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Special
Education in DISD is . . . |
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Ensuring
access to the general curriculum to the maximum extent possible. |
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Providing
services rather than a place where students are sent. |
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Providing
suitable special education and related services/aids/supports
in the regular classroom whenever appropriate. |
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Using
pre-referral intervention to reduce the need to label children
in order to address their learning needs. |
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Students
who have disabilities attending their neighborhood schools. |
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Practices
which support special and general education collaboration. |
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Supporting
general educators with all learners in their classrooms. |
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Children
learning side-by-side even though they may have different
educational goals. |
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ALL students benefiting from quality instruction. |
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| Ages
Served: |
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Children,
3 and older, are provided services if they meet eligibility
criteria. |
| Focus: |
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DISD
will focus on the child and his/her educational needs. |
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Preschool
Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) and other special
education services are offered at specific school sites. |
| Type
of Plan Used: |
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DISD
used an Individual Education Program (IEP). The educational
needs of the child are stated as outcomes of the IEP. |
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| DISD
Service Delivery Model |
DISD
offers special education service options for each child. Individualized
services are based on his/her educational needs. The services
might include speech therapy only. PPCD and/or other related
services.
The needed educational and related services for the child
are coordinated through the home campus. Planning is accomplished
in an Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) meeting.
During the ARD meeting, goals and objectives are developed
based upon the child's present level of performance. The team,
which includes the parent, determines how they can best meet
the educational needs of the child and what services are necessary
to accomplish them. |
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| Disability
Categories |
| A
student is eligible to participate in the Special Education
Program from birth to 21 years of age if the student has a
visual or auditory impairment that prevents the student from
being adequately or safely educated in public school without
the provision of special services; or if the student is at
least three but not more than 21 years of age and has one
or more of the following disabilities that prevents the student
from being adequately or safely educated in public school
without the provision of special services: |
| Auditory
Impairment
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The
term “auditorially impaired” is used synonymously
with “hearing impaired” and both terms are
understood to include “deaf” and “hard
of hearing.” These students have been determined
to have a serious hearing loss even after corrective medical
treatment or use of amplification.
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| Autism |
Students
with autism evidence a developmental disability significantly
affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely
affects a child’s educational performance. Students
with pervasive developmental disorders are included under
this category.
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| Deaf/Blind |
A
student who is deaf/blind has a combination of severe
hearing and vision losses after best correction, and is
determined to meet the criteria for both auditorially
and visually impaired.
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| Emotional
Disturbance |
Students
eligible as emotionally disturbed have a condition that
is medically and/or psychologically determined to be so
seriously disturbed that they may not be adequately or
safely educated in the general education classes of the
public schools without the provision of special services.
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| Learning
Disability |
Students
with learning disabilities are students who, based on test
information, exhibit such a severe discrepancy between achievement
and ability that they must be provided special services
for educational progress. |
| Mental
Retardation |
Students
with mental retardation are students whose mental capacity
as determined by a licensed professional, is such that they
cannot be educated in the general education classes without
the provision of special services. |
| Multiply
Disabled |
Students
with multiple disabilities are students who have a combination
of impairments including a condition which is expected to
continue indefinitely; a disability which requires comprehensive
instruction and related services for the severely handicapped;
disabilities which severely impair performance in psycho-motor
skills, self-care skills, communication, social and emotional
development, and cognition. |
| Orthopedically
Impaired |
Students
with an orthopedic impairment are students who present with
physical impairments that may cause difficulties performing
tasks adequately in the general education setting. Students
may need the services provided by special education to promote
an adequate level of functioning. |
| Other
Health Impaired |
A
student who has been determined by a licensed physician
to have limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to
chronic health problems which adversely effects the student’s
educational performance, may be eligible for special education
services. |
| Speech
Impairment |
Students
with speech impairments are students whose communication
disorder affects the student’s performance in the
classroom, resulting in an educational need for speech therapy
services. |
| Traumatic
Brain Injury |
A
student who has been determined by a licensed physician
to have an injury to the brain caused by an external physical
force resulting in total or partial functional disability
and/or psychosocial impairment. |
| Visual
Impairment |
A
student who is visually impaired is a student whose sight
is so impaired that they cannot be adequately or safely
educated in the general education classes of the public
schools without provision of special services. |
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| Early
Childhood Transition |
Children
will transition out of ECI on their third birthday. All service
options (DISD Special Education, Head Start, childcare programs,
private therapy, regular pre-school, etc.) will be discussed
with the parents at the 120-day meeting.
