The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) provides services to children ages 3 through 21, residing in Hawaiʻi, who are eligible for special education and related services. Special education is specially designed instruction, related services, and other supplementary aids to meet your child’s unique needs—at no cost to parent(s).

ʻike nui

Special education refers to a range of services provided your child with disabilities to improve their educational outcomes. It is specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of your child with disabilities. Special education may include, but is not limited to, academic services, speech-language services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling services, and parent education. In addition, special education services are provided at no cost to parent(s). Find out if Special Education Is it for your child? (PDF).

Special education services are made available to any student — ages 3 through 21 — who demonstrates a need for specially designed instruction after an eligibility determination. An evaluation will determine the nature and extent of the student’s needs. Evaluations are separate assessments that may include: academic performance, communication skills, general intelligence, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, and motor abilities. If your child is eligible for special education, services are provided through an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Ke koi aku nei ka Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) a me nā lula mokuʻāina i ka HIDOE e hoʻolako i kahi hoʻonaʻauao aupuni kūpono manuahi (FAPE), e komo pū ana ka hoʻomau o nā lawelawe no kāu keiki i kūpono i ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā a me nā lawelawe pili.

Ka Loiloi a me ka Pono

Hoʻolālā ʻia ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā no nā haumāna me ke kino kīnā e pilikia ai ke aʻo ʻana a pono ke aʻo kūikawā.

Ua wehewehe ʻia ka loiloi e like me nā kaʻina hana e hoʻoholo ai inā he kīnā kāu keiki a me ke ʻano a me ka nui o ka pono no ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā a me nā lawelawe pili. Kōkua kēia kaʻina hana i ka ʻike ʻana i nā haumāna i kūpono i ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā a me nā lawelawe e pili ana ma o ka hoʻoholo ʻana i ke ʻano o ke kino kīnā a me ka pono o nā lawelawe hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā. Aia nā manawa kiko'ī e pono ai nā hui e hahai no ke kaʻina loiloi.

Hoʻomaka nā kuhikuhi kūpono no ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā ma hope o ka loaʻa ʻana o nā hana aʻo kākoʻo a pono ka haumāna ma mua o ka hiki ke hāʻawi ʻia e ke kumu kula ma o ke kākoʻo hoʻonaʻauao ākea. No ka laʻana, he haumāna koʻikoʻi ko ka hoʻonaʻauao a/a i ʻole nā ʻano hana a hoʻomau i ka hōʻike ʻana i ka hemahema o ka holomua ʻoiai ke piʻi nei ka pae o ka hana.

ʻO ka hoʻoholoʻana i ke kino kīnā no ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā

Pono nā hui:

• Hana i ka loiloi
• E hoʻopau i ka hoʻāʻo ʻekolu
• E noʻonoʻo i ka holomua hoʻonaʻauao o kāu keiki a me ka pilina ma waena o ke kino kīnā
• E hoʻoholo i ka hopena hoʻonaʻauao o kēlā kīnā
• E hoʻoholo i ka pono o ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā

Hōʻike kēia ʻokoʻa koʻikoʻi ʻaʻole ʻo ka lepili kīnā wale nō e hoʻoholo i ka pono no ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā. I loko o ka pōʻaiapili o ka pono hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā, ʻaʻohe kū ka lepili kīnā me ka ʻole o ka ʻōlelo ʻana i ka holomua o ka hoʻonaʻauao ma muli o ke kino kīnā.

Ho'āʻo ʻEkolu 

Pono e hoʻokō ʻia kēlā me kēia ʻaoʻao ma mua o ka hiki ʻana i ka hui ke hoʻoholo inā he kūpono kāu keiki no ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā.

• Manaʻo 1: Kino kīnā – He kino kīnā ko kāu keiki?
• Māhele 2: Ka hopena ʻino – Is the disability adversely affecting your child’s involvement and progress in general education?
• Māhele 3: Pono – Pono kāu keiki i ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā a me nā lawelawe pili ma muli o ko lākou kino kīnā?

Polokalamu Hoʻonaʻauao Hoʻokahi

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement about the educational program for your child with a disability. It serves as a management tool to ensure that your child receives the needed special education and related services. It can also serve as an evaluation tool when used to determine the extent of their progress toward accomplishing projected goals.

Each IEP includes:

• A statement of your child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance
• He ʻōlelo o nā pahuhopu makahiki, me nā pahuhopu aʻo wā pōkole
• He ʻōlelo o ka hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā kūikawā a me nā lawelawe pili e hāʻawi ʻia
• Ka nui e hiki ai i kāu keiki ke komo i nā papahana hoʻonaʻauao maʻamau
• ʻO nā lā i manaʻo ʻia no ka hoʻomaka ʻana o nā lawelawe a me ka lōʻihi i manaʻo ʻia o nā lawelawe
• Nā pae hoʻohālikelike kūpono a me nā kaʻina loiloi a me nā papa manawa no ka hoʻoholo ʻana, ma ka liʻiliʻi o ka makahiki, inā e hoʻokō ʻia nā pahuhopu.

Beginning at age 14 (or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team), the IEP shall include a statement of the transition service needs of your child—under the applicable components of the their IEP—that focuses on their courses of study (such as participation in a vocational educational program).

Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when your child turns 16 (or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP team), the IEP must include:

• ʻO nā pahu hopu ma hope o ke kula kiʻekiʻe e pili ana i ka loiloi hoʻololi kūpono i ka makahiki
• Pono nā lawelawe hoʻololi (me nā papa haʻawina) e kōkua i ka haumāna e hoʻokō i kēlā mau pahuhopu
• Nā loiloi hoʻololi i kūpono i ka makahiki ma muli o nā pono pākahi o kāu keiki e hoʻohana ʻia no ka hoʻoholo ʻana i nā pahuhopu kūpono ma hope o ke kula lua.
• Beginning no later than one year before your child reaches the age of majority under state law, (18 years of age in Hawaiʻi), their IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of his/her rights under Part B of IDEA, if any, that will transfer to your child on reaching the age of majority

ʻO kēia mau mea participants need to be present at an IEP meeting (PDF):

• A representative of the public agency, other than your child’s teacher, who is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, special education
• The child’s teacher
• Hoʻokahi a ʻelua paha o nā mākua/kiai kānāwai
• ʻO kāu keiki, inā pono
• ʻO nā kānaka ʻē aʻe ma ka manaʻo o ka makua a i ʻole ka hui

IEP Meetings

IEP meetings need to be held at least annually. Depending on the needs and progress of your child, meetings to review and revise may be held more frequently.

While IEP meetings are usually initiated and conducted by the school, it is appropriate for parents to request an IEP meeting when you believe your child is not progressing satisfactorily or you feel there is a problem with the current IEP.