Resource

Special education is delivered through a broad continuum of services. Students can receive instruction in a variety of environments including within regular classrooms, small group classes designed to target individual skills and support students in the core curriculum, small group classes designed for students with specific needs in core subjects, and in more self-contained programs for students with disabilities that require more intensive instruction and specific instructional methodologies. Special education teachers work together with regular education teachers in planning for the needs of individual students. Additionally, related service providers, including counselors, psychologists, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists serve as important members of the child’s educational team when these services are deemed necessary for the student. The eligibility for and nature of these services, as well as the goals of each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), is determined the Planning and Placement Team (PPT). This team, consisting of professional staff members and the child's parent(s), convenes when the school or the child’s parent(s) suspect the child may have a disability due to lack of progress in the core curriculum. Parents and teachers who suspect a child has a disability should notify the principal, who will begin the process. All processes related to special education are governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.