There are some similarities and differences between services
provided by ECI and DISD. Children and families who are currently
receiving ECI services do not automatically qualify for DISD
special education services. |
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| Individual
Transition Planning |
| What
is an Individual Transition Plan (ITP)? |
The Individual Transition Plan (ITP) is a guide used to
identify each individual student's expectations, needs preferences
and interest in preparation for life after exiting high
school. It is designed within an outcome-oriented process,
that promotes movement to post ;high school activities,
including post-secondary education, vocational training,
integrated employment (included supported employment), continuing
and adult education, adult services, independent living,
recreation and leisure, community participation and other
important life considerations.
Identified transition service needs may include instruction,
related services, community experiences, the development
of employment and other post-school adult living objectives,
and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills
and functional vocational evaluation.
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Why and when must we start developing an ITP? |
The
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, IDEA Amendments of 1997,
and Texas Legislative Law requires that all students receiving
special education services receive information about transition
planning beginning at least by age 14. This information
focuses on the student's courses of study. Beginning by
at least age 16, every student's individual educational
program (IEP) must include a statement of needed transition
services as identified in the ITP. |
| Where
is the ITP developed? |
The
ITP is developed in the ARD meeting. The ITP will be reviewed
annually. |
| Who
should be involved in developing the ITP? |
Student
Parent
School Personnel
Adult Agency Representatives (as appropriate)
Texas
Rehabilitation Commission (TRC)
Texas Workforce Commission
(TWC)
Texas
Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TCBVI)
Texas Department of
Human Services (TDHS)
Texas Department
of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR - ACCESS)
Texas
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (TDPRS)
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| What
can you do to help develop the ITP? |
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Be
able to express expectations, preferences and interests in
preparation for life after Diboll High School. |
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Write
down any questions you have and bring them to the ITP meeting. |
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Attend all ITP meetings. You will receive a notice from the
school inviting you. |
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Become
aware of your abilities and needs. |
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Provide
information that you feel is important for helping you reach
your goals. |
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Keep
appointments with other agencies. |
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Follow-up with ITP members about how the plan is working. |
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| 504
Eligibility |
| What
criteria are used to determine 504 Eligibility? |
| Students
with a 504 eligible disability are entitled to a free appropriate
public education. An appropriate education for a Section 504
disabled student may require the provision of specific accommodations
and related services in order to meet the needs of the student.
Section 504 focuses on assuring access to educational services
and the learning process that is equal to students who do
not have disabilities. |
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| Student
Support Teams |
| The
purpose of the DISD Pre-Referral/ Student Support Teams is
to help educators assist students in at-risk situations incorporating
the following components: |
| Identification:
Teachers
refer students and provide data for early identification of
students who are in need of assistance academically and/ or
socially. Identification must be based on objective, factual
data and must be shared with the staff members who are directly
involved in working with the identified students in at- risk
situations. |
| Assessment:
This is the ability of the school to determine what
is causing the students to be in an at-risk situation. The
assessment results in recommendations for interventions, modifications,
and remediation of the problems. |
| Plan
of Action: Academic options, services, and
alternative programs must be planned and implemented to address
the individual needs of students needing specialized assistance. |
| Parent
Involvement: Teachers notify parents of conclusions
of assessments, strategies implemented and students' progress.
Parents are encouraged to be involved in the Student Support
Team Process. |
Evaluation:
On going monitoring and documentation of plans
of action must be in effect. This allows for positive reinforcement
to the students when plans are appropriate and effective;
and for reassessment
of the problems and solutions when the plans are not effective.
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Exit:
When students demonstrate they are no longer
in an at risk situation and no longer require additional support
in academic and/ or social areas, the students will be exited
from at risk support services.
They can be pulled back into the intervention process at any
time if needed. |
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| Dyslexia
Information Network |
The Dyslexia
Information network program assists Districts, Service Centers,
Universities, Parents and others with questions concerning
dyslexia and dyslexia Education programs. Information is provided
in
the following ways: |
Contact:
Helen Macik
Telephone: 800-232-3030 ext. 1410
Email: macikh@esc10.ednet10.net
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| State
Definition of Dyslexia - From Texas Education Code
(TEC 38.003) "Dyslexia" means a disorder of constitutional
origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write,
or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence,
and sociocultural opportunity. "related disorders"
includes disorders similiar to or related to dyslexia, such
as auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental
dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling
disability.
The
International Dyslexia Association's definition of Dyslexia
is one of several distinct learning disabilities. It is
a specific language-based disorder of constitutional origin
characterized by difficulties in single-word decoding, usually
reflecting insufficient phonological processing. These difficulties
in single word decoding are often unexpected in relation
to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they
are not the result of generalized developmental disability
or sensory impairment. Dyslexia is manifested by variable
difficulty with different forms of language, often including,
in addition to problems with reading, a conspicuous problem
iwth acquiring proficiency in wirting and spelling.
If
you suspect dyslexia, please contact the campus counselor
or the special services campus coordinator. |
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