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The �鶹������ý ISD Department of Special Education hosts Family Learning Opportunities throughout the year. These sessions include a variety of topics related to students with disabilities and special education. For more information, please contact Kellie Marino or Bree Rolfe at 512-414-SPED (7733).

Sessions are in English. To request interpretation in Spanish or any other language (including ASL), you must register 24 hours in advance. Registration/Interpretation Request: tinyurl.com/33u78ec7  

�鶹������ý ISD Special Education Learning Events Calendar

• August & September 2025 (English PDF | Spanish PDF)
• October 2025 ( | )
• November 2025 (English PDF | Spanish PDF)
• December 2025 (English PDF | Spanish PDF)
• January 2025 ( | )

Date	Time	Title & Description	Location
Wednesday, December 17, 2025	12-1pm & 6-7pm	Empower Hour: Texas Transition and Employment Guide Presented by Courtney Gregori & Judith Leblanc Join us for an overview of TEA’s Texas Transition and Employment Guide. This session will highlight important sections of the guide, offering practical strategies and resources for planning education, employment, and independent living goals after high school.	Zoom -
Wednesday, January 7, 2026	12-1pm & 6-7pm	Talk the Talk: Communication Strategies for Life After Graduation! Presented by Courtney Gregori & Judith Leblanc Don't miss this powerhouse partnership! Our Transition Team is joining forces with the AAC Team to host a crucial session focused on postsecondary communication success. We'll dive deep into the best communication tools and strategies—including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)—to help students confidently express themselves, thrive in their chosen path, and navigate life both in school and long after graduation. This is key training for unlocking independence!	Zoom -
Wednesday, January 14, 2026	12-1pm & 6-7pm	Empower Hour: ABCs of IEP & The Parents' Guide to the ARD Process Presented by Maria Martinez Special education families are welcome to this session to learn about key parts of their student's program, including the parent's guide to the ARD process, performance levels, goals, services, and how to effectively work with the IEP team.	Zoom -
Saturday, January 17, 2026	10am-12pm	Special Education Transition Team Presents: Texas Transition & Employment Guide Presented by Courtney Gregori & Judith Leblanc Join us for an informative session reviewing TEA’s Texas Transition and Employment Guide, designed to help students with disabilities and their families navigate life after high school. This event will cover key sections of the guide, offering practical tips and resources for planning education, employment, and independent living goals.	LBJ ECHS | 7309 Lazy Creek Dr, �鶹������ý, TX 78724 Reservation: bit.ly/SPEDJan17
Wednesday, January 21, 2026	12-1pm & 6-7pm	Empower Hour: Understanding MTSS & Supporting Your Student in �鶹������ý ISD Presented by Presented by Krystal Colhoff & Jennifer Beeler Join our session to build a foundational understanding of �鶹������ý ISD's Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)—a framework ensuring all students receive the right academic and behavioral help—and learn clear, actionable strategies to reinforce that support at home.	Zoom -
Wednesday, January 28, 2026	12-1pm & 6-7pm	Family Empower Hour: Child Find Presented by Presented by Amanda Reyes Learn about Child Find, the process that ensures all children who may need special education services are identified and supported. This session will help you understand your rights, the school’s responsibilities, and how to get the help your child needs. Open to all families and caregivers of students.	Zoom -

The Family Connections newsletter will now be sent to your inbox four times a year, keeping you up to date on important events, resources, and supports throughout the school year.

See the newsletter here: 

• Fall 2025 (, )
• Back to School 2025 (, )
• Summer 2025 (, )
• Spring 2025 (, )
• Winter 2025 (, )

For questions, please contact Bree Rolfe: bree.rolfe@austinisd.org.

