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Lanterman 60th Anniversary Logo

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

What's On This Page

Getting Started

General Information

Early Childhood

School Age

Adult

Participant-Directed Services

Self-Determination Program

Preschool Age Referral Process

Part C: Early Intervention to Part B: Preschool Programs

  • Support the Part C to Part B transition meeting as the local education agency (LEA) representative with the regional centers or LAUSD Low Incidence Program
  • At the transition meeting the LEA representative will explain the purpose of the meeting, discuss child’s strengths and needs with families to determine potential areas of assessment, explain how the assessment plan will be sent to the parent, and answer any questions or concerns.
  • Students are referred at 2 years and 8 months (2.8) to the District by the service coordinator — This gives sufficient time to complete the IEP by the third birthday so that there is no interruption in services for students who continue to qualify.

Intake and Assessment

  • The intake and assessment teams receive approximately 600 referrals per month for unenrolled preschool-aged students.
  • 39 assessment teams are working at 10 assessment sites across the District.
  • The team members may include special education teachers or social workers, school psychologists, language and speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, adapted PE teachers, and special education assistants.
  • For many families, this is the first time they are learning about special education. For some this may be their very first time interacting with LAUSD. It is an opportunity to create a lasting positive relationships between families and the District.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process

Assessment

  1. The District has 15 days to respond to the referral.
  2. LAUSD will mail or e-mail you paperwork that needs to be signed, dated and returned.
  3. What’s inside the envelope/e-mail?
  4. Instructions on what to complete and how to return signed pages
  5. Parent Request for Reasonable Accommodations
  6. Affidavit for Proof of Age of Minor
  7. A Parent’s Guide to Special Education Services (including procedural rights and safeguards)
  8. Assessment Plan (AP) requests parental consent for LAUSD to assess your child
  9. The Assessment Plan will list the areas of assessment based upon all areas of your child’s suspected disabilities.
  10. First check your response, then sign, date and return to LAUSD.
  11. This is your written consent for the District to assess your child.

 

After LAUSD receives your Assessment Plan, a Transition Service Facilitator (TSF) Case Manager will be assigned to your child.

Your child will be scheduled for in-person assessments to determine eligibility for special education services.

The assessments will be used to evaluate your child’s areas of strengths and needs.

The IEP timeline is 60 days (not including any school break longer than 5 days).

IEP Team Meeting

After the assessments have been completed, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting will be held. This meeting can be held virtually at your request.

During the meeting, the IEP team will review the results of the assessments and discuss your child’s eligibility for special education services.

If your child is eligible, the IEP team will create goals for your child and recommend a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) program, supports, and services to achieve those goals in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

 

There are 14 Special Education Eligibilities:

  • Autism
  • Deafness
  • Deaf-Blindness
  • Emotional Disturbance
  • Established Medical Disability (Only ages 3-5)
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Multiple Disabilities
  • Orthopedic Impairment
  • Other Health Impairment
  • Specific Learning Disability
  • Speech or Language Impairment
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Visual Impairment

Early Childhood Special Education Services

Designated Instruction and Services (DIS):

Adapted Physical Education

Behavioral Intervention

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Occupational Therapy

Speech and Language

Physical Therapy

Visually Handicapped

 

Afterschool Early Childhood Program (AECP)

 

Itinerant Special Education Service to:

Community Preschools

Head Start Sites

District Preschool Programs

District Early Education Centers

 

Preschool Collaborative classrooms with:

District Preschool Programs

District Early Education Centers

Head Start Agencies on District Campuses

Expanded Transitional Kindergarten

 

Preschool Special Day Programs:

Preschool for All Learners (PAL)

Preschool Comprehensive (PSC)

Additional LAUSD Resources

District Website: LAUSD.org

LAUSD Special Education Website: lausd.org/Page/16735

Early Childhood Special Education Division website: lausd.org/Page/17167

 

Early Childhood Special Education Department:

– Phone Number: 213-241-4713

– E-mail address: ECSE@lausd.net

 

 

School Family and Support Services (SpEd TK-12 grade)

– Phone Number: 213-241-6701

– E- mail Address: spedsfss@lausd.net

FAQ

Get Answers

Lanterman’s Early Childhood teams support children from 3 to 6 years of age and their families, including children that transition from Early Start and those who were determined provisionally eligible after age 3.

The transition from Early Intervention and home-based services to receiving services through the school district can be tricky for families, so the lower caseload ratios in the Early Childhood units ensures the Regional Center can provide additional assistance, support and attention as families work through the transition meeting, the first IEP, receiving special education services through the school district, and in general just figuring all of that out. And when necessary, liaison with Lanterman’s Special Education Law Clinic to navigate issues that may arise with special education services.

Another critical role service coordinators have is assisting families with seeking out and utilizing generic resources – IHSS, SSI, and more – services that families qualify for but may not be aware of. Service coordinators also ensure families are supported outside of the school environment with respite and other in-home supports, and with social skills and adaptive skills training for children, navigating behavior services, and also with integrated social recreation activities.

If the Regional Center determines that your child is no longer eligible, and you feel that your child would meet one of the more stringent criteria for regional center services after the age of 3, you have the right to appeal the decision.

