Special education in Texas
What Texas calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.
Special education in Texas
Special education is called
Special Education
The IEPIndividualized Education Program: a written plan for a child's special education services at school. meeting
ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal) committee meeting
Eligibility team
ARD committee (with multidisciplinary FIE team)
Evaluation timeline
45 school days. 45 school days from consent to the Full Individual Evaluation report, extended when the student misses 3 or more school days; ARD within 30 calendar days of the report (19 TAC 89.1011)
IEP timeline
ARD within 30 calendar days of the evaluation report
Transition planning starts
14
Rights transfer to the student at
18
Developmental delay category
3 to 5 (state category is Noncategorical Early Childhood; reported federally as DD)
Dyslexia law
yes: TEC 38.003: dyslexia screening at end of K and grade 1
State categories
Noncategorical Early Childhood (NCEC) ages 3 to 5; auditory impairment; deaf-blind; dyslexia evaluated under SLD
Find your district and schools
1,233 districts and charter districts. 86 special education schools and 1,048 public charter schools.
The state office and your options when you disagree
State special education office
Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)
Mediation
State complaint
Due process
Free help for families
Parent centers
- Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition
Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC), El Paso
(915) 217-2747 - PACT Project
Parent Center (type not stated on CPIR list), Euless
(469) 712-8409 - PATH Project
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Beaumont
Serves: Aransas County; Austin County; Bee County; Brazoria County; Brazos County; Brooks County; Burleson County; Calhoun County; Chambers County; Colorado County; DeWitt County; Duval County; Fort Bend County; Galveston County; Goliad County; Grimes County; Hardin County; Harris County; Houston County; Jackson County; Jasper County; Jefferson County; Jim Wells County; Karnes County; Kenedy County; Kleberg County; Lavaca County; Leon County; Liberty County; Live Oak County; Madison County; Matagorda County; McMullen County; Milam County; Montgomery County; Newton County; Nueces County; Orange County; Polk County; Refugio County; Robertson County; San Jacinto County; San Patricio County; Trinity County; Tyler County; Victoria County; Walker County; Waller County; Washington County; Wharton County
(409) 898-4684 - PEN Project
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), El Paso
(806) 762-1434 - Team Project, Partners Resource Network, Inc.
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Missouri City
Serves: Atascosa County; Bandera County; Bastrop County; Bexar County; Blanco County; Burnet County; Caldwell County; Cameron County; Comal County; Dimmit County; Fayette County; Frio County; Gillespie County; Gonzales County; Guadalupe County; Hays County; Hidalgo County; Jim Hogg County; Kendall County; Kerr County; Kinney County; La Salle County; Lee County; Llano County; Maverick County; Medina County; Real County; Starr County; Travis County; Uvalde County; Webb County; Willacy County; Williamson County; Wilson County; Zapata County; Zavala County
(281) 969-5944
Disability rights agency
- Disability Rights Texas
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Austin
(512) 454-4816
Paying for it
Medicaid for children
Texas Medicaid
CHIP
Texas CHIP
Apply
Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income
no (KFF 2026). KFF lists No. Texas Medically Dependent Children Program (MDCP) waiver is commonly described as counting only the child's income; being checked in this pass.
Schools bill Medicaid for health services
no
Autism insurance law
yes. screening and services for children
Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities
universal: Texas Education Freedom Accounts (SB 2, 2025; universal eligibility, first awards 2026-27, higher amounts for SWD). Note: SSES grants for SWD are public-school supplemental services, not private school choice
Program page
How Texas scores
First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.
State of Schools
C-Rank 30 of 51
State of Support
FRank 49 of 51
Combined
FRank 50 of 51
| Pillar | Grade |
|---|---|
| Following the law | B- |
| Learning together | B- |
| Results | D- |
| School funding | F |
| Family protections | C |
| Options and transition | B |
IDEA determination 2026: Meets. How we grade.
Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.
Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.