Special Education

The Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education specify the criteria for special education and define eligibility for services under twelve different categories of impairment. Please note that a medical diagnosis will be considered by the MET team as part of a comprehensive evaluation. However, the criteria for a medical diagnosis are different from the criteria for school-based special education eligibility. Visit the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education.

• Cognitively Impaired (CI)
• Emotionally Impaired (EI)
• Hearing Impaired (HI)
• Visually Impaired (VI)
• Physically Impaired (PI)
• Other Health Impairment (OHI)
• Speech and Language Impaired (SLI)
• Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD)
• Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
• Severely Multiply Impaired (SXI)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Deaf Blindness

Persons who suspect a child may have a disability that interferes with learning may make a referral for evaluation. Parents, teachers, licensed physicians, foster parents, and other community agencies are examples of individuals who may initiate the process by:

• Contacting the child's teacher
• Contacting the building principal
• Contacting the school counselor
• Contacting the Special Education Office

A REED (Review of Existing Evaluation Data) document will be drafted by the Individual Educational Planning Team members, which includes the parent/legal guardian(s) and qualified professionals. Existing information/evaluations, as well as school-based information and observations, will be reviewed. Based on the review, the team will identify what additional information, if any, is needed to determine whether your child has a particular category of disability, or, in the case of a reevaluation, if they continue to have such a disability. If the IEP Team determines, upon completion of the REED, that additional information is needed, the parent/legal guardian(s) will be asked to sign a consent form. Once written consent is received, the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) will evaluate within 30 school days. Once the MET evaluations are completed, a written MET report with eligibility recommendations is presented at an IEP team meeting. Using the MET information, the IEP team determines whether or not your child is eligible for Special Education and how their educational needs will be met in light of any qualifying disability area.  
 

Based upon the MET report, which identified areas of concern, the IEP Team determines eligibility and develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which includes educational goals for the student and appropriate programs and services. Every year, the IEP Team will meet to review the specific needs of the student and make recommendations for programming.
Participants in the IEP Team meeting have to include the following:

• Parents
• One regular education teacher, if applicable
• One special education teacher, or at least one provider of special education
• One representative of the local school district who is qualified to provide or supervise the programs/services, is knowledgeable about the general curriculum, and has the authority to commit resources
• A person who can interpret evaluation results
• Any other person whom you or your local school district wishes to include who has knowledge or special expertise regarding your child, including related services personnel
• The child with disability, whenever appropriate

MI Dept. of Ed, Education Improvement & Innovation Personal Curriculum Resources has guides, updates, FAQs, and more.

• Guardianship Information
• Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council
• Children's Special Health Care Services
• Ionic County's CSHCS (Children's Special Health Care Services)
• Michigan's Guide to Guardianship
• Ionia ISD PAC (Parent Advisory Committee)

Students who have or have had a disability that interferes with learning but does not require specialized instruction beyond the general education may qualify for a Section 504 plan that documents and ensures the provision of needed accommodations within the general education classroom setting. For further information about Section 504 eligibility, contact your building coordinator/counselor or the Director of Special Education & Special Services.

504 Procedural Safeguards