Past Presentation Descriptions & Links
Empower Hour: Welcome to �鶹������ý ISD Special Education Join us for a tour of the helpful parent tools and guides on the SPEDTex website during an interactive session. We’ll also share key information for families new to �鶹������ý ISD’s special education programs, with plenty of time to answer your questions and offer support for your student.
Empower Hour: Child Find Learn about Child Find, the process that ensures all children who may need special education services are identified and supported. This session will help you understand your rights, the school’s responsibilities, and how to get the help your child needs.
Empower Hour: The ABCs of IEPs This session welcomes new families to special education and introduces key parts of a student’s program, including performance levels, goals, and services. You’ll also learn about your role as a parent and how to work with the IEP team. Sessions repeat throughout the year.
Empower Hour: �鶹������ý ISD 18+ Info Session Ready for what’s next after high school? Join AISD’s Transition Team for a virtual informational session all about 18+ services, including GO Project, TLC, Greenleaf, and Project SEARCH. Discover which program best fits your student’s needs and get your questions answered by our experts.
Empower Hour: Let’s Get Organized! Progress Reports for Parents, Organization and Communication, Family Binder, Frontline Join us for an interactive session to learn essential tools for staying organized and engaged as a special education family. We’ll walk you through the AISD Parent Portal, the collaboration portal in Frontline, and instructions on how to create a Family Binder to keep all your important documents in one place.
Empower Hour: Together – How to Support our Bilingual Students In this session, families will learn the differences between ESL and bilingual programs. Participants will leave with powerful questions to ask teachers and schools to advocate for their children’s success.
Empower Hour: Walkthrough of Texas Dyslexia Handbook This session is created to help families and school partners better understand the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. Together, we’ll walk through important sections of the handbook in an easy-to-follow way, so parents and caregivers can feel more confident about the state guidelines and supports available for children with dyslexia and related learning differences.
Empower Hour: Practical Strategies for Students with Dyslexia Effective strategies that can be used at home and in the classroom. You’ll walk away with tools for reading and study support, tips for building organization and study habits, and ways to nurture resilience and confidence in students. We’ll also connect you with helpful resources and community supports.
Empower Hour: A parent's guide to MAP Growth Scores Learn how to navigate parent-teacher conferences with confidence! This session will guide parents in understanding MAP Growth Scores and using them to support their child’s success.
Empower Hour: Accessibility Supports for Chromebooks This session will help parents understand the valuable technology tools available to students on AISD Chromebooks. Join us for demonstrations of the powerful assistive technology and accessibility tools built into every student device. We will showcase features that support a range of learning needs, including speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and more.
Empower Hour: AISD 18+ Info Session- Ready for what’s next after high school? Join AISD’s Transition Team for Empower Hour—a virtual info session all about 18+ services, including GO Project, TLC, Greenleaf, and Project SEARCH. Discover which program best fits your student’s needs and get your questions answered by our experts. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities.
Empower Hour: Focus on Autism Join our District Autism Specialists for a discussion on Autism Eligibility for Special Education Services. Learn how autism may impact education, what supports schools can provide, and explore resources, including community events, visuals, and reinforcement systems.
Empower Hour: Family Voices on Inclusion As part of Inclusive Schools Week, the Inclusion Workgroup invites families to join a special session. The event will feature family testimonials about inclusion, updates on the group’s ongoing work, and a parent town hall where families can share feedback about what inclusive schools mean to them. This is a great opportunity to learn, connect, and help shape the future of inclusive practices in our schools.
Empower Hour: Coach to Communicate Presented by the Texas A&M Coach to Communicate program The Coach to Communicate project offers a one-hour webinar for parents and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Gain practical applied behavior analysis (ABA) strategies to improve communication at home and learn how to access one-on-one parent coaching with experienced ABA specialists.

Each year, �鶹������ý ISD partners with various school districts to verify what summer programs and camps are available in the area for special education students and their families.

For more information: 

• Download the  and  PDF guides for Camp
• View the participating 
• For additional questions, please contact: speddept@austinisd.org

Parents/guardians/adult students will receive an email from “Frontline” with access each time there is a new document requiring review or signature. These documents include IEPs, progress reports, 504 documents, etc. For additional information on how to access the parent portal please reference the PDF documents below. Please note that these emails for access are one time use only. Don't forget to download your documents after signing!

The Resource Locator is your gateway to special education resources. From accommodations to transition and everything in between, the SPEDTex Resource Locator lets you tailor your search by topic, language, and type. Simply select an option to begin your search.

The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University offers training at no cost to Texas parents and caregivers of children up to age 22 with core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and caregivers will learn how to improve their child's communication skills. This service is provided by a research grant project entitled Coach to Communicate (C2C), sponsored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This training is on a first come first serve basis, and spots fill quickly.

The training includes a 1-hour self-paced webinar that teaches behavioral strategies to increase communication use in children with ASD. Once complete, parents can choose to be paired with a coach for a more intensive 12-week training specific to their child’s communication needs (again, at no cost to parents). Shorter options of 2-5 coaching sessions are also available for parents, if better suited to their needs. Coaching is offered in English, Spanish and Thai.

To learn more and to apply for the program, please review the following resources:

For questions or more information, please feel free to email TAMUAuParent@tamu.edu.