified in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
ARD / 504 Meetings
- ARD/§504 meetings using a virtual platform will be used to facilitate meaningful participation and collaborative decision making while reducing the risk of community spread of the virus. While all ARDs will be offered virtually, parents may also request a face-to-face ARD meeting. In that circumstance, parents would need to follow the district health screening and wear a mask while on campus.
- If parents have questions about their child’s IEP/§504 plan or services at any time and wish to convene an ARD/§504 meeting to discuss, please contact your child’s diagnostician, campus §504 coordinator, or speech language pathologist.
- IEP/§504 Plan amendments may be considered on a case by case basis to align virtual instruction and/or environment/supports.
- TEA has provided a guidance document on compensatory strategies and services.
- Consideration will be given to each individual student’s progress on their IEP/504 plan. Baseline data and acquisition of skills will determine if students are in need of additional COVID response services.
Evaluations
- Full and Individual Evaluations and §504 evaluations will continue to the maximum extent possible.
- Remote data collection, social distance observation, teacher and parent interviews and checklists can be conducted remotely.
- The administration of a standardized test in a non-standardized way impacts the validity of the assessment. For that reason, critical components of full individual evaluation may require a student to attend a limited in-person session to complete the evaluation process.
- Safety precautions will be taken when face-to-face assessment is required for eligibility determination.
- If your child has had a delayed evaluation as a result of the COVID-19 closure, please reach out to the evaluator at their campus to discuss completing the evaluation. They will review the safety precautions to be followed and arrange a time to resume the assessment.
- If you believe your child may require special education services, please contact their campus administrator or the Special Education office at 817.744.1221.
Special Education: Fall 2020 Parent FAQ
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Q: If I choose remote, will my child have the same teacher as their in-person teacher?
A: No, teachers will either teach remotely or in-person.
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Q: Can a child return to remote learning after the first semester of in-person learning?
A: Yes, all students will have the option to switch at the end of the 9 weeks.
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Q: We are new to KISD. I completed enrollment for my child and emailed a copy of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) to his school. What are my next steps?
A: When you enroll and select that your child has an IEP, the campus diagnostician or speech language pathologist will be notified and will request your child’s IEP and Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) from their previous district. Once received, they will call you to set up a virtual transfer meeting to get services in place in Keller ISD. This will occur within 10 days of enrollment.
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Q: Regardless of my instructional choice, will my child’s assigned teacher or campus be different from the assignment I received in the spring?
A: Our goal is for all students to remain on their assigned campus; however, we can not make final decisions until we receive the results of the parent choice survey on August 12th. In some cases, where only a few students in a classroom elect to return to in-person, we may have to centralize students at a new campus or with a new teacher. Target date for parent notification of any changes is set for August 17th.
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Q:If we decide to send our children to school and it is determined he/she will not be at the same campus or have the same teacher, can we reconsider the initial decision?
A: Our goal is to have all students on their designated campus. However there may be some circumstances, for example if only two students decided to attend in-person, that we may need to combine some classes. We are asking that SpEd and GenEd parents commit to 9 weeks when completing the form. We understand the challenges that come with this; however, from a staffing perspective there has to be some consistency and boundaries.
Safety Protocols
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Q: Covid-19 screening will take place for general education students as outlined on the Back to School site but what can we expect as far as screening for our special education students and teachers?
A: Special education classrooms will follow all district safety procedures including screening checks.
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Q: Understanding that students with disabilities are not always able to wear masks and/or face shields, how will classrooms be stocked with cleaning and disinfecting aides?
A: Custodial services will be following Keller ISD’s sanitation protocol and teachers will provided with disinfect supplies to use throughout the day.
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Q: What if my child will not wear a mask or face shield?
A: While we will be offering social stories, video modeling and other strategies for our students, we understand that not all students will tolerate masks and/or face shields. Students will not be disciplined for not wearing masks. We have implemented additional protections for these situations such as desk dividers if students must be close together for small group or one-on-one instruction. A face shield for teachers who feel they need extra protection could also be provided.
Related Services
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Q: When will we know if walk-in therapeutic services will be offered on my child’s designated campus?
A: Once we receive all parent responses to the parent choice survey on August 12th, we will be able to determine where walk-in therapeutic services will be offered. The campus therapist will reach out to you with final details.
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Q: If we select in-person, will my child get in-person therapies?
A: Yes, in most cases students on campus will receive in-person therapies.
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Q: At school, my child uses assistive technology or alternative forms of communication. If I select remote learning, how will these needs be supported at home?
