To help every child succeed, the Office of Special Education focuses on academic outcomes, aspirations for our students, and regulatory compliance. We are providing our students with more stability and continuity, new opportunities for inclusion, and high-quality programs that are aligned with district efforts to help all our students reach a high standard ensuring access and opportunity.

We are dedicated to providing specially designed instruction and related services through a continuum of services to students with disabilities from birth to age 26; to ensure that the rights of students with disabilities are protected and that Federal and State regulatory requirements are met; and to provide resources to parents, guardians and families of children and students with disabilities.

Certified special education teachers work with classroom teachers and related service providers to ensure that each child within Ann Arbor Public Schools from birth to 26 years old receives a free and appropriate public education. A child's team includes a certified teacher, administrator, and other support staff to meet individual needs or the child. Support staff may include occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, social workers,  school psychologists, nurses, paraprofessionals, board certified behavior analysts, adapted physical education, homebound teachers, and a variety of district teams to assist classroom teachers in helping students achieve their best version of themselves. All services are based on a child's individual educational needs.