• Implementation of the Caytlin Handley Act: What Families Need to Know: This month, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) published the long-awaited resource to fulfill the obligations of House Bill 1188, also known as the “Caytlin Handley Act.” TEA’s new resource, “Connecting to Community Supports” is available in English and Spanish. It is designed for school districts to connect families to services in early childhood and set children up for long-term success. Your Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA) is your connection to community services and support. 
• Register: Webinar on Special Education Hosted by SPEDTEX Special Education Information Center (Sept. 24)
  Kristin McGuire, Interim Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Special Populations and Student Supports at TEA, will discuss special education updates based on legislation passed during the 89th Texas Legislative Session.
• TEA Special Education Back to School Update
  TEA released its 2025-2026 Back to School Special Education Update Newsletter about new laws and guidance coming out of the 89th Texas Legislative Session.

September is National Preparedness Month, and our friends at Disability Rights Texas have put together a list of simple actions to help people with disabilities prepare for disasters in Texas.

• Get alerts: Stay informed about what’s coming by signing up for emergency and disaster alerts from Disability Rights Texas.
• Learn how to recover: Register for the Navigating Disaster Resources Webinar (Sept. 30) to learn what to do and how to get help when there’s a disaster.
• Collect your info: Create your own Emergency Ready Sheet so you have all your important information in one place when a disaster strikes.
• Stock up: Make sure you’re prepared for a disaster by stocking up on food and water, medications, and anything else you might need in case you cannot get out for resources.
• Learn more: Want more details? Check out Disability Rights Texas’ Disaster Resilience resources, Disaster Resilience videos in American Sign Language (ASL), and this video about what people with disabilities need before, during and after a disaster (also available in ASL).

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is seeking parents/caregivers who have a child (age 0-21 years) with a disability or special health care need, and young adults (age 18-26) with a disability or chronic health condition. Surveys will be accepted until September 30, 2025. Contact CSHCNSDG@dshs.texas.gov or call 512-776-7373 if you have any questions or prefer a paper survey. 

• Parents/caregivers of children and youth with a disability and/or special health care needs (age 0-21 years) should complete this survey—available in English and Spanish
• Young adults with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions (age 18-26 years) should complete this survey—available in English and Spanish.

This webinar for executive leaders, development professionals and board members of chapters of The Arc explores how one organization pivoted from near-total reliance on Medicaid funding to developing a robust, mission-aligned grant program that expanded services and deepened community impact.

This webinar explores strategies to uphold a person-driven culture while navigating resource constraints, and highlights how small-scale, low-cost initiatives can create big impact for people receiving services, their staff, and families.