It should be noted that whether your child is or is not eligible for regional center services after the age of 3, the school district is the agency which will be providing the educational services for your child.

Preschool is free if your child requires special education. Attending preschool also helps children and families get a head start on making the adjustment from receiving services at home to receiving services through the school. Children and families that attend preschool have a much easier time when kindergarten starts. And in many cases, attending preschool ensures that children have the “head start” they need and are readily accessing the services they require to move forward and grow. Your child can benefit from the routine of school, the social environment and the related services.

An assessment plan must:

  1. Be provided in your primary language
  2. Explain the types of assessments to be conducted
  3. State who will conduct the assessment

Assessments should include:

  1. Observation in the classroom or at home
  2. Parent and/or teacher questionnaires
  3. Review of existing records

If you don’t know why they have requested a certain assessment, or believe they should include another, make sure to express your concerns and get answers.

An assessment plan should include multiple tests conducted by qualified professionals, as well as interviews and observations. No one test should be the determining factor for decisions about your child.

The IEP document includes the following components:

  1. An eligibility statement
  2. The child’s present level of performance
  3. Goals and objectives for the coming year
  4. Designated Instruction and Services when appropriate (the services and supports your child will receive)
  5. Appropriate program placement agreed upon by the IEP team

Parents are also an expert on their child, and a very important member of the IEP team! No one has known your child longer than you. You know what makes your child happy or upset, what foods your child likes, and how to calm your child down. This is all valuable information that only you can contribute! If something another member of the team says seems to contradict what you know about your child – question it and work together to develop a more complete picture of your child. You are in the best position to discuss their child’s strengths and areas of needed development. For this reason, your participation in the assessment and IEP process is extremely important. You are an important member of the IEP team – and it’s alright to disagree with findings or recommendations made by other members of the team.

The District is required by law to provide you with a dedicated, qualified translator for each IEP meeting, and to give all documents to you in your primary language. Be sure to request a translator as well in advance of the meeting as possible. A school secretary paraphrasing the conversation is not sufficient!

However, getting documents in your language can take a while, so it can be better to speak to a family member or friend who can translate and explain it to you.

  1. All special education services must be provided free of charge to your child.
  2. If your child requires a specially designed education to ensure he or she will benefit from his or her education, it is the school district’s responsibility to provide an appropriate education, free of charge.
  3. Cost cannot be the determining factor for granting or denying services. If Johnny needs the service to have an appropriate education in the least restrictive setting, then the school district needs to provide it.
  4. An appropriate education is one sufficient to allow a child to obtain an “educational benefit”
  5. Educational benefit is measured by progress on the central goals of the IEP
  6. Regression or only a small advancement may indicate inappropriate placement or services
  7. Districts do not need to provide the best possible education
  8. If a child cannot be educated in a public school, the IEP team may choose to pay for placement in a private school while continuing to supervise the child’s IEP and progress
  1. Must be in the Least Restrictive Environment appropriate for your child
  2. Children gain valuable social and life skills through interacting with other children
  3. If no pubic preschool is available that meets your child’s needs, the District may pay for a private preschool
  4. You will need to show all options offered by the District are inappropriate and why the private preschool is necessary. Very difficult to show!
  5. Please see the included handout for more information on specific classroom settings
  6. General Education Preschool, Head Start or Community Child Care Center
  7. Segregated Preschool on a General Education Campus
  8. Segregated Preschool on a Segregated campus
  9. Home / Hospital

An IEP must be individualized, that means each decision about placement or services must be based on the individual needs of your child. So while some children do well in general education with varying levels of support, others may need the more structed environment of a special day class or even a nonpublic specialized campus.

  1. Any related service that your child requires to “benefit from his education”
  2. May be provided individually, in a group, or part of an integrated special program, depending on your child’s needs
  3. Can also include communication with parents, assistance coordinating services, and special equipment
  • Transportation
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Adaptive Physical Education
  • Speech Therapy
  • Orientation and Mobility
  • Counseling
  • Health Services
  • Play Therapy
  • Parent Training
  1. Don’t panic and don’t give up! You have many options!
  2. Request from the district, in writing, funding to have an Independent Evaluation done for your child. This new assessment may provide the support you need to convince the district of your child’s eligibility.
  3. If the district has violated a law, you can file a complaint with the California Department of Education.
  4. If the district has discriminated against your child, you can file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights.
  5. If you and the district disagree about what placement or services need to be provided, you can file for Mediation only or Due Process.

Your child’s IEP team must meet at least once a year to review services and placement, and conduct a re-evaluation every three years. However, you can request an IEP meeting or assessment whenever you think it’s necessary

Once your child turns 5, he will be eligible for kindergarten. Please note, any changes in your child’s placement or services must be first approved by you!

Your child can continue in special education until the age of 22 and he or she graduate from high school or the IEP team determines that based on recent assessments, services are no longer necessary.

The Law Clinic provides advocacy assistance with school-related issues for Lanterman families with school-age children. You can request a referral to the Lanterman Special Education Law Clinic from your service coordinator.

Sixty years of Lanterman!

 

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