Jeffco PTA Every Child, One Voice!

Special Needs Resources for Families

This resource was specifically created for families of students with special needs. If you know of other resources that we have not included, please contact us at info@jeffcopta.org.

Jeffco Specific Resource:

https://jeffcofamiliescolorado.org/

National PTA Resources

 

Webinars

Special Education Guide

This guide provides information and tips for families new to the special education system.

What is Special Education?

Children with special needs have rights to services in school under federal and state laws. Special education is a set of services, rather than a specific “place” for your child to go. The general education classroom is considered the least restrictive environment (LRE) for most kids. Almost six million students in the U.S. receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Most special education students spend the majority of the day in general education classrooms.

How do I determine if my child has special needs?

As a parent, you may request an evaluation of your child to determine his or her needs for special education and/or related services. The result of the evaluation determines your child’s eligibility to receive a range of services under applicable laws. Your child’s evaluation must be conducted by a trained and knowledgeable individual. The evaluation must cover all areas related to the suspected disability, offered in your child’s native language and conducted at no cost to you. If you disagree with the evaluation, you have the right to take your child for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) and you may request that the school system pay for this IEE.

What are the types of services available to my special needs child?

There are several different settings that a student can receive the services that he/she will need:

  • Restrictive-Supportive-Self Contained Class: A Special Day Class (SDC) which is quite small with no more than 8-10 students based on the age in which the students are in that classroom all day with a credentialed special education teacher and usually there are paraprofessionals also in that class.
  • Resource (RSP): Classes that a student will need some extra help in a subject matter and they will attend that class a certain number of minutes and days per week.
  • Special Day (SDC): Classes that do not require the student to be self-contained all day but a certain number of minutes and days per week.
  • Push In: Classes that the student is in a general education class with added support for a certain number of minutes and days per week.
  • Push Out: Classes where the student is pulled out for the added support for a certain number of minutes and days per week.
  • Small group: Service given in a small group for the students to have interaction with each other.
  • Designated instructional services (DIS) are usually pull-out individual and small group services.
  • Supplementary services on an IEP are to help the student with:
    • Use of large print
    • Use of calculator
    • More time for testing
    • Read instructions out loud
    • Consult time with teacher
    • Needs to sit in the front of the room, etc.

What is a school psychologist’s role?

School psychologists collaborate with educators, parents and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments. Their job is to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally, and they work to strengthen connections between home, school and the community for all students.

For a more detailed explanation of the role of a school psychologist and how they can help your student and family, visit the National Association of School Psychologist’s webpage, “What is a School Psychologist?”

How do I begin the special education process?

The first process is the teacher requests a Student Study Team (SST) meeting to discuss concerns with a student. The SST may decide to move forward on an assessment. The second process is a parent request, outlined below:

  • Parent/guardian writes a letter requesting assessment for child. In the request, include the child’s name, birthdate, grade level and why you are requesting an assessment. Also include contact numbers for staff to contact. Parent takes letter to school. The school has 15 days to contact parent.
  • Once contacted by school, an assessment consent form is sent home to parent/guardian for signature. Parents then send back assessment form immediately, as there is then 60 days from date signed to complete the assessment and hold an IEP meeting.
  • The assessment team is usually the school nurse, special education teacher, school psychologist, speech and language therapist (if needed) along with the general education teacher.
  • A notice of meeting will be sent home to set up the IEP meeting between the parents/guardians and the IEP team.
  • At the IEP meeting, introductions are made, Procedural Safeguards: Parents’ Rights should be gone over and the purpose of the meeting should be discussed. The different reports of the assessment team will be gone over with the parents. The team should also discuss the child’s present levels of cognition and academic performance.
  • A discussion of goals, team members concerns, services and placement will take place. Once everyone is in agreement, the IEP should be signed by all parties. If a member of the team was unable to make the meeting there should be an Excusal Form for the parent to sign and it should be attached to the IEP.
  • A copy of the IEP and all of the reports should be given to the parents.
  • At any time, if a parent is concerned about services or goals, they may request a meeting and an amendment to alter services may be written.

What is an Individual Education Program (IEP)?

IDEA requires children to have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in order to receive special education services under the law. The IEP includes information about a child’s present levels of performance on various tests and measures and includes information about goals and objectives, specifically how your child’s educational problems will be addressed. The purpose of the IEP is to set reasonable learning goals for your child and to state the services that the school district will provide.

What do I bring to my child’s IEP meeting?

Parents may want to prepare a binder of materials for their child’s IEP meeting. Depending on how much material you have, parents should organize the material into sections or tabs for ease of use. The binder or folder should contain:

  • All assessments and/or evaluations on your child.
  • Copies of all previous IEP meetings.
  • Work samples from your child.
  • Any letters from the teacher and/or school board.
  • Report cards and test results from previous terms and years.
  • Any negative or positive feedback in writing from a teacher.
  • If your child is reading and/or writing, samples of the level of reading and examples of writing.
  • Medical reports.

