About this resource
The Special Education Navigator is the first part of a free Family Resource Center for families. It helps you understand what may matter in your situation, what you can do next, and where to find help.
How we check what we publish
Every legal statement is linked to an official source, such as federal regulations or the Virginia Administrative Code. Each one goes through three steps before it is published:
- Researched from official sources, with the exact source text recorded.
- Source checked independently, in a separate pass that re-reads each official source.
- Approved for publication by a person at Contextual Pathways after the source check. This is a quality check, not a legal review.
Questions the official sources do not clearly answer are kept out of the guidance.
We show your state's rules only where we have reviewed them. Otherwise we show federal information and tell you what we can't cover yet.
Educational Information — Not Legal Advice
Contextual Pathways provides general educational information to help families understand special education processes, parental rights, and available resources. This information is not legal advice and has not been reviewed or approved by an attorney or government agency. Laws and regulations may change, and individual circumstances may vary. Families should consult official sources or a qualified professional for guidance about their specific situation.
This resource explains general rules and practical options. It does not decide whether a school followed the rules.
Your privacy
- No accounts, sign-ups or profiles.
- What you type stays in this browser tab. It is not saved, not sent to us or anyone else, and is gone when you close or refresh the page.
- No ads, no tracking and no analytics.
- Files you download are created on your device and have generic names.
Who makes this
A free resource from Contextual Clinical. It is always free.