Student Services

The purpose of special education is to allow a student to successfully develop his or her individual educational potential. Special education is intended to serve students with disabilities so that such students are able to have the same full educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers.

Special education services are specifically designed to provide instruction and related services that are necessary to allow the student to access the general curriculum. The instruction is designed to meet the unique needs of each individual.

Children receiving special education services may have a disability in any of the following areas: autism, health, physical, developmental, sensory, intellectual, neurological, emotional, speech and communication, or specific learning issues.

The requirements regarding special education are based on state and federal law. The relevant laws are as follows:

State Law: The State Special Education Law, popularly known as "Chapter 766," is contained in the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) at Chapter 71B. The regulations implementing the statute are found in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) at 603 CMR, Section 28.00.

Federal Law: The federal special education law is known as "IDEA" (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.) It is contained in the United States Code at 20 USC Sec. 1400. The implementing regulations for IDEA can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Chapter 34, Section 300. For additional information on Chapter 766 and IDEA, go to www.doe.mass.edu/sped/laws.html.

"The role of special education is to minimize the impact of the disability and to maximize the opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in general education in their natural community." Thomas Hehir, New Directions in Special Education: Eliminating Ableism in Policy and Practice

The district office coordinates services for students who have IEPs, speak English as their non-native language, or who require services due to homelessness. This office also assists with the transportation needs of students riding special transportation vehicles.

Our Services

Just Moved to South Hadley?

If you have recently moved to South Hadley and your child has an IEP from another district,.

If you have recently moved to South Hadley and your child has an IEP from another district, please forward the current, signed IEP, progress reports, evaluation reports, and other related special education information to the school in which you are enrolling. The school will contact the special education office and inform that office that a new student has arrived. For school contacts, please see the “Contacts” tab.

The team at the school will convene and write a South Hadley IEP for your child within a month of your arrival.

How does my child become eligible for Special Education Services?

A student must receive a complete and comprehensive evaluation to determine if they has a disability and is eligible for special education.

Referrals for special education services are made for varying reasons, including a concern that a student may have a disability or knowledge that a student has a diagnosed disability.

Any person in a care-giving capacity in relation to the student may make a referral for an evaluation, including:

A parent
The student's primary care physician
A teacher
An early intervention service provider

No evaluation can be conducted without written consent from the parent/legal guardian. The school district cannot refuse to evaluate a student who has been referred for an evaluation; however, the DOE strongly recommends that the team systematically evaluate general education interventions and that they be documented prior to a formal evaluation for special education. The school district must be prepared to use existing evaluative information and to conduct assessments in all areas related to the child's suspected disability.

Special education eligibility is based upon evaluations of all areas related to the suspected disability. To view Massachusetts Department of Education descriptions of the disability categories, go to http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html?section=02#start

For additional information, download the document formerly known as the "Parents Rights Brochure" or go to www.doe.mass.edu/sped and click on IEP Process, Forms, and Notices and select "Is Special Education the Right Service? A Technical Assistance Guide."

What Services are Offered?

Physical Therapy: Physical therapy (PT) is provided to students as a recommendation of evaluation teams. Services are designed to enhance physical and mobility skill development. Services are delivered either outside the classroom or through consultative services to teachers and parents.

Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy (OT) is provided for students meeting eligibility criteria in gross motor, fine motor, and/or sensory-motor areas. Eligibility is based on the results of an OT assessment and team findings at team meetings. Services are delivered either outside the classroom or through consultative services to teachers and parents.

OTSI (Occupational Therapy/Sensory Integration): OTSI services are available to all students who are eligible through the evaluation and team process. South Hadley contracts with Hampshire Educational Services to provide these services.

Vision: Students in need of mobility training are serviced within the district through our contract with Hampshire Educational Collaborative. We also contract with outside providers for more significant vision training needs when they are determined by the team.

Speech and Language: The Speech and Language Program (SLP) provides services to students prek-12 experiencing difficulty with articulation, fluency, and the development of language. The primary goal of speech and language services is to help children develop age-appropriate communication skills. Speech and language therapists co-teach in regular education classrooms as well as provide individual and small group instruction.

Specialized Reading Instruction: Students who are identified through the team process may receive specialized reading instruction. Examples include the Wilson Reading Program, Orton Gillingham, Read Naturally, and Great Leaps. Services are provided in small groups or individually, as indicated by the Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Autism: We have a full-time autism specialist on staff who works with students and their families both in the school and outside of the school. These services are determined at the team meeting.

