Connecticut Special Needs Resources

Connecticut schools offer a continuum of services, from consultation and collaboration in regular classrooms to specialized schools for students with intensive needs. Most students receive services in their neighborhood school, even if they need significant support.

The Planning and Placement Team (PPT)—Connecticut's term for the IEP team—decides what services your child needs and where they'll receive them. This includes related services like speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and counseling. Connecticut also covers services you might not expect, like assistive technology assessments and training.

For students with significant disabilities, Connecticut provides specialized instructional programs. These might be located in specific schools within your district or through regional programs that serve multiple districts. The state also approves private special education schools for students whose needs can't be met in public programs.

Transition planning starts at age 15 in Connecticut, earlier than the federal requirement. This means the PPT begins discussing your child's goals for after high school and what instruction and services will help them get there.

The special education process in Connecticut follows federal IDEA requirements with some state-specific elements. When a child is referred for evaluation, the district must complete the evaluation and hold a Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meeting within 45 school days of receiving parental consent. This is Connecticut's term for the IEP team. The PPT includes you as the parent, regular education teachers, special education teachers, a district representative, and others who have knowledge about your child or can interpret evaluation results.

Connecticut uses an IEP that must include all federally required components: present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, special education and related services, supplementary aids and services, program modifications, and an explanation of the extent to which your child will not participate with nondisabled children. Connecticut also requires transition planning to begin no later than the first IEP in effect when your child turns 15. For students with significant cognitive disabilities, Connecticut offers an alternate assessment aligned with alternate achievement standards.

Connecticut has been working to improve inclusive practices, meaning more students with disabilities are being educated alongside their nondisabled peers with appropriate supports. The state also has something called Scientific Research-Based Interventions (SRBI), which is Connecticut's approach to Response to Intervention. This framework helps schools provide support to all struggling students, not just those identified for special education. If you need help understanding Connecticut's system or advocating for your child, CPAC offers workshops, phone consultations, and can even attend meetings with you.