Resources for Special Education in Arlington County Public Schools

Arlington County Public Schools

Arlington Public Schools Office of Special Education is part of the Department of Teaching and Learning.  As of May 2018, the administrative offices for Arlington Public Schools are located 2110 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22204. Most non-school based special education personnel are based at this location, including the Director of Special Education (703-228-6040), the Supervisor of Special Programs (703-228-6050), special education coordinators (who manage procedure and take minutes at eligibility meetings) autism coordinators, and behavior specialists. A wealth of information is available on the Office of Special Education webpage.

Located at 2110 Washington Boulevard, Suite 158, Arlington, VA 22204, the Arlington Public Schools Special Education Parent Resource Center (PRC) is an important resource for parents.  It is a good clearinghouse for information about special education services, connecting parents with local volunteers who are parents with children who receive accommodations or special education services. The PRC maintains an extensive library of books and videos that parents can borrow.  The PRC coordinates much of the programming offered by the Office of Special Education. These programs can vary tremendously by topic between Parent Workshops and Staff Training and address a number of different issues. Two major programs are the Autism Training Calendar and the CHADD Parent to Parent Courses for parents of children with AD/HD.  Contact the PRC for more information at 703-228-7239 or call the Coordinator Kathleen Donovan at 703-228-2135.  The PRC webpage is updated regularly for events and has its library collection listed on ACORN.  Parent Resource Centers are mandated by federal law for every school district in the country.

The Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC) is a group of parent volunteers who are appointed by the Arlington School Board to serve in an advisory capacity to the School Board.  Advisory Committees are mandated by federal law for every school district in the country.  Members of ASEAC are an excellent resource for parents. Members, meeting dates and reports are listed on the APS website.  All ASEAC meetings are open to the public and offer an opportunity for public comment.

An ADHD Task Force, now disbanded, joined staff and parent groups working on improving outcomes for student with characteristics of ADHD in the Arlington Public Schools.  Information is available on the APS website here.

The Arlington School Board – Members of the Arlington School Board are available to meet privately with parents during Office Hours throughout the school year or by appointment. Updates on office hours are available on the  School Board webpage.

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