Special Education Services (IDDF)

 

The district provides Free, Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for all exceptional children residing within St. Mary Parish. Through the Child Find Program, the district continues to place a priority on locating, evaluating, and placing eligible exceptional children. In cooperation with other public agencies SMP tries to identify, locate, and evaluate children who may have a disability and need special education services. The district also tries to identify children who may qualify for gifted academic educational services or talented educational services in visual arts, music, or theatre. The district’s special education services are extended to children in SMP public schools, private schools, public and private preschool, daycare programs, and students not yet enrolled in a school or program.

Special Educational Services are offered to exceptional children, birth through 21, with special needs, including learning disabilities, hearing, speech, language, or visual impairments, autism, developmental delays, other health impairments, or emotional challenges, etc. Services include speech therapy, adapted physical education, preschool classes, infant home-based supports, physical therapy, occupational therapy, extended school year, etc. Other special educational services include the surrogate parent program, Child Find, Special Olympics, Very Special Arts, community-based instruction, transition teams, and various assistive-technologies, etc. Program models include self-contained classes, combination classes, and resource room services.

DUE PROCESS (IEE)

Federal law requires that parents be given notice before the school identifies, evaluates, places, or designs a program for any child requiring special education services. An evaluation cannot begin without the parent’s or legal guardian’s written consent. Parents can refuse to have their child evaluated. If the parent or legal guardian consents to an evaluation, the findings must be explained to the parents. If they disagree with the findings, they may request an Independent Educational Evaluation. Before placement in a special education program, an IEP-Placement meeting must be held to write the Individualized Educational Program for the child. The parent or legal guardian is a participant in this meeting. This is a summary of due process procedures. Additional information is given to all parents or legal guardians who give permission for their child to be evaluated.

EVALUATION

If a child has difficulties in school (behavior, academics, communication, medical needs, etc.), the parent or teacher may request a School Building Level Committee (SBLC) meeting. SBLC is a general education, data-driven, decision-making committee. Members include the child's classroom teacher, a parent or legal guardian, an administrator, the school’s SBLC facilitator, and any other person requested by the school or the parents. The purpose of the SBLC committee is to discuss concerns and to implement or review school-based interventions designed to address the child's difficulties. All requests for evaluation are processed through SBLC. Students must be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team and classified as exceptional before special education services can be provided. The evaluation team may be composed of a psychologist, educational diagnostician, speech pathologist, social worker, audiologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and an adapted physical education teacher. Requests for screening may come from a parent, teacher, principal, designated school personnel, physicians, or any other professionals interested in the child’s well-being. For concerns about screening and evaluation, contact your child's teacher or the SBLC Facilitator at the school.

IEP PLACEMENT

The IEP or ITP-Placement Committee will be composed of a representative of the Office of Special Educational Services, who will conduct the meeting and explain the results of the evaluation and programs available, the parents or legal guardians, a school administrator, classroom teachers, who will describe classroom behavior and academic performance, the special education teacher, who will write the IEP, and other individuals at the discretion of the parent or school system. In addition, related services personnel will attend where appropriate. The parents will be encouraged to contribute to the writing of the IEP with suggestions of what they would like their child to accomplish in the program.

EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES

In accordance with Section 450 of Bulletin 1706, Extended School Year Services (ESYS) are provided for eligible students with disabilities who require special education instruction and related services for more than 180 days. All students receiving special education services, excluding the academically gifted or talented must be screened annually to determine eligibility regardless of previous participation or nonparticipation in the Extended School Year program.

COMMUNITY-BASED INSTRUCTION

Community-based instruction is provided to significantly disabled secondary special education students. Developmentally age-appropriate vocational classroom activities provide adaptive, hands-on vocational and functional experiences to facilitate successful post-school outcomes. In accordance with IEP goals and objectives applied in the community, the design of community-based instruction provides a model of work-based learning opportunities for students across various environments.

VOCATIONAL TRANSITION

Transition planning helps students, ages 16–21 with specific disabilities, and their families identify long-range goals for life after high school and outline the anticipated support needs. Post-school activities can include college, vocational training, employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The transition plan provides the foundation for coordinated efforts between the student, parents or legal guardians, school, and adult service providers.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

The Special Olympics program in St. Mary Parish originated in 1974 with 18 students. Today, students from across the school district participate. The Special Olympics provides students with disabilities the opportunity to have successful experiences in sports, to gain confidence and self-mastery which will enable them to build a positive self-image, to provide opportunities for socialization, and to assist in the transfer of skills learned in the classrooms (self-help, academics, and communication) to a more natural environment. Over the years, this program has shown its value and worth and is now an integral part of the curriculum.

SECTION 504

Parents with concerns about children who are suspected of having a disability, which interferes with a major life activity, should contact the child's teacher or the SBLC facilitator in the child's school. Section 504 disabilities may include, but are not limited to characteristics of dyslexia, ADHD, or health problems.