Who attends the IEP meeting?

The IEP must be developed with input from the following IEP team members:

  • At least one of the child’s parents
  • At least one regular education teacher
  • At least one of the child’s special education teachers or providers
  • A representative of the school district who is qualified, knowledgeable and authorized to commit the district to the delivery of resources to the child
  • A qualified professional who can interpret the evaluation of child
  • Others at the discretion of the parent or the school district and, where appropriate, the child with a disability

What questions should parents ask about special education instruction and assessment?

  • What kinds of assessments are offered in my state?
  • What kinds of responses does each assessment require (e.g., multiple choice, short answers)?
  • What kind of instruction has my child had?
  • Has my child received instruction in grade-level academic content?
  • Was the instruction evidence-based and of high quality?

What are parent rights in special education?

There are several provisions within IDEA safeguarding parental involvement in education. Parents have the right to be actively involved in the development of their child’s IEP. Parents have the right to be notified of the IEP meeting early enough to ensure that one or both of the child’s parents have an opportunity to attend. Parents also have the right to have the IEP meeting scheduled at a mutually agreed time and the right to an interpreter if their native language is not English. IDEA also includes language that allows parents and the Local Education Agency (LEA) to agree to use alternative means of meeting participation such as video conferences or conference calls.

What are the procedural safeguards for parents?

The Notice of Procedural Safeguards is required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and must be provided to you:

  • When you ask for a copy of an IEP
  • The first time your child is referred for a special education assessment
  • Each time you are given an assessment plan to evaluate your child
  • Upon receipt of the first state or due process complaint in a school year
  • When the decision is made to make a removal that constitutes a change of placement

How Do I establish a Special Needs Committee for my PTA unit?

  • Discuss the idea with your local PTA president, executive board and school principal 
  • If the PTA board decides to form a special needs committee, the president should select a committee chairman who:  
    • Is knowledgeable about and sensitive to children with special needs
    • Works in a constructive way with school staff and parents
    • Is a PTA member

Can my child participate in physical education classes?

Adaptive physical education (APE) is a federally mandated component of special education services [U.S.C.A. 1402 (25)] and ensures that physical education is provided to the student with a disability as part of the child’s special education services. This modified, physical education program is designed to meet the individualized gross motor needs, or other disability-related challenges, of an identified student. The program can be provided one-on-one, in a small group, or within the general physical education setting. The APE instructor needs to be trained in assessing and working with special needs children. Lesson plans, rubrics, and worksheets need to be adapted for the needs of the children. The APE teacher is a direct service provider, as contrasted with physical or occupational therapists. These therapies are considered related services and are provided to the child with disabilities only if he/she needs them to benefit from instruction.

Is there a special artist category in the PTA Reflections Program?

The National PTA has launched a fifth division of the Reflections program—the Special Artist Division. This is a non-graded division limited to students whose physical, cognitive or mental health challenges meet the guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Colorado Department of Education, Office of Special Education

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped

https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/spedparents

Disability Categories and Email Contacts – https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/sd-main

Dispute Resolution and Special Education Law – https://www.cde.state.co.us/spedlaw

IEP Resources – https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/iep

 

Jeffco Public Schools, Special Education

https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/special_education

The Department of Student Success, which manages special education services, serves students, teachers, and parents in Jeffco. The department also includes Gifted & Talented, Career & Technical Education, Student Services, Health Services/Homebound Instruction. You can learn more about the district’s special education programs below.

 

AUTISM

Programs designed to meet the educational needs of children with autism provide a structured teaching approach to learning. As with any student qualifying for special education services, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) will direct the program. Special attention is paid to skills in the following domains: communication, social, academic, daily living, independence, sensory motor, and vocational. Services to students with autism are offered in a continuum of environments ranging from full access to the general education classroom to a self-contained class; placement is based upon individual student need. Intensive early intervention is a priority.

 

DEAF/HARD OF HEARING

This programming serves students Preschool through 12th grade with hearing loss and whose needs require intensive services by teachers of the deaf/hard of hearing, audiologists, speech/language therapists and mental health staff. Educational interpreters and tutor-notetakers are available to support student learning.

Services are provided at neighborhood schools and at center programs which are located at Everitt Middle School, Maple Grove Elementary, Rocky Mountain Deaf School, Vivian Elementary, and Wheat Ridge High School.

