Exceptional Student Services

Special education is specifically designed instruction (SDI) provided to students identified and found eligible through a special education evaluation, often referred to as a multidisciplinary evaluation team (MET).

MUSD offers a continuum of special education and related services, including development preschool, depending on the student's least restrictive environment as defined by the student's IEP team. Services may be provided inside the General Education Classroom, in the ESS Resource Classroom, in the ESS Cross-Cat Classroom, or any combination of the above to best meet each student's unique needs as determined by the student's IEP team. At times, students may need services not available within MUSD and may be placed in a private day setting located outside of MUSD.

• Not all students with identified disabilities require specially designed instruction outlined in an IEP (Individual Education Program).
• Eligible students must be re-evaluated at least every three years to determine eligibility or ineligibility.
• Eligible students are provided an IEP, which must be reviewed annually.

Preschool Aged Students:

• Developmentally Delayed (DD)
• Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)
• Preschool Severe Delay (PSD)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)

Kindergarten-12th Grade Students:

• Developmentally Delayed (DD) until the student's 10th birthday
• Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)
• Autism (AUT)
• Emotionally Disabled (ED)
• Hearing Impairment (HI)
• Visual Impairment (VI)
• Mild Intellectual Impairment (MIID)
• Other Health Impairment (OHI)
• Multiple Disabilities (MD)
• Multiple Disabilities - Severe Sensory Impairment (MDSSI)
• Moderate Intellectual Disabilities (MOID)
• Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
• Severe Intellectual Disability (SID)

• ADE: Arizona Department of Education
• EL: English Learners
• FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education
• FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• IEP: Individual Education Program
• MET: Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team
• SDI: Specially Designed Instruction