Special Education Guidance and Technical Assistance

The Office of Special Education has provided guidance and technical assistance documents in a variety of areas related to Special Education.

Behavior

• Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) Technical Assistance Document (PDF)

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

• Functional Behavior Assessment Guidance Document (PDF) (2024)

Brain Injury

• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Technical Assistance Document (PDF)

Colorado's Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA)

• *** ECEA Requirements that Exceed IDEA Requirements, September 1, 2011 (PDF)
• Guidance on Paraprofessional Qualifications (2025) (PDF)

Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) 

• Special Education and Educational Surrogate Parents - Technical Assistance and Training Manual 2023 (PDF)
• Educational Surrogate Parent (ESP) Guidance Memo, June 2018 (PDF)
• Assignment of an ESP Form 2023-2024 (PDF)
• ECEA Rules regarding ESPs (1 CCR 301-8, 2220-R-6.02(8) (PDF)

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Health

• Emergency Medications on the Bus Technical Assistance Document (PDF)
• Role of the School Nurse: Students with Special Needs Technical Assistance Document (PDF)

Measles Guidance

This document provides guidance to Colorado schools and administrative units (AU) on ensuring continuity of learning for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) who are quarantined, excluded, or otherwise unable to attend school during a potential measles outbreak.

• Expectations for Special Education Service Delivery During a Measles Outbreak (PDF)

 Individualized Education Program (IEP)

• IEP Training for Foster Parents (House Bill 09-1078), January 27, 2010  

 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

• The Consideration of Clinical Diagnoses in the Educational Identification of Disabilities in Accordance with IDEA (PDF)
• Consideration of Special Factors: "Unique" Communication Needs (PDF)
• Making Least Restrictive Environment Placement Decisions for Preschoolers (PDF)

 Learning

• Reading and Math Interventionists in Special Education (PDF) - (in process of review) New codes that allow flexibility for the use of interventionists in Special Education

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

• IDEA 2004 and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

 Mental Health

• Guide to School-Based Mental Health Services and Professionals in Colorado (PDF)
• Social Skills (PDF)

Multilingual Learners (ML) Identified with or Suspected of Having Educational Disabilities

• Culturally Responsive School-Based Family Interviewing: Engaging in Empathic Family Partnerships
• Linguistically Responsive Data-Based Instructional Decision-Making for K-12 Multilingual Learners
• Multilingual Learner Processing Guide (PDF)
• Multilingual Learner Family Interview Questions - Building Trust and Mutual Understanding (PDF)
  • Entrevistas con familias de los MLs (PDF)
• Multilingual Learners Identified or Suspected of having Educational Disabilities: Enrollment Scenarios Flowchart  (PDF)
• Students who are Newcomers: Considerations for Special Education (PDF)
• Colorado Standardized Identification of Multilingual Learners Procedure and FAQs 
  • Identificación estandarizada de Colorado
• Supporting Dually Identified Students (PDF)
  • Apoyo a los estudiantes con doble identificación (PDF)
• Local Normative Data Like-Peer Comparison (PDF)(English) 
  • Datos normativos locales Comparación con compeñeros similares (PDF)

OSEP Q&As

Office of Special Education Programs has issued the following Guidance and Q&A Documents

• INITIAL EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT TIMELINE
• Questions and Answers for K-12 Pub. Schs. in the Current COVID-19 Environment (OCR 9/28/20)

Out-of-Home Placement

• *** Children in Out-Of-Home Placement, House Bill 08-1019, June 24, 2009

Preschool

• FAPE for Preschool Special Education Students (PDF)
• OSEP LRE/FAPE Letter, January 2017 (US Department of Education webpage)
• DCL: A Response to Intervention Process Cannot Be Used to Delay-Deny an Evaluation for Preschool Special Education Services (US Department of Education webpage)

Professional Development

• Online Free Professional Development Options for Colorado Educators (PDF)
• Upcoming Colorado Department of Education Professional Development Opportunities
• On-Demand Colorado Department of Education Professional Development Opportunities
• Exceptional Student Services Unit Calendar of Events

Reading/Math

• Reading and Math Interventionists Supporting Students in Special Education - in the process of review

Speech Language Pathologists (SLP)

• SLP/OT/PT Services, April 1, 2009
• Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Technical Assistance Document (PDF)
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Technical Assistance Document (PDF)