The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is providing this training to assist local education agencies (LEAs) in meeting their obligations under state and federal laws and regulations regarding the responsibility to identify, locate, and evaluate all children suspected of having a disability and who need special education and related services, commonly referred to as the Child Find obligation. To ensure…
Type: Learning Opportunity
This resource is currently being updated to align with the revision of new rules and statutes adopted in the 24-25 school year. Thank you for your patience. Please review the most recent rule changes at the, TEA Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules, or the, TEA Back to School Updates for Special Educators, Administrators, and Other Professionals, for more information., As part of the reevaluation, the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee and other qualified personnel, as appropriate, must complete a REED to help determine what additional data, if any, are needed to determine whether the student continues to require special education and related services and whether changes are needed to the services being provided. This question-and-answer document…
Type: Resource General
Child Find is a federal mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It requires local education agencies (LEAs), which include public school districts and charter schools, to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities residing within their jurisdictions who need special education and related services. (34 CFR §300.111—Child find) Child Find is a…, Whom do I contact?, If you are concerned about a student’s learning, contact your local school campus, district, or charter school. If you need assistance locating your local education agency, contact your regional Education Service Center (ESC) or the Child Find, Evaluation and ARD Supports Network located at Region 4 ESC.
Type: Resource General
The LEA’s responsibility for child find is for all children with disabilities ages 0-21. The LEA is responsible for identifying, locating, and evaluating all children with disabilities who need special education and related services. The LEA’s responsibility for free appropriate, public education (FAPE) is for children with disabilities ages 3-21. Services must be available to ALL eligible…
Type: Resource General
For mentors, finding or creating appropriate training for LEA staff being mentored can be time-consuming. We created the Autism Mentoring guides to accelerate this process and help you pinpoint the specific training the LEA staff may need.
Type: Learning Opportunity Series
How can this guide help me?, For mentors, finding or creating appropriate training for LEA staff can be time-consuming. This guide, created to accelerate this process, will help you: Select and tailor training assignments based on the individual needs of the educator Support the educator through a discussion around the follow-up questions provided in the guide Track educator progress through certificates of completion and…, What's in this guide?, This guide has three main chapters: Preparation, Behavior and Communication, and Academics and Social Skills. Each chapter has two recommended tracks: Foundational and Extended. Each track provides you with the following tools., Scope and Sequence:, Lays out the recommended training and suggested timing. , Key Points:, Are taken from the training in each chapter to help you prepare for the follow-up discussion with the educator to check for understanding. , Vocabulary: , A list of the specialized vocabulary used within the trainings of each chapter., Questions: , Questions you can use to help guide the discussion after the educator has completed the training. These questions serve as a guide to support a robust conversation and allow the educator to plan for individual implementation of the newly learned information., For the Mentor: , This section was designed to support the discussion by giving you further information and potential responses to the questions should the educator need additional guidance. You can use this information to provide additional information and redirect any misunderstandings., How can I use this guide?, This guide can be Used with individual educators Used in a professional learning community (PLC)
Type: Learning Opportunity
How can this guide help me?, For mentors, finding or creating appropriate training for LEA staff can be time-consuming. This guide, created to accelerate this process, will help you: Select and tailor training assignments based on the individual needs of the educator Support the educator through a discussion around the follow-up questions provided in the guide Track educator progress through certificates of completion and…, What's in this guide?, This guide has three main chapters: Preparation, Behavior and Communication, and Academics and Social Skills. Each chapter has two recommended tracks: Foundational and Extended. Each track provides you with the following tools., Scope and Sequence: , Lays out the recommended training and suggested timing. , Key Points: , Are taken from the training in each chapter to help you prepare for the follow-up discussion with the educator to check for understanding. , Vocabulary:, A list of the specialized vocabulary used within the trainings of each chapter., Questions:, Questions you can use to help guide the discussion after the educator has completed the training. These questions serve as a guide to support a robust conversation and allow the educator to plan for individual implementation of the newly learned information., For the Mentor:, This section was designed to support the discussion by giving you further information and potential responses to the questions should the educator need additional guidance. You can use this information to provide additional information and redirect any misunderstandings., How can I use this guide?, This guide can be Used with individual educators Used in a professional learning community (PLC)