 

LEARNING DISABLED (L.D.) GRADES K-12

This programming located in each school assists the student in developing skills and learning behaviors which enable him/her to benefit from the general education program. Special education services are provided in a variety of ways: direct instruction, co-teaching, consultation, and materials modification as identified on the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Read about Section 504 the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Congress’s directive to schools receiving any federal funding to eliminate discrimination based on disability from all aspects of school operation.

 

SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL DISORDERS (SED)

This programming is for students who may have a significant identifiable emotional disorder that affects their ability to function within a general school environment or access the general curriculum and whose academic achievement is hindered by pervasive behavioral or emotional problems. Social/emotional services are offered in a continuum of environments ranging from full access to the general education classroom to a self-contained class; placement is based upon individual student need as determined by the student’s IEP.

SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT NEEDS — GRADES K-12

These programs offer special education and related services for students with severe developmental delays in multiple areas, such as cognitive, speech/language, motor delays. Instruction focuses on the individual educational needs of the student guided by Expanded Benchmarks and Access skills as a foundation for the students’ IEP goals and objectives. These programs are geographically located within neighborhood schools throughout the district.

 

CONTACT

Special Education Information/Student Success
303-982-6690

Child Find Intake Information
303-982-7247

 

Ability Connection Colorado

https://www.abilityconnectioncolorado.org/p2p-co/resource-storeroom/

Our Main Topic Areas are: (click below to enter The Resource Storeroom Topics)

Disability Resources
Education Resources
Health Care Resources
Legal, Financial and Advocacy Resources
Medicaid & Social Security Resources

 

National Disability Rights Network

https://www.ndrn.org/

 

 

Developmental Disabilities Resource Center

https://ddrcco.com/resources/terms-and-definitions

https://ddrcco.com/accessing-services/getting-started

 

Step 1: Determine Your Community Centered Board

In Colorado, Community Centered Boards (CCBs) are responsible for determining whether individuals meet the Colorado definition for developmental or intellectual disabilities. Each of the 20 CCBs in the state has a specific service area. DDRC serves Jefferson, Summit, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. To check for a CCB in another area click here: https://colorado.gov/pacific/hcpf/community-centered-boards

 

Step 2: Apply for Services

Intake Resource Coordinators share information about available developmental disabilities services and help you through the determination process which begins with completion of a request for determination. You will need to provide evidence of a substantial disability prior to age 22, a neurological condition and current assessments, which may include either a psychological evaluation or adaptive behavior testing, or both. To contact a DDRC Intake Resource Coordinator for more information on applying or with other inquiries follow the guide below:

PDF Document  Request for Determination of Developmental Disability

To Request an Eligibility Determination, follow the guide below:

Birth to 3 Years (Early Intervention)

3 through 13 years

  • Children age 3 through 13 residing in Jefferson, Clear Creek, Summit and Gilpin Counties.
    Phone Number(303) 233-3363  |   Phone Number Contact Children’s Intake

14 Years & Up

  • Persons 14 years of age and older in Jefferson, Clear Creek, Summit and Gilpin counties.
    Phone Number(303) 233-3363  |   Phone Number Contact Adult Intake

 

Step 3: Determine Eligibility for Colorado Developmental Disability Services

In Colorado there are two developmental disability determination processes. Individuals younger than five (5) years of age must meet the criteria for a developmental delay. Individuals five (5) years of age or older must meet the criteria for a developmental disability.

 

Developmental Delay Criteria (Younger than age 5)

Developmental Delay Documentation

  • Records showing your child’s developmental delay in at least one skill area (e.g. motor skills, speech) or medical records documenting medical conditions or syndromes which typically result in delays (e.g. Down Syndrome, low birth weight)

 

Developmental Disability Criteria (Age 5 and older)

Developmental Disability Documentation

• Evidence of a substantial disability prior to age 22
• Evidence of a neurological condition resulting in either intellectual or adaptive behavior limitations
• Current I.Q. scores from Psychological or Cognitive Testing such as Stanford-Binet or Wechsler
• Current Adaptive Behavior Testing such as Vineland

 

Step 4: Placement on Waiting List

It is important to note that in Colorado there may be waiting lists some services. Once a developmental delay or developmental disability is determined, DDRC can place you on a waiting list for needed services. Please ask your Resource Coordinator for more information about the services you are seeking and if there is a waiting list.

 

Step 5: Enrollment into Services

DDRC will contact you for enrollment into services when funding resources become available and when you have reached the top of the waiting list. Your Resource Coordinator will help guide you through the enrollment process.

Additional Information About Obtaining Services & Colorado

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) maintains excellent resources for individuals and families seeking information about services and supports in the state. For detailed information on developmental disability services, funding, and much more, please visit the Division for Developmental Disabilities (DDD) website.

 

 

E-Parent.com, Special Needs Resource Directory

https://www.eparent.com/special-needs-resource-directory-2/