Special Education Program Offerings

Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education

Birth to 3

All Special Education services for students ages Birth to 3 are provided in the home.

Ages 3-5

Special education preschool-age programs provide children with special needs, ages three to five (birthday after August 31st), with early intervention services. Program and service options are dependent on each student’s individual needs, as identified in the evaluation and IFSP. Options include, but are not limited to, speech/language and or/motor services, itinerant direct and/or consultation services, and specially-designed instruction for cognitive, social and/or adaptive skills.

Our local provider agency is Intermountain Educational Service District (IMESD). For more information, or to refer your child for services, please call: 541-966-3100 or complete the IMESD EI/ECSE Referral Form.

Resource Program

The resource program is designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities who are eligible for special education services. These program classrooms and teachers provide research-based, specially designed instruction, target goals in the specific qualifying area as described in each student’s special education evaluation. A variety of types of services can be provided based on the student’s individualized need and may be served through the Special Education and General Education settings.

The resource program is available in all schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Life Skills

The Life Skills program is designed to meet the educational needs of students who possess moderate to severe intellectual disability and significant deficits in the areas of adaptive skills, communication skills, functional academics and behavior that are most effectively served within a self-contained setting.

Using evidence-based practices, the goal is to provide instruction, opportunities for application, knowledge, training and support to maximize independence and enhance students’ opportunities to achieve their full potential. Specially-designed instruction targets goals in the specific qualifying areas as described in each student’s special education evaluation including all academic areas of need. Related services are provided for students who qualify in the areas of motor (OT/PT) and communication (SLP).

Students generally spend much of their day in the special education setting depending on their individual needs. Rooms are staffed with a higher level of adult support. The programs are not offered in all schools and participation in the program may require the student to not attend his or her neighborhood school.

Structured Learning Programs

The Structured Learning Program is designed to meet the educational needs of students who are functioning in the low to low average range of intellectual ability and have deficits in the areas of academic, functional and adaptive skills that require significant modification of the grade level curriculum to make progress. The students in this program’s academic, functional, and adaptive deficits impact progress and/or access to the educational environment. Students in this program are provided academic instruction at their individual skill levels and take other classes with their grade level peers for portions of their day.

These programs are available at the middle and high school levels.

Behavior Programs (TEAM, ABLE, CREW)

The TEAM, ABLE, and CREW Behavior Programs consist of strength-based therapeutic classrooms dedicated to students who benefit from behavioral support due to emotional stressors and have been identified as a student with a disability who would greatly benefit from specially designed instruction which focuses on developing prosocial behaviors and the remediation of skill deficits in social, emotional, executive functioning and academic areas, working to generalize the skills, and facilitate the child’s return to a general education setting. Within a supportive and collaborative environment, the goal is to equip students with positive coping, self-regulation, and behavioral skills so they will succeed academically, in the community, and in the workplace.

Functional behavior assessments and intensive data collection systems are used to identify targeted behavior and guide interventions provided. The goal of the cognitive behavioral approach is to help the student unlearn negative behaviors and develop appropriate replacement behaviors.

The programs are not offered in all schools and participation in the program may require the student to not attend his or her neighborhood school. Due to the fact that the behavior program is data driven, the length of time a student spends in the behavior program is not preset. However, there is an entry, transition, and exit procedure for the program.

Social Communication Program (SCP)

The Social Communication Program(SCP) is designed to meet the educational needs of students who have significant deficits in the areas of communication, behavior and adaptive skills that are often associated with autism spectrum disorder. The students in this program are significantly impacted by their disability and require highly individualized and specialized support, consistent routines, small group setting and lower staff to student ratios.

Due to the fact that the behavior program is data driven, the length of time a student spends in the SCP program is not preset. However, there is an entry, transition, and exit procedure for the program. The programs are not offered in all schools and participation in the program may require the student to not attend his or her neighborhood school.

Next Steps Transition Program

The Next Steps Transition Program is specifically for students 18-21 years of age receiving special education who have not completed a standard high school diploma. It is meant to focus on the needs for students in vocational and adaptive skill sets to assist in transition to post-secondary work, living, community participation and future training. Activities, learning tasks, and community outings are focused on functional academic, interpersonal, independent living, and self-advocacy skills.

The community based program provides a curriculum tailored to these moderately to severely disabled students and seeks to engage the participants by meaningful and hands-on activities that are consistent with their ability level. Individuals will develop skills in the areas of career and life management. Components of the program include community based life skill instruction, work settings, and social skill instruction. The amount of time each student may spend in any setting will be determined by his or her needs.

Students are eligible to receive services through the semester in which they turn 21.

OTHER RELATED SERVICES

Assistive Technology

The district supports the use of assistive technology devices, as appropriate, to maximize the accessibility to the general education curriculum by children with disabilities. Assistive technology devices are equipment and systems that are used to increase, maintain or improve functional capability of a child with a disability.

Assistive technology ranges from low-tech to high-tech devices. A low-tech device may be as simple as an adaptive pencil grip. A mid-tech device might be a battery-operated communication device that plays recorded messages. An example of a high-tech device might be a classroom computer with text-to-speech software that gives the struggling reader access to the general education curriculum.

Autism

Autism Consultants are available to provide professional development in the areas of instructional strategies, evidence based practices, behavior and communication supports to school district personnel. Services are provided through consultation, coaching and technical assistance. Specific topics and locations can be determined with districts.

Professional Development for School Staff:

Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Writing and implementation of behavior strategies and support plans
Communication and social skills
Evidence based practices for students with ASD
Transition to adulthood
Organization and work systems

Coaching & Building Capacity for Districts

Selection of evidenced based strategies to meet goals/objectives.

