Special Education

The Office of Special Education for Loudoun County Public Schools is fully committed to providing students with disabilities opportunities along a continuum of services that offer access to and participation in the activities of the school and community environments as appropriate to the age and educational needs of the student.  Services for students with disabilities are planned with long term outcomes in mind. Annual goals and objectives consider development in the areas of curriculum and instruction, functional skills such as: independent functioning, social and emotional functioning, communication, and career skills. 

Loudoun County Public Schools provides special education services for children ages 2 - 21 inclusive. Students who are identified as eligible for services will have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services can begin as early as 2 years of age. For information on obtaining services for 2 - 5 year olds, please contact the Child Find office at (571) 252-2180. Once a student is school-aged, you should contact your "home school". The "home school" is the school that your student currently attends or would attend based on where you reside. If you have questions regarding Special Education, please contact us at (571) 252-1067.

Loudoun County Public Schools complies with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). We support the rights of students with disabilities to have decisions regarding their individualized instructional programs made through the collaborative efforts of all persons invested in their educational well-being.  Loudoun County Public Schools protects the rights of students with disabilities to be educated by teachers trained to provide access to the general curriculum, instruct adapted curriculum, to utilize a variety of instructional strategies and to take advantage of supplementary materials appropriate for the student's individual educational program.

Loudoun County Public Schools provides students with disabilities a continuum of service options ranging from least to most restrictive:

• General Education Classes

• Inclusive/Collaborative General Education Classes

• Indirect Services

• Indirect Services Self-Contained Services

• Home Based Instructional Services

• Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE-Preschool aged 2 - 5) 

• When appropriate, students may also receive services in private day and residential schools, and in hospital settings.

Across the continuum of special education services, Loudoun County Public Schools serves students with one or more of the following identified disabilities:

• Autism

• Developmental Delay (ages 2-5)

• Emotional Disability

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing

• Specific Learning Disability

• Intellectual Disability

• Multiple Disabilities

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Orthopedic Impairment

• Speech and Language Impairment

• Other Health Impaired

• Blind or Visual Impairment

• Deaf-Blind

Related Services, such as Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapies are available to allow a student to benefit from their individualized special education program. 

Donna M. Smith, Ed.S., NCSP                                                                                                 Tedra L. Richardson, M.A. 

Director of Special Education                                                                                                    Director of Special Education