Behaviorist: Each building has a behaviorist on staff. This staff member completes Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs), helps develop behavioral support plans, and works directly or indirectly with students.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired Services: These services are created based on the individual needs of the student. For example, some services may include an FM system, an oral or sign language interpreter, and/or contracting with an outside agency for support, etc.

About our Services

Special Education Programs in South Hadley

Each building in the South Hadley Public Schools hosts special education programs. We provide a full continuum of services to our students, from:

no pull-out services, where special education staff provide support to students collaboratively with the general education teacher in the general education classroom,
to some pull-out services, during which time research-based interventions are systematically presented to students to provide instruction for skill gaps,
to a full day of pull-out services, at which time the general education curriculum is presented to students in an alternate setting,
to out-of-district placements,
to support our students who are in hospitalized placements.

The determination of these services is determined at the team meeting.

Special education begins in our integrated pre-school program for students who are ages 3–5. See the tab for the Integrated Preschool Program for further information.

Special education services are available to eligible students in grades K through graduation. We strive to provide all students with an individualized program in the least restrictive environment with the necessary supports to meet success. The individualized program is developed at the team meeting.

Collaborative work among staff (e.g., general and special educators, tutors, classroom paraprofessionals, and other specialists) provides for a multi-disciplinary approach to education. The specialists that are available to teams include a physical therapist, occupational Occupational Therapists, behavior specialists, autism specialists, speech and language specialists, and school psychologists.

The team process is one that allows all staff, parents, and students to participate in the analysis of testing results and to determine if the student has an impairment and whether or not that impairment is a disability that hinders a student’s ability to master the curriculum. The team may review the results and learn that more information is needed before they can answer these questions. The team may determine to implement interventions and return to the team with progress monitoring data.

An IEP is developed at the team meeting i it is determined that a student has a disability which impairs his/her ability to learn and learning gaps have been documented. The IEP delineates the specialized instruction that will be provided to the student in an attempt to close the learning gap and/or provide functional life skills. The IEP also documents what the progress monitoring techniques will be, when they will be implemented, and who is responsible for them.

Once an IEP is developed, it is sent to the building principal for signature, then to the Director of Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) for signature. Parents can expect to have the IEP within 5 days of the team meeting. Parents then have 30 days to accept, reject, or partially accept/reject the IEP and return the two signature pages (keeping the IEP for a personal copy) to the PPS Office in the self-addressed stamped envelop that is provided to you.

If a parent partially or fully rejects an IEP, the school attended by the student will host a resolution meeting in an attempt to solve the differences. The team may choose to write a new IEP, write an amendment to the IEP, or the parent may choose to contact PQA (Program Quality Assurance at the Department of Education) to ask for a mediation meeting with the support of the DOE.

Because we strive to create programs that meet the educational needs of our students, new programs are implemented when the need is identified. For example, we have recently developed a multi-faceted transition program for students in high school between the ages of 18 and 22 who have not passed MCAS and who will not receive a high school diploma. These students are eligible to apply for the dual enrollment program at Holyoke Community College. High school staff work in collaboration with HCC staff to provide students with transportation, materials, and staff support. For more information about our Transition Program, please see the tab on this subject.

Transition Services

The South Hadley Public Schools are committed to providing comprehensive transition services to students who have IEP's.

FEDERAL TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Comprehensive transition services are defined under federal law (IDEA 2004 Section 602 s. 34) as:

a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that

(A) is designed to be within a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;

(B) is based on the individual child's needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences and interests; and

(C) includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, the acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.

TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS:

In the summer of 2008, the Massachusetts legislature passed a new law requiring schools to initiate special education transition planning and transition services at age 14 (federal law requires that planning begin at age 16 or younger if appropriate).

In accordance with this requirement, the IEP teams of students who will turn 14 during the upcoming IEP period should be discussing transition planning and services and should complete transition assessments and the Individual Transition Planning form as part of the annual team meeting.

One way that students and parents can prepare for transition planning is to review the Individual Transition Planning (ITP) Form prior to the meeting and come prepared to talk about the student's vision for the future, concerns and needs related to life after high school, and priorities for transition planning and services for the upcoming IEP period. For a copy of the ITP form, see the "Transition Planning Form" link on the top right side of this page.

LOCAL TRANSITION RESOURCES:

Contact the Student Services office or click on the link below to download the South Hadley Public Schools Transition Resource Packet

Accessing Special Education Services

If you suspect that your child has a disability that is impacting his or her academic or functional progress...

