Special Education
Special Education services are available for students with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21, or until they receive a high school diploma. The district is required to identify all children with disabilities until the age of 21 who live in the community. Pupil Personnel Services, along with building personnel, is charged with the identification of students and the coordination of specialized services throughout the district.
If you are concerned that your child may have a disability, typically you begin by working with the team at your child’s school to identify specific, research based instructional strategies to remediate the problem. The building principal may refer you to PPS if your child is not responding to these interventions after a specific amount of time.
We encourage you to reach out to our Pupil Personnel Services team at 631-754-5416 if you have any questions regarding special education supports and services or your child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
CHILD FIND
In accordance with the PL 94-142 legislation, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we are seeking to locate all children ages 1 day to 21 years, residing in the Harborfields Central School District, who because of a disability or special need may require special education or supportive services. This information is needed for us to plan educational services for preschool children ages 3 to 4 and school-age children 5 to 21, as well as to provide appropriate services for those who may have left school because of a disability without a diploma and wish to return before age 21 to complete their education.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) insures that all children with disabilities have available to them a free, appropriate public education, which includes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs. It further assures that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected.
If you have a child who you believe may have a disability that may require special education or related services, please advise the school district by contacting Pupil Personnel Services at 631-754-5416. We can advise you of evaluation and intervention services available at no cost to you. Children who need help and receive it early have a better chance of school success.
Continuum Of Services
The continuum represents a range of placements within the school setting in which an IEP can be implemented to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities.
Each placement is based on the individual needs of the student. The goals is always Least restrictive environment (LRE) which means maintaining students with special education services with their peers in the mainstream environment as much as possible.
Procedural SAfegaurds
The federal regulations for IDEA 2004 include a section (Subpart E) called Procedural Safeguards which are designed to review the rights of parents and their child with a disability and, at the same time, give families and school systems several mechanisms by which to resolve their disputes.
Children Placed in Nonpublic Schools
Parents or legal guardians must request special education services in writing to the school district of location by June 1 preceding the school year for which the request for services is made, except that when a student is first identified as a student with a disability after the first day of June preceding the school year for which the request is made and prior to the first day of April of such current school year, the parent must submit the written request for services within 30 days after the student was first identified.
For more detailed information, click here