How do I Access Services For My School-Aged Child?
Click here for information regarding students enrolled in private schools.
If your child is enrolled in a district school
The First Step: Prereferral Intervention
If
you suspect that your child has an educational disability and needs
special education services, the first step is to contact your building's
principal. The principal will activate the school's pre-referral team
to provide intervention within the regular education program. The team
is comprised of your child’s teacher, the school principal, the school
guidance counselor, and you, the student's parents. The team determines
whether making adjustments to the regular education program can enhance
your child's success in the classroom. What happens if the classroom
approach to solving the problem is not successful? The school will then
seek parental permission to evaluate the student to determine
eligibility for a special education program. Please note that parents
may also request an evaluation at any time during this process.
The Second Step: Evaluation
The
comprehensive evaluation is conducted by a multi-disciplinary team.
Each team is assembled based on the child's suspected disability. The
team will include regular education teachers, a school psychologist, the
district’s special education director, and you, the parent. As the
student's parent, you will be asked for information concerning your
child's physical, emotional, and academic growth. Additional team
members may be added to the evaluation team when it is deemed necessary.
The
evaluation may include educational assessment, ability testing,
adaptive and social behavior assessment and perceptual evaluation. A
single test or procedure may not be the sole factor in determining
whether a student is disabled. Upon completion of the evaluation,
recommendations will be made in a written report called the Evaluation
Report.
Parents should note that students will be
periodically reevaluated. These follow-up evaluations are conducted
according to state regulations after an eligible student is assigned to
special education programming. These follow-up reports are crucial to
insure that each child's needs are being met through the provided
special education services.
The Third Step: IEP's and placement decision.
Once
a student's disability has been identified, an educational plan is
designed and tailored to fit the specific needs of your child. This
written plan is called an IEP or Individualized Education Program. The
IEP, a direct result of the Evaluation Report, is developed by the
parents and the school. It spells out the educational program for the
student based on goals and objectives, as well as, specially-designed
instruction that may be necessary to achieve success. Any related
services needed to assist the student in benefiting from or gaining
access to a special education program will be specified. A student's IEP
is revised at least once a year. Any team member may call for a review
or revision more frequently if the plan does not appear to be adequate.
A
variety of educational placements are available to meet the special
needs of each student in the least restrictive environment. Placement
options include: itinerant , supplemental, or full-time level of special
education services either within or outside of the regular school
building or the school district within any of nine different support
programs. These programs include Learning Support, Life Skills Support,
Emotional Support, Deaf & Hearing Impaired Support, Blind&
Visually Impaired Support, Speech & Language Support, Physical
Support, Autistic Support, Multiple Disabilities Support.
Parents
are encouraged to stay actively involved in the IEP process and have
the right to disagree with the IEP recommendations. In addition, parents
are informed, in writing, of their rights during each step of the
process.