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).

aotelega

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).

Ole Tulafono ole Fa'aleleia o A'oa'oga a Tagata Ta'ito'atasi ma Manaoga Fa'apitoa ole 2004 (IDEA) ma tulafono faatonutonu a le setete e mana'omia ai le HIDOE e tu'uina atu se a'oa'oga fa'ale-malo talafeagai e leai se totogi (FAPE), lea e aofia ai le fa'aauauina o au'aunaga mo lau tama o lo'o agava'a mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa ma auaunaga fa'apitoa.

Iloiloga ma Agavaa

O aʻoaʻoga faʻapitoa e faʻamoemoe mo tamaiti aʻoga e iai faʻafitauli faʻapitoa e mafua ai le faigata ona aʻoaʻoina ma manaʻomia ni aʻoaʻoga faʻapitoa.

O le su'esu'ega o lo'o faauigaina o faiga e fa'aoga e iloa ai pe e le atoatoa le malosi o lau tama ma le natura ma le lautele o le mana'oga mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa ma auaunaga fa'apitoa. O lenei faiga e fesoasoani e iloa ai tagata a'oa'o e agava'a mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa ma auaunaga fa'apitoa e ala i le fa'amautuina o le iai o se fa'aletonu ma le mana'omia o auaunaga fa'apitoa. E iai taimi fa'apitoa e tatau ona mulimulita'i ai 'au mo le fa'agasologa o iloiloga.

O fa'asinoga talafeagai mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa e amata pe a mae'a fa'ata'ita'iga fa'aa'oa'oga lagolago ma e mana'omia e le tamaititi a'oga e sili mamao atu nai lo le mea e mafai e le faiaoga potuaoga ona tu'uina atu e ala i le lagolago a'oa'oga lautele. Mo se fa'ata'ita'iga, ose tamaititi e iai ni lu'itau tau a'oa'oga ma/po'o amio ma fa'aauau pea ona fa'aalia le leai o se aga'i i luma e ui ina fa'atuputeleina le fa'alavelave.

Fuafuaga o Manaoga Faapitoa mo Aoga Faapitoa

E tatau i 'au ona:

• Faia se iloiloga
• Fa'amae'a le su'ega fa'atolu
• Mafaufau i le alualu i luma faaleaoaoga o lau tama ma le fegalegaleaiga i le va o le le atoatoa
• Fuafua le aafiaga faaleaoaoga o lena le atoatoa
• Filifili le manaʻoga mo aʻoaʻoga faʻapitoa

O lenei fa'ailoga taua e fa'ailoa mai ai o le fa'ailoga fa'apitoa e le fa'aosoina ai se fa'ai'uga o le agava'a mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa. I le tulaga o le agava'a mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa, e leai se tulaga o le fa'ailoga e le atoatoa le malosi e aunoa ma le fa'asino i le fa'aletonu o le alualu i luma o a'oa'oga ona o le fa'aletonu.

Su'ega Tolu La'au 

E tatau ona fa'amalieina ta'ito'atasi a'o le'i mafai e le 'au ona fa'amautu pe ua agava'a lau tama mo a'oa'oga fa'apitoa.

• Laasaga 1: Fa'aletonu – E iai se fa'aletonu o lou alo?
• Laasaga 2: Aafiaga leaga – Is the disability adversely affecting your child’s involvement and progress in general education?
• Laasaga 3: Manaomia – E mana'omia e lau tama ni a'oa'oga fa'apitoa ma ni au'aunaga fa'atatau ona o lona le atoatoa?

Polokalame A'oa'oga Ta'ito'atasi

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
• Se faʻamatalaga o sini faʻaletausaga, e aofia ai faʻamoemoega faʻaaoaoga mo taimi pupuu
• Se faʻamatalaga o aʻoaʻoga faʻapitoa ma auaunaga faʻapitoa e tuʻuina atu
• Ole maualuga ole a mafai e lau tama ona auai i polokalame fa'aaoaoga masani
• O aso fuafuaina mo le amataina o auaunaga ma le umi o le taimi o auaunaga
• Fa'atatau o fa'amoemoega ma fa'asologa o iloiloga ma fa'atulagaga mo le fa'ai'uga, a itiiti mai i tausaga ta'itasi, pe o ausia sini.

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:

• Fa'atatauga fa'atatau i le mae'a o a'oa'oga fa'atatau ile su'esu'ega ole suiga ole tausaga
• O 'au'aunaga fa'aliliu (e aofia ai kosi o su'esu'ega) e mana'omia e fesoasoani ai i le tamaititi a'oga e ausia na sini
• Su'esu'ega tau suiga o tausaga e fa'atatau i mana'oga ta'ito'atasi o lau tama e fa'aaoga e fa'atatau ai sini fa'atatau ile aoga maualuga.
• 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

O mea nei 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
• Tasi po'o matua uma/tagata tausi tulafono
• Lau tama, pe a talafeagai
• O isi tagata i le faitalia a le matua po'o le lala sooupu

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.