Special Education Services

The Special Education department offers a wide array of services to meet the needs of our students. The department is designed to serve students with disabilities and provides a continuum of programs and services in the least restrictive environment as recommended in each student’s Individual Education Program.

Schedules for these students are developed to meet individual student needs, as prescribed in their Individual Education Program (IEP). The special needs student and parents work with the case manager to develop the appropriate schedule of classes to meet the individual needs. The School District of the Chathams offers a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of our students. 

The programs include:

  • Half Day Preschool Child with disabilities class/Half Day Preschool Inclusion class/Full Day Preschool Child with disabilities class

  • Self-contained classes (LLD, BD, MD, life skills, 18-21 program)

  • Resource Center classes (class and grade specific as needed) 

  • In-class Resource with General Education and Special Education Teacher in general education classroom (class and grade specific as needed)

  • General education classes with supplementary aids and services

  • Related services such as speech & language, occupational therapy and physical therapy

Special Education Classification Categories

  • autism spectrum disorder  

  • deaf-blindness  

  • deafness  

  • emotional dysregulation impairment 

  • hearing impairment  

  • intellectual disability  

  • multiple disabilities  

  • orthopedic impairment  

  • other health impairment  

  • preschool child with a disability

  • specific learning disability  

  • speech or language impairment  

  • traumatic brain injury  

  • visual impairment, including blindness

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Components of IEP

  • Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

  • Measurable annual goals (S.M.A.R.T. goals) which describe how often, when, and where special education services will take place 

  • An explanation of how your child will and will not participate with non-disabled peers in general education and extra-curricular activities

  • As required by the IDEA, a child’s IEP must contain specific information.  If appropriate, specific plans to address your child’s behavioral, health, and/or transition needs will also be included. 

  • A list of program accommodations, modifications, related services, and other supports which will have been determined appropriate for your child to meet established goals, make progress toward the general education curriculum, participate in extracurricular/non-academic activities and be educated in their least restrictive environment.

  • A statement indicating your child’s disability(ies)

  • A statement specifying when reports of your child’s progress will be provided; what needs to be accomplished as well as what method(s) will be used

Extended School Year

Extended School Year services are special education and related services that are provided to students with disabilities beyond the 180-day school year. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal special education law, states that local educational agencies (LEAs) must provide ESY services if a student requires these services to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).