Should Students With Disabilities Begin Receiving Services the First Day of School?

According to South Carolina's Office of Exceptional Children Policies and Procedures released April 6, 2009, it depends on the frequency, location, and duration of services documented in the child's IEP. The IEP team must make an individual determination regarding when special education and related services will begin an end for each child. Some services may not be provided to the child until the 2nd quarter or second semester of the school year. Some children with disabilities may benefit from having the first week of school in general education in order to acclimate to new general education teachers, classrooms, expectations, and routines. Other children, such as children with autism, may need services beginning the very first day of school. Decisions regarding when special education and related serices will begin for a new school year are not to be based on the convenience of school staff, but the individual needs of each child. If the IEP is silent regarding provision of services during the first and last weeks of a school year, parents often presume services will be provided during that time. The IEP is to indicate when services begin and the frequency, location and duration of the services. This is to be clear to the parents and providers.