February 2025

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Transition Planning Resources for Families

Have you started thinking about when your child with a disability transitions to life after public school? SPEDTex has a Transition Planning Resources page that provides information for families about this important topic! Click here to view.

The Texas Assessment Website: How to Help Your Child Prepare for State Assessments

The Texas Assessment website can help you gather information about state assessments and find resources for your child. Click here to learn more.

Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) 

This school year’s application window for the $1,500 PDSES Grant opened on February 3, 2025, at 8:00 AM CST, and will close on March 31st, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST. This program grants one-time $1,500 online accounts to the families of eligible students. To be eligible, a student must:

• be currently enrolled in a Texas public school,
• receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP), AND
• have not received this grant in the past—PDSES (previously SSES) is a one-time only grant.

Visit the PDSES website to learn more, or see the PDSES Application Process for Parents one-pager for help with how to apply. In addition, families will need a My SPEDTex account in order to access the PDSES Parent Portal and apply for the PDSES grant. Create your My SPEDTex account today.

UPCOMING EVENT

Empowering Families: Navigating Special Education for Emergent Bilingual Families

Join us for a free statewide webinar on February 26, 2025 at 12:15 p.m. (CT) designed specifically for families of emergent bilingual students who also receive special education services. Xochitl Rocha, Bilingual Programs Policy and Technical Assistance Manager at the Texas Education Agency will share valuable information and resources that can help you gain an understanding of the special education process as well as discover ways in which you can be involved in your child’s education. After the webinar, join us for a virtual focus group to provide input on how to enhance the way we connect with and support families of emergent bilingual students receiving special education services here in Texas. Register here.

ABOUT SPEDTEX

The Special Education Information Center (SPEDTex) provides resources and interactive features for increasing family awareness of disabilities and special education processes, with the goal of improving partnerships between schools and families.

Contact Us: 1-855-773-3839 | Email: inquire@spedtex.org | Website: spedtex.org