Type: Learning Opportunity
How can this guide help me?, For mentors, finding or creating appropriate training for LEA staff can be time-consuming. This guide, created to accelerate this process, will help you: Select and tailor training assignments based on the individual needs of the educator Support the educator through a discussion around the follow-up questions provided in the guide Track educator progress through certificates of completion and…, What's in this guide?, This guide has two tracts, foundational and in-depth application. Each chapter has two recommended tracks: Foundational and Extended. , Foundational: , The foundational track is designed for educators needing to know the basics of behavior and autism. These educators might support elements of the evidence-based practices (EBPs) found in this guide, including generalization across learning environments but are not the primary staff in charge of implementation. Educators for this track might include inclusion teachers, elective teachers, resource…, In-Depth Application: , The in-depth application track is for educators directly responsible for implementing behavior supports with students with autism. Educators for this rack might include self-contained special education teachers, autism-specific special educators, behavior support teachers, licensed specialists in school psychology (LSSP), speech-language pathologists (SLP), and new behavior or autism specialists., Each track contains these six chapters., Introduction Functional Behavior Assessment Functional Communication Training Social Skills Training Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention Self-Management, Each chapter provides you with the following tools., Scope and Sequence: , Lays out the recommended training and suggested timing. , Key Points: , Are taken from the training in each chapter to help you prepare for the follow-up discussion with the educator to check for understanding. , Vocabulary:, A list of the specialized vocabulary used within the trainings of each chapter., Questions:, Questions you can use to help guide the discussion after the educator has completed the training. These questions serve as a guide to support a robust conversation and allow the educator to plan for individual implementation of the newly learned information., For the Mentor:, This section was designed to support the discussion by giving you further information and potential responses to the questions should the educator need additional guidance. You can use this information to provide additional information and redirect any misunderstandings., How can I use this guide?, This guide can be Used with individual educators Used in a professional learning community (PLC)
Type: Learning Opportunity
Terp-opoly is a series of courses with the goal of helping K-12 Educational Interpreters to build their skills and knowledge, as well as to earn the CEUs necessary to maintain their Board of Evaluation of Interpreters certification.
Type: Learning Opportunity
The Autism Circuit Academy (ACA) endorsement programs are comprehensive professional development designed to help Texas educators acquire and effectively implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) for teaching students with autism. The training is free for educators across Texas who are employees of a local education agency., Program Benefits , The Autism Circuit Academy is committed to building district capacity by increasing the number of educators in the state who are skilled in the implementation of EBPs. Through our virtual professional learning community format, participants can easily communicate with each other by asking questions, seeking and providing feedback, and uploading implementation artifacts. Our staff provides rapid…, Is the ACA for you?, The Autism Circuit Academy programs are designed for educators committed to developing effective educational programming for all students with autism. Special Education Teachers General Education Teachers Paraeducators Campus and District Specialists Speech Language Pathologists Occupational Therapists LSSPs Other Local Education Agency Staff, Application, The Level 1 2024-2025 application is now closed. Contact AutismCircuit@esc13.txed.net to be added to the 2025-2026 mailing list., Frequently Asked Questions, What will my endorsement mean?, The Autism Circuit Academy endorsement is awarded evidence of the work you did to become skilled in the implementation of the evidence-based practices (EBPs) identified by the National Professional Development Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The information on your endorsement details the work completed to earn the endorsement and CEUs: participate in multiple interactive webinars, provide…, What makes this training unique?, There are many online trainings about autism available. What makes the Autism Circuit Academy unique is the model of professional development (PD) that we use. Research shows that the traditional model of PD, the sit-and-get model of workshops or webinars, is ineffective in getting educators to actually implement strategies that are taught. It is called the implementation gap. We have studied the…, How do I request a copy of my certificate or my digital badge?, Email AutismCircuit@esc13.txed.net . Please indicate your full name, the program level you completed, and the year of completion., Why is the Level 2: Advanced program only open to Level 1 finishers?, The Advanced program is only open to educators who have completed the Level 1 program because the Advanced program builds on concepts and skills covered in Level 1. Many of the EBPs covered in Level 2 incorporate the Tool Belt EBPs, so a strong common knowledge of implementation is important. Also, educators who have completed the Level 1 program are more likely to better manage challenging…, Who do I contact if I have questions about the Autism Circuit Academy programs?, Contact the Autism Circuit at AutismCircuit@esc13.txed.net .
Type: Learning Opportunity
