001Good morning today is Thursday, June the 4th, 2026. This is the first of two scheduled public hearings regarding proposed amendments to 19 TAC, specifically 8910, 1005, 1040, 1075, 1092, 1094, 1121, and 1125. My name is Derek Hollingsworth. I'm your host this morning. As a reminder, um this meeting is being recorded. It will be posted on the TEA YouTube channel, um uh at the at the beginning of next week. Um so, we'll go through the we'll go through the verbal instructions, and then we'll get started. Please clearly state and spell your full name. If you're representing an organization, please clearly state the name of the organization that you're representing. You will have 3 minutes to speak. The timer will start after you've stated your name and, if applicable, the name of the organization that you're representing.
002A 30-second warning will be given. At the end of the 3 minutes, you'll be given a signal to stop. Once the stop signal is given, you may complete your sentence, and then you must stop. TEA staff will not be responding to your comments today, nor will TEA staff ask for any questions, and as always, TEA is more than happy to accept written comments at [email protected]. Our first speaker today is Rebecca Cieslewski. And Ms. Cieslewski, you can start whenever you're ready. >> All right. Um good morning. Uh my name is Rebecca Cieslewski, r e b e c c i c i e s i e l s k i. This morning I'm representing the Texas FASD Network, which is an organization dedicated to supporting individuals with and families affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders across the
003state. We appreciate the Texas Education Agency's initiative to amend the special education eligibility provisions of the Texas Administrative Code to improve clarity and consistency across districts. Consistency is exactly what I'm here to ask for today. I respectfully urge the TEA to go one step further and explicitly include fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, FASD, in the list of conditions under the definition of other health impairment. FASD is a neurodevelopmental disability caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and affects brain structure and function resulting in challenges with memory, executive functioning, attention, and emotional regulation. These are neurological impacts, not behavioral choices, and not primarily emotional or psychiatric conditions. Yet, because FASD is not explicitly named under OHI, districts across Texas apply eligibility categories inconsistently. In cases where students are not qualified under OHI for FASD, we see a range of
004misclassifications. Because FASD shares some surface-level symptoms with autism, students are sometimes classified as autistic, which can lead to interventions designed for autism that are more complex than what students with FASD actually need, and in some cases counterproductive. In other cases, students are placed under disability. This happens not because emotional disability accurately reflects their condition, but because it is a secondary symptom. When a student's neurodevelopmental needs go unmet and unsupported, emotional and behavioral struggles follow. The emotional disability classification addresses the symptom rather than the cause. This matters because the supports that actually work for students with FASD are generally straightforward. Things like consistent routines, concrete instructions, memory aids, and structured environments. These are not complicated or costly interventions, but students don't consistently receive them if they are misidentified. Explicitly naming FASD under other health impairment would
005give districts clear guidance, reduce the inconsistency TEA is already working to correct, and help ensure that students with FASD receive supports matched to their actual neurological needs. We ask that TEA include this clarification in the final amended We are happy to provide additional information or work with the agency staff on appropriate language. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to Texas students with disabilities. >> Thank you, ma'am. Next up is a Steven Aleman. >> Good morning. This is Steven Aleman with Disability Rights Texas. The first name is s t e v e n. The last name is spelled a l e m a n. Um Disability Rights Texas is the protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities in our great state, and this morning I'm sharing just a portion of our public
006comment on the pending rule-making provisions of the Texas Education Agency. As usual, we'll follow up today's verbal comments with extensive written remarks, but today I want to highlight our comments on proposed rule amendment to the intellectual disability uh eligibility category under Title 19 Texas Administrative Code section 89.1040, which is where the Texas State of Texas elaborates on the federal IDEA eligibility categories for special education. Pending before us today is a rule amendment to change in part the eligibility category for students under the classification of intellectual Disability Rights Texas is um understanding of a need for a change. However, we would propose an alternative wording of an additional pathway for eligibility under this disability category. Uh specifically, um we have some alternative language to recommend. We will submit this in writing, but it's fairly brief, so
007um if you'll indulge me, I will just provide it verbally now, but again, we'll submit this in writing. In lieu of the current proposed text for an additional pathway for eligibility under the ID category, we propose instead the following language. The consideration of multiple sources of evaluation information, including both direct and indirect data, when standardized measures of cognitive ability are invalid, inaccessible, or inappropriate. Provided, however, that any evaluation must be individualized and must not be based on stereotypes or generalizations about the child. Uh again, we will have further comments on these other important rule-making changes, but today we just want to highlight that we believe that some revisions to the proposed ID eligibility changes are necessary. Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. >> Thank you, sir. At this time, no
008one else has provided route to provide public testimony, but I want to give everybody an opportunity um to speak if they want. Um Ms. Hogan, have you changed your mind? Would you like to provide public testimony? >> Mr. Miller, would you like to >> Uh I'm sorry. Um no, sir. I'm totally fine. Thank you so much for the opportunity. >> Okay, thank you, ma'am. Mr. Miller, have you changed your mind? Would you like to provide public testimony? Ms. Volk, have you changed your mind? Would you like to provide public testimony? >> No, thank you. >> Thank you. Ms. Sheridan, would you like to provide public testimony? >> No, sir, but thank you. >> Thank you very much. All right. At this time, ladies and gentlemen, since there are no other um speakers, we're going to
009go ahead and conclude today's public hearing. As a reminder, there's a second public hearing scheduled for Friday, June the 5th, uh same time. Um this meeting will be posted on the TEA YouTube channel, um reposted early next week. Thank you very much for your attention, for your time. Um this concludes today's public hearing. Have a great day. >> You too. Thanks.