Navigating the world of special education for your child can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Hawai‘i offers a wealth of resources to support families, caregivers, and educators in ensuring children with special needs receive the services and opportunities they deserve. From advocacy organizations and legal assistance to parent support networks and mediation services, these community partnerships are here to help.

Family & Community Resources

• Community Children’s Councils: A partnership of parents, school personnel, private providers and other community members, coordinated by the Department, who are concerned with the delivery of services and support to special needs children and families.
• Disability & Communication Access Board: A resource for persons with disabilities through the state Department of Health.
• Hawai‘i Disability Rights Center: A designated protection and advocacy system for people with disabilities.
• Hawai‘i Families as Allies: Provides Certified Parent Support Providers (CPSP) and Certified Family Peer Specialists (CFPS) who work with families to connect them with the resources they need. A chapter of the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health.
• Hawai‘i State Bar Association: Over 8,000 members located around the world, involved in every aspect of community, business, government and nonprofit sectors of society. Volunteer attorneys spend thousands of hours annually in pro bono and community activities.
• HIDOE Family and Community Engagement: The Family and Community Engagement website provides resources that assist HIDOE in engaging with families, schools and communities statewide. On this website, you will find:
  • Information on what schools and programs are doing to involve family and community locally and nationally.
  • HIDOE values centered around Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ).
  • HIDOE teams that can support families.
  • Resources that center the HIDOE Family and Community Engagement Framework (Google Doc).
• Hilopa‘a provides information and referral, technical assistance and training for parents with children with disabilities. Hilopa‘a Center is staffed by parents and friends of children with special health care needs. They provide free, confidential assistance to families and self-advocates and the professionals who serve them, and provide resources for students transitioning out of high school.
• Leadership in Disabilities & Achievement of Hawaiʻi (LDAH): The Parent Training & Information Center for the state of Hawaiʻi. Its mission is to enhance education, work and life opportunities for children and youth with disabilities by empowering them and their families through information, training and mentoring, and by public outreach and advocacy.
• Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i: Provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and does not charge clients for legal services.
• Mediation Center of the Pacific: Local not-for-profit corporation, Aloha United Way Agency providing high quality mediation and dispute resolution services that are affordable and accessible.
• ParentGuidance.org: Provided by the Department’s Office of Student Support Services for parents and school staff. ParentGuidance.org works with schools and their communities nationwide, empowering families to help children thrive through its mental health resources, including:
  • Regular one-on-one parent coaching for parents, families and school staff
  • Access to over 30 mental health series virtual seminars
  • Online lessons led by licensed therapists
  • “Ask a Therapist,” a frequently updated question and answer forum
• Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC): A diverse group of individuals with expertise on all aspects affecting special education and related issues. Membership includes a majority of parents of children with disabilities, as well as teachers, administrators, representatives from the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services, and others.
• Special Parent Information Network (SPIN): Information, support and referral to parents of children and young adults with disabilities and the professionals who serve them (sponsored by DOH/HIDOE).
  • School Closure Contingency Plan Checklist (PDF)
  • Parent Tips for Virtual IEPs (PDF)
  • Using Technology to Deliver Related Services (PDF)

Federal Resources

Additional links and resources related to supporting students with disabilities.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Developmental Milestones
  • Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act and move.
• ​U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families Resource Guide (PDF)

District and Complex Area Resources

Each complex area within the state has a special education team of specialists supporting schools and families. For help with your student/child or school, please contact the District Educational Specialist (Google Sheet) for your school.

data Information

The Department reports English language arts, mathematics and science data by subgroups, including special education and high needs by school and year. Use the links below to access this data from the HIDOE’s Accountability Resource Center Hawai‘i (ARCH). In the database, select the school, subject and subgroup type using the bar on the left.

• Special Education Participation
• Special Education Proficiency
• Every Student Succeeds Act Report Card

School-Based Claiming

HIDOE is eligible to receive federal reimbursement from the Medicaid program for certain medically necessary, health-related services we provide to eligible students.

Home-Hospital Instruction

In the event of a sudden or chronic health condition that prevents a student from physically attending school for a minimum of 10 consecutive school days, the student’s parent(s) may complete and submit Sections I and II of the Home Hospital Instruction Services Form (PDF) to the school’s student services coordinator to request Home Hospital Instruction Services. A Student Support Team will then be convened to discuss the best means of providing the student with a continuity of educational services between the classroom and the home or hospital.

Educational Partner Meetings

A State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Stakeholder Engagement Meeting was co-hosted by HIDOE and the Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) on Dec. 9, 2022, to review 2021-22 school year data for selected SPP/APR indicators. 

Click on the links below for a PDF of the slides:

• FY 2021 Stakeholder Engagement Meeting General Overview (PDF)
• Graduation, Dropout and Suspension & Expulsion Rates (PDF)
• Statewide Assessment (PDF)
• School Age (5-21) Educational Environments and Parent Involvement (PDF)
• Preschool Educational Environments and Preschool Outcomes (PDF)
• Post-School Outcomes (PDF)
• State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) – Reading Achievement of Third and Fourth Graders (PDF)

Exceptional Support Branch

The Exceptional Support Branch (ESB), under the Office of Student Support Services, provides leadership, professional development and technical assistance to Complex Areas and schools in planning and implementing programs that increase achievement for students with disabilities. For more information, call 808-305-9750.

Monitoring and Compliance Branch – IDEA Team

The Monitoring and Compliance Branch (MAC), IDEA Team, under the Office of the Deputy Superintendent, supports the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and HAR Chapter 60 requirements to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities and their families. For more information, call 808-307-3600.