Special Education Home

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) requires public school systems to identify and provide special education and related services to eligible students with disabilities.

IDEIA defines a student with a disability as having an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. Tennessee state law includes in the above list students age 3 through 9 experiencing developmental delays and students who are intellectually gifted, as defined by the state; and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

IDEIA requires public schools to provide a free, appropriate, public education to all eligible children with disabilities. If you know of an individual age 3 through 22 who may need special education and related services, please contact the Rutherford County Schools Special Education Department at (615) 893-5812.

Rutherford County Schools also provides accommodations to eligible students under Section 504. A Section 504 student is defined as an individual who has, has had, or is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment which substantially impacts one or more major life activities including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, or performing manual tasks.

Section 504 is administered through the Rutherford County Schools Special Education and Instruction department.