A: The Speech Language Pathologist/Assistive Technology Specialist will work with parents to determine how to best support communication needs from home. Parents also have the option of selecting walk-in services.
Instructional Expectations
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Q: If we choose in-person, will my child attend their resource classroom?
A: Yes, in-person students will follow their typical schedule with full IEP implementation.
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Q: Is my child eligible for the hybrid schedule?
A: The hybrid schedule is available to high school students only. Please review the list of classes that are offered as hybrid. If your child is enrolled in one of those classes then yes they may attend. Back to School / Hybrid Courses
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Q: My child is supposed to have inclusion support. What will this look like for remote learners?
A: During remote instruction due to Covid-19 closure, ARD committees should consider determining what supports are necessary for students to access learning remotely. Some supports necessary for in-person instruction may no longer be relevant for remote instruction. If this is the case, the ARD committee should determine an interim plan. For those who do require the support, the special education teacher will collaborate with the general education teacher to work out a schedule for implementation of supports which may or may not include paraprofessionals.
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Q: What will resource class look like for remote learners?
A: Resource instruction should be implemented following the remote instructional schedule outlined by Keller ISD.
Centralized Programs
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Q: My student is currently served in a centralized program with inclusion support and services outside of their primary classroom. Can I request that my student not receive any of their related services or go out for inclusion while risk of community spread is still high?
A: Yes, you can. The ARD team would need to meet to create an “interim plan” during Covid through a review ARD but it would need an end date or explanation that it will be necessary to review again after restrictions/concerns are lifted.
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Q: My child is in a centralized program, but participates in inclusive opportunities such as: eating lunch with peers in the cafeteria, Partners in PE, office aide, etc.. If he/she returns to in-person instruction, will he/she still be able to do these types of things?
A: We want students' schedules to look as typical as possible; however, in some cases it may not be possible. We will be following district guidelines for safety protocols.
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Q: Will students still be able to access sensory rooms?
A: Yes. Appropriate safety protocols will be followed for sanitation of sensory materials and equipment.
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Q: If my child is reassigned to another campus, will he/she be required to stay at that school for the remainder of the year?
A: Our goal is for all students to be able to return to their designated campus and teachers. There are many factors that impact these decisions including number of students returning in-person, number of teachers that are needed for remote teaching, & which teachers are teaching remotely.
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Q: If my child is reassigned to another school or a new teacher, can we also expect them to have different therapists for OT, Speech, etc.?
A: This depends on many factors. This can not be finalized until after the August 12th deadline. We recognize the importance of consistency and relationships for our students and both of these are considerations in our planning.
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Q: How will we limit class sizes to ensure students are receiving the services identified in their IEP while maintaining a safe environment?
A: We will continue to keep classroom sizes similar to a typical year. Once we have final parent responses we will be able to verify class sizes and staffing placement. We are asking campuses to limit transitions in the building, strategically place furniture for better spacing, and we will provide additional PPE and safety materials such as dividers.
Miscellaneous Questions
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Q: What are the school hours for the ELC-N and ELC-S now that they are full day?
A: Both Early Learning Centers' school hours will be 8:10-3:25.
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Q: If we choose in-person, will my child still get transportation?
A: Students whose IEPs include transportation services will continue to receive transportation for in-person instruction.
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Q: If we choose the KISD high school hybrid schedule, will transportation be provided?
A: No, transportation is not provided with the hybrid schedule.
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Instructional Resources
Proloquo2go Resources Page
Proloquo2Go Overview & Resources
Videos related to Communication & Building VocabularyRead & Write
The links and videos below will provide an overview of Google Read & Write as a tool to assist your student(s):
Google Read & Write Overview
YouTube Tutorial regarding Google Read & Write
Screenshot Reader
Speech Maker Feature
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Social/Emotional & Behavioral Resources
The articles linked below have great strategies for helping your child with a disability cope with masks and new routines.
Masks and New Routines: Helping Children with Special Needs During COVID-19
How to Teach Children to Stay 6 Feet ApartBelow are links to social stories related to Covid-19.
Autism Resources – Social Stories for Young and Old on Covid-19
Social Story: Wearing a Mask
Social Story: Washing Hands
Social Story: Washing Hands 2
Social Story: Social DistancingVideo link related to Covid-19 social distancing:
Video: What is Social Distancing?Below are links to videos created by our Special Education Program Specialists:
Behavior Affects Behavior
Keeping the Train on Track – De-Escalation Training Part 1
Keeping the Train on Track – De-Escalation Training Part 2
Repair and Reconnect Following Moments of Agitation