It is important to find out why a child may be having trouble at school. In some cases, a child may have a mental health issue or a disability. By law, schools must give special help to eligible children with disabilities. This help is called special education and related services. A referral to special education is the first step in the process of seeing whether a child should receive special education services.
Special education is provided to a child with an identified disability who needs special instruction to meet his/her own needs and to allow the child to use the general curriculum of the school district.
As a parent or caregiver of a child who has or who may have a mental health issue or disability that requires special instruction, you will work with a team of educators and, as appropriate, specialists to find out the needs of your child and to design the right program that meets your child’s educational needs.
Related services may include, but not be limited to, psychological and counseling services, speech and language services, audiological services, guidance, social work, transportation, physical and occupational therapy and medical services that are required for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.