Special Education

Annually, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), requires the Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project to conduct the National Deaf-Blind Child Count, formerly called the National Deaf-Blind Census. The Deaf-Blind Child Count records the number of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have deaf-blindness or who are at risk of developing deaf-blindness, and who are enrolled in early intervention or special education as of the December 1, 2023 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) child count.

The count will be conducted in February 2024. You must verify and submit your information no later than March 8, 2024. It is important for Pennsylvania to have an accurate Deaf-Blind Child Count as this information is tied to funding research, training, and technical assistance for this population of children.

Please be aware that for the Deaf-Blind Child Count, the federal definition of deaf-blindness is more inclusive and extensive than the one used for the IDEA child count. Children ages birth through 21 should be reported in the count if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have a diagnosis of deaf-blindness and/or receive both vision and hearing support services;
2. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have a mild to profound hearing loss and vision loss with correction that still requires adaptations or modifications;
3. Infants and toddlers (ages birth-to-three; i.e. Part C) who have a diagnosis that places them at-risk for an intellectual disability with inconsistent responses to light and sound. (At-risk means a diagnosis that does not guarantee hearing/vision loss); or
4. Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students with multiple disabilities who may demonstrate inconsistent responses to light and sound.
   
   It is important for each Early Intervention Program and Local Educational Agency (LEA) to participate in the Deaf-Blind Child Count.
   
   

1. If you do not have any infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or students with deaf-blindness, you will still need to log in and identify that you are not educating anyone with deaf-blindness at the present time.
2. If you are educating an infant, toddler, preschooler, or student with deaf-blindness, you will need to either enter a new record or verify information about a child who already exists in the system.
3. School-age and preschool programs are encouraged to work closely with contracted providers (e.g., Approved Private Schools, Charter Schools for the Deaf or Blind) to ensure an accurate count of children.
4. Connecting families of children who are deaf-blind with supporting networks and information is vital. A feature of the Deaf-Blind Child Count is a letter which you will be asked to send to the family of each child listed in your count. The letter provides information which will link them to support and information for their family.

1. Log in with your username and password at https://www.leaderservices.com/_DBcensus.
2. If you do not know or cannot remember your username or password for the Deaf-Blind Child Count, use the “Forget your Login Info” link on the Deaf-Blind Child Count website to have the information emailed to you or email dbchildcount@pattankop.net for support.
   
   If you have any questions regarding the data collection system or your responsibilities for entering child data into the Deaf-Blind Child Count, please email dbchildcount@pattankop.net.

The Restraint Information System Collection (RISC) is open for data entry for the second quarter (restraints occurring between October 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024, of the 2023-24 school year). The RISC program has been enhanced and gives local educational agencies (LEAs) greater opportunity to provide both more detail about restraints and to analyze trends in reducing the use of physical restraints.

LEAs are required to report RISC data quarterly during the 2023-24 school year. This includes reporting zero restraints during a quarter when restraints did not occur. Additionally, LEAs still are required to comply with 22 Pa. Code § 14.133(f) or 22 Pa. Code § 711.46(f) Positive Behavior Support related to training of personnel in specific procedures, methods, and techniques. However, 22 Pa. Code § 14.133(f) and 22 Pa. Code § 711.46(f) Positive Behavior Support does not require LEAs to acquire specific certification in the use of restraints and leaves this up to the LEAs and their specific training model. The training of personnel should provide varied intervention and strategies needed to address problem behaviors. The types of intervention chosen for a specific student or eligible young child shall be the least intrusive necessary. The use of restraints is considered a measure of last resort, only to be used after other less restrictive measures, including de-escalation techniques.

The Bureau of Special Education (BSE) continues to require LEAs to report the restraints that occurred in each quarter. This reporting process permits LEAs to report restraints in a timely manner which, in turn, allows LEAs to monitor patterns of episodic behaviors and address them accordingly.

The quarterly windows of reporting for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:

The RISC reporting design provides an “End Date” for LEAs to comply with their end of quarterly reporting. In addition, there is a two-week window date labeled “Last Day to Report” to allow LEAs to gather and report on those students that attend an out-of-district facility where they were placed in a restraint during that quarter. This two-week period is also a designated time for LEAs that had no restraints during the quarter to report zero in RISC. BSE will continue to send out reminder PENN*LINKS about this quarterly reporting requirement.

BSE will monitor the restraint information reported by LEAs. RISC requires each LEA to report the event that occurred prior to the incident, the incident, the unsafe behavior, and the de-escalation techniques used. The LEA must notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the use of a restraint and schedule an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting within 10 school days of the use of the restraint in the educational program, unless the parent(s)/guardian(s), after written notice, agree(s) in writing to waive the IEP meeting. Restraints occurring during Extended School Year sessions should be reported within three weeks of the start of the school year.

In reviewing restraints submitted in RISC of school-age students with IEPs, the Special Education Advisers of BSE will continue to focus on LEA monitoring responsibilities, as well as:

• Training of staff in de-escalation techniques;
• Excessive time of restraint;
• Excessive use of parent/guardian waivers;
• Mechanical restraints;
• Injuries;
• Number of restraints;
• 10-day window (school days) to convene an IEP meeting after a restraint occurs; and
• Handcuffing of students, students tased, or students charged with a safe school’s offense;
• Excessive law enforcement involved in restraints with staff not involved.

A RISC reporting webinar is posted on the RISC website: apps.leaderservices.com/_risc/index.aspx. This RISC reporting webinar link is located below the login box of the Leader Services RISC sign-in page. This webinar explains the reporting and investigation process and how to use the RISC program. The webinar also shares how to update your LEA's contact information. All parties involved with RISC are highly encouraged to view this webinar to learn how to report restraints, how to use the system, and to understand the regulatory responsibility of LEAs.

Additionally, the Bureau of Special Education has recently updated the Restraint Information System of Collection (RISC) Program Guidelines. The “RISC Program Guidelines” are available for review on the RISC website.

Questions regarding RISC should be directed to Keith Focht: 717-783-6921 or kfocht@pa.gov or to the RISC Resource Account - ra-edrisc@pa.gov.