Counseling as a Related Service

Counseling as a related service will be recommended by the CSE under the following circumstances:

• An emotional or management difficulty interferes with a student’s ability to make appropriate educational gains;

• The difficulty is one which, in the clinical judgment of the evaluation team, can be addressed through school-related counseling with a qualified professional; and

• The student does not appear at the present time to require medical intervention or a therapeutic setting in order to make educational gains.

Occupational Therapy

The occupational therapist serves children whose disabilities prevent them from functioning normally within the school environment. The duties of the occupational therapist include individual assessment, increasing strength and quality of movement of the upper extremities necessary for handwriting and other classroom fine motor tasks, modulating a student’s sensory responses that interfere with everyday activities, developing the activities of daily living and providing adaptive equipment as necessary. The goal of the occupational therapist is to provide appropriate treatment to increase the student’s ability to function independently in the school environment. The Hauppauge School District uses a contracted agency for this service.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is provided in order for a student with a physical disability to benefit from education or to be maintained in the least restrictive environment. The following services may be provided: coordination between medical agencies and professionals serving the student; evaluation of strength, function, motor development and adaptive needs of the student; program planning and treatment program when indicated; consultation with general education teachers in the mainstreaming process; and instruction of nonprofessional personnel in dealing with the physical needs of the students. The Hauppauge School District uses a contracted agency for this service.

School Psychological Services

The following major areas of responsibility are assigned to school psychologists: assessment, observation, test administration and interpretation, participation in the Committee on Special Education (CSE), with regard to referral, evaluation and placement, monitoring of student progress, consultation with staff, student and parent counseling, and liaison activities with community agencies and other professionals. Additional functions relating to special education classes include: assisting educators in the development of interventions to help students and in the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEP), monitoring the delivery of services to special education students, coordinating CSE annual review meetings, conducting reevaluations, exploring out-of-district educational alternatives when necessary, and training educators in the implementation of new regulations and procedures.

Social Worker

Within the Department of Special Education, the social worker provides the following services: group counseling; monitoring student progress; providing parent education; intervening during crisis (i.e. child abuse, PINS petitions); and serving as general liaison between school and home.

Speech Language and Hearing Services

Specialists in speech and language assist school staff with the identification and instruction of students with speech, language and hearing disorders. They provide diagnostic and remedial services for students with expressive and receptive language problems, hearing deficits, and cerebral dysfunction that impact the students’ functioning in the educational environment. The speech/language therapists are also involved in observations, individual evaluations, and conferences with parents and consultations with teachers regarding instructional methods.

Declassification Support Services

If a student has been receiving special education services, but the Committee on Special Education determines that the student no longer requires such services and can be placed in a general education program on a full-time basis, the student may be considered for declassification support services. It is the goal of the Board of Education to provide an opportunity for the student to succeed in the transition to the regular education program. In order to facilitate that success, the CSE/CPSE may offer educational and support services for a period of time, not to exceed one (1) year.

Declassification support services are those services provided by appropriately certified or licensed persons in the specific areas of service to a student or student’s teacher to aid in the student’s transition from special education to full-time general education including:

• for the student’s teacher(s), the assistance of supplementary school personnel and consultation with appropriate personnel, for the student, psychological services, social work services, speech and language improvement services, non-career counseling, and other appropriate support services.

The CSE/CPSE will ensure that the appropriate teachers and service providers are informed of the need for the transition services, and will specify the nature and duration of those services.