Program established to help families of students with cognitive disabilities
AUSTIN, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) have announced the establishment of the Supplementary Special Education Services (SSES) program to connect eligible students with severe cognitive disabilities with additional support for the critical services they require.
The student-centered SSES program will help connect Texas families to high-quality, personalized services through a one-time funding allocation that aims to help offset learning disruptions related to COVID-19. Qualifying families will gain access to a targeted spending account to purchase services costing up to $1,500 per eligible student.
Families can purchase supplemental supports such as tutoring, therapy, and digital resources through vendors approved and vetted by TEA.
The purchased services are intended to be supplementary and do not remove responsibility from Texas public school systems to provide the educational services outlined in each eligible student’s Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) plan.
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Families of students enrolled in public school during the 2020-2021 school year that were enrolled during the initial COVID-19 closures in Spring 2020 and have been identified as having a low incidence disability will qualify.
Nearly 59,000 students statewide are eligible to benefit from this new program. Participation priority will be given to families receiving income assistance and/or families that have documented financial need.