The Virginia Beach school division provides a free appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) for eligible students with disabilities following the legal provisions as contained in the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia (effective January 1, 2001), 8 VAC 20-80-10 et seq., and the Code of Virginia.

Schools conduct Child Find through a screening process to locate, identify, and evaluate school-age children who need special education and related services. The notice about general screening can be found in the parent/student school handbook. Students who may need special education are also identified through referral. A parent, teacher, or another person may suspect a student has a disability and make a referral at any time by writing or speaking to the special education administrator.

Students with disabilities attend neighborhood or zoned schools at all levels. Students may also apply to the magnet center, alternative sites, and academy programs within the city. Services are provided within a full continuum of placement options based upon the decision of the IEP committee.

Public schools also conduct Child Find to locate, identify, and evaluate preschool children who are in need of special education. This is done through publicizing the availability of special education programs for preschool aged children and responding to evaluation requests from concerned parents and other referring sources who suspect a child has developmental delays.

If parents suspect their preschool age child (age 2-4) may require special education, they may call the Preschool Assessment Center at 757.263.2800. If the child’s age falls within the range of birth to age two, parents may call the Infant Toddler Connection of Virginia Beach at 757.385.4400.