Special Education Referral

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Special Education Evaluations Available

Upon request, The Charter Institute at Erskine is required to evaluate a child for eligibility for special education services. A request for evaluation is known as a referral. When the district receives a referral, the district will appoint an Evaluation Planning team to determine if the child has a disability and if the child needs special education services.


The district locates, identifies and evaluates all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in schools within the school district. A school staff member who reasonably believes a child may be a child with a disability has a legal duty to refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school district in which the child is enrolled.


Before referring the child, the person making the referral must inform the child's parent that the referral will be made. Others, including parents, who reasonably believe a child is a child with a disability, may also refer the child, including a homeless child, to the school or district in which the child is enrolled. Referrals must be in writing and include the reason why the person believes the child is a child with a disability.


A referral may be made by contacting Brandy Reynolds, Coordinator of Special Education, Odyssey Online, at (803) 944-3085, or by writing her at Odyssey Online Learning, attention Brandy Reynolds, 510 Lexington Ave, Suite 102, Chapin, SC 29036.


This notice is displayed below on our website and in the conference room and break/copy room in the Odyssey Online office.

Notice of Child Find

Under a mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), Odyssey Online Learning is to conduct activities to locate, identify and evaluate any child with known or suspected disabilities who attends the school. Categories of disabilities may include: developmental delay, mental disability, emotional disability, speech or language impairment, deafness and hard of hearing, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, traumatic brain injury, autism and multiple disabilities.

An Overview of the Differences Between 504 and IDEA

The major differences between IDEA and Section 504 are in the flexibility of the procedures. For a child to be identified as eligible for services under Section 504, there are less specific procedural criteria that govern the requirements of the school personnel. Schools may offer a student less assistance and monitoring with Section 504 because there are fewer regulations by the federal government to instruct them, especially in terms of compliance.

In contrast, a child identified for services under IDEA must meet specific criteria. The degree of regulation is more specific in terms of time frames, parental participation, and formal paperwork requirements. IDEA also addresses the special education of students with disabilities from preschool to graduation only (from ages 3 to 21). Section 504 covers the lifespan and safeguards the rights of persons with disabilities in many areas of their lives, including employment, public access to buildings, transportation and education.

The criteria for identification, eligibility, appropriate education, and due process procedures under IDEA and Section 504 vary. It is important for you and your child's teachers to understand how these laws differ and how those differences could affect your child's education.

Identification and Eligibility

In order for children with disabilities to receive services, they must by identified and then determined to be eligible for these services. Under IDEA guidelines, school districts are required to identify and evaluate all children suspected of having a disability whose families reside within the district. Section 504 does not have this requirement.

IDEA
  • Covers all school-aged children who fall within one or more specific categories of qualifying conditions (i.e., autism, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, emotional disturbance, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, hearing impairment and other health impairments).
  • Requires that a child's disability adversely affects her educational performance.

Section 504
  • Covers individuals who meet the definition of qualified "handicapped" person -- for example, a child who has or has had a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity or is regarded as handicapped by others. (Major life activities include: walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself and performing manual tasks.)
  • Does not require that a child needs special education to qualify. Note: Students who are ineligible for services or are no longer entitled to services under IDEA (e.g., kids with LD who no longer meet IDEA eligibility criteria) may be entitled to accommodations under Section 504.
Special Education Referral

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(803) 735-9110

(803) 735-9110

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