Special Education services are provided to eligible students ages 3 – 21.  Federal and state regulations require that all public school districts have Child Find procedures in place so that students of concern can be identified, referred, and as appropriate assessed and placed in a program designed for their needs.

The East  Valley School District provides many programs for the children of our schools at no cost to you.  The district offers special programs such as speech therapy, physical and occupational therapy, special education academic programs, and preschool classes to children 3 years and older.

Developmental screenings and/or comprehensive assessments for children who are suspected of having a disability that could adversely affect their educational development are available at no cost to you.  These services are available for persons between the ages of 3 through 21 years of age.  Appointments or further information can be obtained by contacting your neighborhood school or Special Programs at (509) 241- 5039.

Any application and any required policies, procedures, evaluations, plans, and reports related to special education will be made readily available to parents and other members of the general public through the District’s Special Programs Department.  If you would like to review any of these, please contact us.

The district encourages parental involvement and the exchange of information regarding parents’ children so that we are able to provide appropriate services to students.  Guidelines for who is considered a “parent” include parents, legal guardians, persons acting in the place of a parent such as relatives and stepparents, persons appointed as surrogate parents, and students aged 18 and above.

The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide parents of a student who is eligible for or referred for special education with a notice containing a full explanation of the rights available to them under IDEA and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction rules governing the provision of special education.

Parent & Student Rights (Procedural Safeguards) | OSPI

If at any time you believe your student may need special education, you should contact someone at your student's school and/or at your school district central office to request that your student be evaluated for special education. Each school has a student study team that works to help teachers provide support & strategies prior to referral to gather data on students identified as at-risk.

Making a Referral for Special Education | OSPI

Do you have questions about your child's development?

Children grow and develop differently. If you have concerns about your child's learning or development and suspect that your child may have a disability and might need special education services, contact: Heather Awbery at (509) 241-5020

Services provided free of charge to children, ages birth through 21, include:

• Child development information

• Developmental screening

• Special Education eligibility assessments

Infants and Toddlers Referrals for children ages birth through three years will be referred to the Infant Toddler Network at (509) 324-1651. You may call this number directly. Click here for additional information on the referral process

What happens next?

After East Valley School District receives your referral, a team member will call you back as soon as possible within 25 days to discuss your concerns.

If needed, a developmental screening or assessment appointment will be scheduled. These child find services are provided at no cost to families. If your child qualifies for special education services, you will be invited to participate in the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP)

East Valley School District is responsible for locating, evaluating and identifying children, ages birth through 21 years, who are suspected of having a disability and may be in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability. Students do not need to be enrolled in public school to be referred for an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services.

If your family is living in a temporary or transitional situation, you may contact the district where you are staying to attend a screening.

If you would like to request Special Education Records from any school in East Valley School District please submit your request via:

• Email to awberyh@evsd.org

• Fax to (509) 927-3222 

• Phone to (509) 241-5039

• Mail or Delivered to 3830 N Sullivan Rd. Bldg 1, Spokane Valley, WA 99216

    *NOTE: East Valley School District uses the IEP Online (IOL) platform. If you are an IOL district, you may also request records through the IDT process.

All requests must include:

• Student’s full legal name (no nicknames) while attending our schools

• Student’s date of birth

• Contact information of requestor: name, phone, fax, email, and should include what specific records are being requested

• Outside agency requests must be on letterhead with agency and requestor contact information, and must also include a signed release from the student if 18 years of age or older or from the parent/guardian if under 18 years of age.

 How will the district provide records to me?

Records will be provided electronically unless requested in a different format by the requestor.  Where small enough, the district will provide records via mail.  And when picking up records in person please present photo identification.

Below you will find a collection of educational and community links to support and enhance the education of your child:

Special Education Student Success
Procedural Safeguards: Parent and Students Rights
Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) / DSHS
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) / DSHS
The ARC of Spokane