Coaching staff regarding the implementation of the IFSP/IEP and modeling effective instructional strategies.
Facilitation of effective strategies in the area of social skills instruction
Coaching regarding instructional materials and accommodation and modification of curriculum to meet the learning style of individual students.
Information to districts regarding current research and most recent developments in the field of ASD.

Behavior

The job of Behavior Specialist was established for the purpose/s of effecting positive behavioral change in students; providing supportive interventions to families, students, and school staff; in compliance with Federal, State, county and District policies, regulations and/or procedures.

Services Included:

Supports the District’s behavior classrooms.
Acts as liaison with the public and mental health community for the purpose of supporting individual student development goals.
Coordinates programs and services for behaviorally or socially emotionally impacted students for the purpose of improved functioning and ensuring program eligibility and compliance with established guidelines.
Assists in developing behavior/social emotional interventions, functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans for the purpose of providing a safe and effective educational environment for students with challenging behaviors by increasing behaviorally impacted student’s coping skills, self-regulation skills, conflict resolution skills, and prosocial skills.
Assists in developing procedures and training materials for district staff involved with students with challenging behaviors for the purpose of enhancing programs for students and ensuring that program operations are in compliance with established guidelines.
Conducts workshops, training, in-service presentations, etc. in classroom management techniques and other topics for the purpose of developing skills and establishing effective relationships with behaviorally or emotionally impacted students.
Partners with community stakeholders to support students and families with behavior or social emotional needs.
Participates in a variety of meetings, workshops and committees for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering information required to perform functions and remaining knowledgeable with program guidelines.
Performs other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit.
All Behavior Specialists are certified Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) trainers for HSD.
Train HSD staff in CPI de-escalation techniques and practices

Deaf and Hearing Impaired

Due to the wide variation in services often required for students who are deaf or hearing impaired, we do not always have an in-district program to appropriately address every student’s needs. Some students with hearing impairments may be appropriately served in their neighborhood schools, while others may need more specialized services beyond the district’s capacity to deliver. In those cases, services may be provided through a contract with another local school district or outside agency.

Instructional levels (e.g. signing ability, social, communication, and academic skills) and appropriate placement will be identified through the special education evaluation and IEP team consensus. To determine the services needed, an evaluation for special education needs to be completed first.

Itinerant services are provided to students who need academic support, language, auditory skills training, speech instruction, hearing aid wearer training and deaf awareness training. Consultation services are provided to parents to help them learn how to communicate with their children and understand their children’s hearing loss. Staff also consults with school personnel about appropriate teaching methods to use with hearing impaired children. Educational interpreters are assigned to those students who need interpretation in order to access the presented curriculum.

Support for children with deafblindness and their families is available through the regional deafblind consulting teacher. Deafblindness is an ‘access to information’ disability, and the earlier the student is provided support, the earlier the opportunities available to the student to become more independent.

Occupational and Physical Therapy

Occupational and physical therapists plan, implement, and direct programs for students who have educationally significant fine and gross motor difficulties. In order to receive Occupational and Physical Therapy (OT/PT) services, a student must first be qualified as disabled, and must be eligible to receive special education services. Services are designed to support students in the school setting.

Occupational and physical therapy services include:

Evaluating the student’s motor problems.
Implementing intervention based on individualized student goals.
Assessing progress in achieving goals and objectives.
Helping parents understand, prevent, and remediate motor problems.
Working with school staff and other professionals to meet the motor needs of children relevant to the educational setting.

Therapy activities are goal-directed, measurable, motivating to the student, and geared toward enabling the student to participate in classroom and school activities. A variety of options are available for the delivery of therapy services. Services may be provided directly by the therapist, or the therapist may consult with classroom staff, who carry out the activities. Therapy may be provided in a group or individually.

Speech and Language Services

A Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP) plans, implements and directs programs for children who have communication disabilities. In order to receive SLP services, a student must first be qualified as disabled, and must be eligible to receive special education services.

Speech and Language Services Include:

Identifying communication problems through referral and screening.
Assessing and diagnosing communicative needs and behaviors.
Implementing intervention based on individualized student goals.
Reassessing and evaluating progress in achieving goals and objectives.
Helping parents understand, prevent, and remediate communication problems.
Working with school staff and other professionals to meet the communicative needs of children.

Traumatic Brain Injury

The TBI consulting team acts as a liaison to help families and students with reentering school after sustaining a brain injury. The team offers in-service training and consultation to educators upon request.

Regional Inclusive Services partners with local school districts in Region One, the Teaching Research Institute and the Oregon Department of Education to identify students ages 0 to 21 with a traumatic brain injury and provide them with support and services to improve their ability to access their education and manage overall quality of life.

Vision Impairment and Blindness

Students with significant visual impairments are typically served in their neighborhood schools with resource assistance. A teacher of the visually impaired supports the team at the school. Children eligible for services may receive direct instruction in concept development, compensatory skills necessary for classroom setting, technology access, low vision aids and/or assistive devices, Braille, auditory training, orientation and mobility, transition, adaptive and specialized materials and providing resources available for loan including large print, audio or Braille materials.

Specialists participate with school staff and families in the IFSP/IEP development and implementation, inclusion strategies, and transition planning. Recommendations for appropriate equipment, including low vision aids, devices and technology may also be provided. Specialists also provide in-service training regarding vision impairment.

Children eligible for services may receive direct instruction in concept development, compensatory skills necessary for classroom setting, technology access, low vision aids and/or assistive devices, Braille, auditory training, orientation and mobility, transition, adaptive and specialized materials and providing resources available for loan including large print, audio or Braille materials.