Parents and families may not be aware of the variety of educational services and placements available for their child through the school system. Let’s explore the many options available for your child so that you feel better prepared for your next meeting or conversation with members of your child’s CSE team.
|
|
When I went to my first CSE meeting, the committee had decided that my son should be placed in a special class away from our home school. At the time, I had no knowledge of IDEA or least restrictive environment, so I accepted the committee’s suggestions. In time, I came to realize that my son’s day didn’t include any interaction with anyone beyond his self-contained class; even lunch was eaten in the classroom, away from other children in the school. It all felt very wrong as I saw him being isolated from the school community.
A few years later, with the help of The Advocacy Center*, I finally became educated about IDEA and least restrictive environment. I learned about all the supports and services that my son had a right to, in order to have access to the general education curriculum. With this new knowledge, I approached the CSE meeting with a renewed vision of what my son’s education could look like. I successfully advocated for his placement in a general education classroom within our neighborhood.
Today, my son lives and works in our community and often comes into contact with classmates and staff he came to know when he truly became a part of his elementary, middle and high school and was educated according to the principle of least restrictive environment. What a difference a little knowledge makes.
*The Advocacy Center and LDA Life and Learning Services merged to form Starbridge in 2015
.
|
|
Special education services and programs included in NYS's continuum of services
|
|
Consultant teacher (CT) services
(direct and/or indirect) – CT services are provided by a special educator in the general education classroom. Direct CT services are provided directly to the student. Indirect CT services are provided to the general education teacher on behalf of a student.
Resource room services
– Resource room is a service designed to supplement general education or special education instruction. A special educator works with a group no larger than five students with similar needs. It is not simply homework help.
Related services
– Related services help children benefit from their special education program by providing extra help and support in needed areas, such as speaking or moving. Related services can include, but are not limited to: speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy, vision services, counseling services, and school nurse services. Related services can be delivered either in or out of the classroom based on what it written in the IEP.
Integrated co-teaching services
(ICOT)
– Since NYS does not require districts to provide this option on the continuum of services, some districts have ICOT classrooms and some do not. An ICOT classroom is co-taught by a general educator and a special educator and is considered a general education placement. The classroom can have no more than 12 students with IEPs and must have at least the same number of students without IEPs, if not more.
Special class
– Special classes, sometimes referred to as self-contained classrooms, are made up of students with disabilities and are taught by a special educator. Students in these classes are grouped according to similar needs:
- Academic/educational achievement
- Social and physical development
- Management needs including environmental modifications and needs for additional human or material resources.
The maximum class for a 15:1 program is 15 students. The maximum class size for a 12:1 program is 12 students. If an additional support person is need in the class, the program is written as 15:1+1.
It is important to note that not all school districts have the smaller class options in their district. You can check with your CSE chairperson to see what your district offers. If the school doesn’t have a smaller class size in district, the student may be placed out of district in a setting that offers smaller class sizes.
To learn more about the Continuum of Services, you can view our recent
Webinar
,
Contact Us
through the Starbridge website, or call us at (585) 546-1700.
|
|
|
Additional special education services
|
|
Transition services
are a set of activities for a student with a disability beginning when the student is age 15 (and at a younger age, if determined appropriate), that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student to help the student's movement from school to post-school activities.
Transitional support services
are temporary services, listed in a student's IEP, and provided to a general or special education teacher, to help in providing appropriate services to a student with a disability transferring to a general education classroom, another special education program, or service in a less restrictive environment.
Travel training
is instruction provided to students with disabilities to enable them to develop an awareness of the environment in which they live; and learn the skills to move effectively and safely from place to place within that environment (e.g., in school, in the home, at work, and in the community).
Adapted physical education
is a specially designed program of activities, games, sports and rhythms matched to the interests, abilities, and limitations of students with disabilities who may not safely or successfully participate in the activities of the regular physical education program.
Twelve-month special service and/or program
is a special education service and/or program provided on a year-round basis (up to 12 months) for students with disabilities who require a structured learning environment to prevent substantial regression.
Special transportation
means services and supports necessary for the student to travel to and from school and between schools; in and around school buildings; and includes specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps). Examples of special transportation include: special seating; vehicle and/or equipment needs; adult supervision; type of transportation; and other accommodations.
|
|
|
Continuum of placement options in NYS
|
|
- Public schools
- Boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES)
- Private approved day and residential schools
- Home and hospital instruction.
Note that placement, in this case, refers to location, not services.
|
|
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
|
|
The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
a federal law, says that children who receive special education should learn in the
least restrictive environment
. This means they should spend as much time as possible with peers who do not receive special education.
IDEA says two things about LRE that are important to understand when working with the IEP team:
- Your child should be with kids in general education to the “maximum extent that is appropriate.”
- Special classes, separate schools or removal from the general education class should only happen when your child’s learning or thinking difference—his “disability” under IDEA—is so severe that supplementary aids and services can’t provide him with an appropriate education.
“Appropriate” refers to what’s suitable or right for your child. Sometimes, putting a child in a general education classroom isn’t suitable because a specific service or program can’t be provided there.
|
|
|
Supplementary Aids and Services
|
|
Examples of supplementary aids and services include materials in large print, use of an FM, assistive technology, teacher training and support, extra time to take tests, and more.
Before a CSE places a student with a disability in a more restrictive setting than the general education classroom, they must consider using supplementary aids and services to help the student succeed in the LRE placement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
