Special Education Services
Educational Therapy Services
Occupational and Physical Therapists
Occupational and physical therapists use their unique expertise to help children prepare for and perform important learning and school related activities in order to fulfill their role as students. Students must be eligible for special education by meeting the following criteria: (1) a child has a documented disability; (2) there is an adverse educational impact on the student's ability to progress in the general education curriculum; and (3) is in need of specially designed instruction by an occupational and/or physical therapists in the area(s) of Fine and Gross Motor Skills
School Psychologists
School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.
School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education. They must complete a minimum of a post-Masters degree program that includes a year-long internship and emphasizes preparation in mental health, child development, school organization, learning styles and processes, behavior, motivation, and effective teaching.
What School Psychologists Do?
- Consultation
- Evaluation
- Intervention
- Prevention
Speech & Language Pathologists
Speech & Langauge Pathologists (SLPs) work to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, and cognitive-communication disorders. Students may be considered to have a communication disorder if there is a documented speech or language impairment which adversely affects a student’s educational performance and requires specially designed instruction.
- Language Delays
- Stuttering
- Voice Disorder
- Articulation Development Problems
Extended School Year (ESY)
Some children may require the provision of services beyond the traditional school year. Such services are components known as extended school year (ESY) services. Federal and state laws and regulations do not require that every student with a disability receive extended school year services. These decisions are to be made in each individual case based on established eligibility criteria that have evolved over the past 20 plus years through case law and procedural application of the IDEA. It is critical to identify those students who really need Extended School Year services. These are students who will suffer irreparable harm if not provided ESY services.
ESY services are special education and related services that are provided to a special education student beyond the normal school year (180 days). An extended year program is provided in accordance with the Individual Educational Program (IEP) and is provided at no cost to the parent or student. ESY services must be provided only if a student's IEP team determines, on an individual basis, that the services are necessary for the provision of a free, appropriate public education to the student. It must also be noted that every child with a disability is not entitled to nor must receive extended school year services.
For information on Burlington-Edison ESY guidelines, please speak to your child's casemanager.
Related Services
Related services are supportive services that allow a student to benefit from special education. Related services may include:
- Classified staff services
- Medical services
- Parent counseling and training
- Psychological services
- Recreation & rehabilitation counseling services
- School health services
- Social work service in schools
- Transportation
Other developmental, corrective, preventative or supportive services are allowed if they are required to assist the special education student to benefit from special education. Any necessary related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided for the student must be listed on the IEP.