Austin ISD is dedicated to providing parents and guardians with the support they need to be fully involved in the success of their children. We are committed to providing resources and information to support students, families, staff, and community members to strengthen partnerships, foster collaboration, and promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities.
The Austin 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).
Austin ISD Special Education Learning Events Calendar
- August & September 2025 (English PDF | Spanish PDF)
| Date | Time | Title & Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
12-1pm & 6-7pm |
Family Empower Hour: Welcome to Austin 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 Austin ISD’s special education programs, with plenty of time to answer your questions and offer support for your student. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, September 3, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family Empower Hour: The ABCs of IEPs Presented by Amy Cox & Lisa Vasquez-Saldana 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. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family Empower Hour: Child Find 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 - |
| Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family Empower Hour: Austin ISD 18+ Info Session Presented by Courtney Gregori and Jillian Ross Ready for what’s next after high school? Join Ϲ’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. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 12-1pm & 6-7pm | Family 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 Ϲ 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. Open to families and caregivers of students with disabilities. |
Zoom - |
| Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 10am-12pm | Special Education Transition Fair at Bowie High School Join us to learn more about special education transition: employment, education & training, independent living, and recreation & leisure. At this event, you’ll hear from community agencies and organizations, as well as learn about all of the services in Austin ISD and the community. This event is made possible by the Austin Ed Fund. Free Kona Ice for the first 100 attendees and a light breakfast. |
Bowie High School, Cafeteria | 4103 W Slaughter Lane 🔗 Register here: |
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Language and Literacy/Biliteracy Resources for Families, 5/21/24, , Passcode: +ff6@Moy
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Transition Family Engagement videos: |
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Learning Opportunities
Recording link & password for 9/18/24: and
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:
- Back to School 2025 (, )
- Summer 2025 (, )
- Spring 2025 (, )
- Winter 2025 (, )
- Coming Soon!
Each year, Austin 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
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.