Eligibility, Admission, Placement

Member districts will ensure that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available from birth to children with visual impairments, or who are deaf/hard of hearing or deafblind. For the child from birth through two years of age who is deaf or hard of hearing or deafblind, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting must be held and testing completed prior to services beginning.

As defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), any student between the ages of 3 and 21, who has a hearing impairment that severely impairs processing linguistic information through hearing, even with recommended amplification, and which adversely affects educational performance shall be eligible for consideration for the RDSPD subject to the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee decisions. Only the ARD committee can establish a student’s eligibility for services, appropriate instructional arrangement, setting, and placement.  While educational placement of the RDSPD is made by the ARD committee, the location of its classes is determined by the RDSPD Management Board.