Special Education

The Blue Mountain School District envisions an educational system that:

• Provides a dynamic, rigorous curriculum that creates life-long learners;

• Promotes a proud climate of acceptance, continuous improvement, collaboration, perseverance, and character; and

• Ensures an environment is safe, accommodating, and welcoming.

Special Education is specially designed instruction to address the educational and related developmental needs of children with disabilities. Using a team approach, an IEP is developed to enable the student to make progress by addressing his/her individual needs.  This includes Early Intervention Services for pre-school-age students starting at three (in conjunction with the Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29), as well as services for school-age children in grades K-12.  

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA), children qualify for special education and related services if they have one or more of the following exceptionalities and, as a result, demonstrate a need for special education and related services: 

Autism

Deaf-blindness

Deafness

Developmental Delay

Emotional disturbance

Hearing impairment

Intellectual Disability

Multiple disabilities

Orthopedic impairment

Other health impairment

Specific learning disability

Speech and language impairment

Traumatic brain injury

Vision impairment, including blindness

Parents have the right to recommend their child for special education evaluation, the right to know that their child was recommended for evaluation, and the right to withdraw their child from special education services.

Under IDEA, parents are offered the following rights when their children are offered special education services: 

To have your child receive a free, appropriate public education (FAPE);

To be a member of the team that develops your child’s education program and to attend meetings about that program;

To understand every document you sign;

To know and understand your rights in the language you understand best; and

To pursue other options if you disagree with your school.

Learn by visiting the PA Department of Education’s Parent Guide to Special Education for School-Age Children HERE.