Special Education

Special education is focused on helping students with disabilities get a quality education and develop the skills they need to live as independently as possible. In special education, there are no one-size fits all approach to help students because it is tailored to the needs of each student. The services and support a student receives are individualized to meet the specific needs of their disability. Any service or support the student receives is at no cost to the parent or guardian.

To determine if a student qualifies for the special education program they will be given an evaluation. Categories covered in special education are, but not limited to Autism, hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities, and specific learning disabilities. Some specific learning disabilities are dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, and visual processing issues.

Students in special education are to be placed in their least restrictive environment. This means they are placed in a classroom that accommodates their specific needs. A student may be placed at an out of district school that can better accommodate their needs. A student might go into a self-contained classroom. This is a class with a few other special education students and lead by a teacher trained to work in special education. A student might go into an inclusive classroom which has a mix of general education students and special education students. A general education teacher leads the class and uses various strategies and tools to help all students. This is done through a process of accommodation and modification. Accommodations are things that the students need to better understand the material they are studying. Modifications are changes to an assignment that takes a student's learning abilities into account.

An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a legally binding document that details a student's annual learning goals as well as the services and support they need to accomplish the goals that get set for the school year. An IEP is normally set up by a special education specialist and the student's parents or guardians. The strategies and tools added to are, but not limited to: assistive technology, any accommodations and or modifications the student might need, and any paraprofessionals the student might need to work with. Other services offered are mental health counseling, social work, speech-language therapy, and transportation.

The Understood Team. (2018). Understood.org. Understanding Special Education. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/understanding-special-education