Eligibility

The TEA's Parent's Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Process states: There is a two-part test for determining whether your child is eligible for special education and related services:

(1) your child must have a disability; and

(2) as a result of the disability, your child must need special education and related services to benefit from education. To meet the first part of the two-part test for eligibility, a child between the ages of 3 through 21, except as noted, must meet the criteria for one or more of the disability categories listed below:

• auditory impairment (from birth);
• autism;
• deaf-blindness (from birth);
• emotional disturbance;
• intellectual disability;
• multiple disabilities;
• noncategorical early childhood (ages three through five);
• orthopedic impairment;
• other health impairment;
• specific learning disability;
• speech or language impairment;
• traumatic brain injury; or
• visual impairment (including blindness from birth).

The ARD committee must make the eligibility determination within 30 calendar days from the date of completion of the initial evaluation report.