If you suspect your child’s academic progress is being hindered in some way, please speak with your child’s classroom teacher. Your child’s teacher can work with you to explore your child’s learning profile. Your child’s teacher can also ask the principal to coordinate a Child Study Team, which would allow a team of professionals to work with you to use research-based interventions within a strategic plan. You can expect that the Child Study Team will reconvene at regular intervals to assess the success of the interventions, especially at the elementary level. This is all the work that is done prior to a special education referral.

A parent or a staff member may request that the school complete an evaluation. Once such a request is received, the school will send the parent/caregiver an Evaluation Consent Form, which will list the evaluations that will be completed. Upon receipt of this signed Evaluation Consent Form, testing will be initiated. All testing will be completed within 30 days of receiving the signed form. A team meeting will take place within 45 days. Parents may request a copy of each evaluation prior to the team meeting. The team will consist of the parent(s), student, school personnel, and any person the family might invite. This team will review the findings of the evaluation and determine eligibility. If it is determined that the student is eligible for an IEP, the IEP will be developed at the team meeting. The family will leave the team meeting with a summary of the meeting. The Summary Form will include the goal focus areas and indicate where the services will take place. The IEP is then written and goes through the channels within the district for signature (to the Director of Student Services). The Office of Director of Student Services sends the document to the parent(s) for review and signature.

Questions about Services

If you have a question regarding your child who currently receives special education services....

If you have a question regarding your child who currently receives special education services, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or special education liaison (listed on the Administrative Page of the IEP). Since teachers generally have the most current and best information, it is suggested that parents begin by contacting either the general education or the special education teacher. If you wish to call your child’s liaison but do not have current contact information, contact Susan Brissette in the Student Services office, and she can provide that information to you. Each school publishes contact numbers and email addresses at the beginning of each year. You may request this information directly from your child’s school.

If additional information is necessary or if the initial inquiry did not provide sufficient information, it is recommended that parents contact the school principal.

Elizabeth Cooke, Director of Student Services, is also available for questions that are not fully addressed at the school level, as well as other district-level student service questions. See contact information on the tab “Contacts.”

Disability Areas

Autism

A developmental disability significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction.

Communication Impairment

The capacity to use expressive and/or receptive language is significantly limited, impaired, or delayed and is exhibited by difficulties in one or more of the following areas:

speech, such as articulation and/or voice

conveying, understanding, or using spoken, written, or symbolic language

The term may include a student with impaired articulation, stuttering, language impairment, or voice impairment if such impairment adversely affects the student’s educational performance.

Developmental Delay

The learning capacity of a young child (3–9 years old) is significantly limited, impaired, or delayed and is exhibited by difficulties in one or more of the following areas:

receptive and/or expressive language

cognitive abilities

physical functioning

social, emotional, or adaptive functioning

self-help skills.

Emotional Impairment

The student exhibits one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance:

an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers

inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances

a general, pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

The determination of disability shall not be made solely because the student’s behavior violates the school’s discipline code, because the student is involved with a state court or social service agency, or because the student is socially maladjusted, unless the team determines that the student has a serious emotional disturbance.

Health Impairment

A chronic or acute health problem such that the physiological capacity to function is significantly limited or impaired results in one or more of the following:

limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, resulting in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment

The term shall include health impairments due to asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia, if such health impairment adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

Intellectual Impairment

The permanent capacity for performing cognitive tasks, functions, or problem solving is significantly limited or impaired and is exhibited by more than one of the following:

a slower rate of learning

disorganized patterns of learning

difficulty with adaptive behavior

difficulty understanding abstract concepts.

Neurological Impairment

The capacity of the nervous system is limited or impaired by difficulties exhibited in one or more of the following areas:

the use of memory

the control and use of cognitive functioning

sensory and motor skills

speech

language

organizational skills

information processing

affect

social skills

basic life functions

The term includes students who have received a traumatic brain injury.

Physical Impairment

The physical capacity to move, coordinate actions, or perform physical activities is significantly limited, impaired, or delayed and is exhibited by difficulties in one or more of the following areas:

physical and motor tasks

independent movement

performing basic life functions

The term shall include severe orthopedic impairments or impairments caused by congenital anomaly, cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures if such impairment adversely affects a student’s educational performance.

Sensory Impairment

The term shall include the following:

Hearing – The capacity to hear, with amplification, is limited, impaired, or absent and results in one or more of the following: reduced performance in hearing acuity tasks; difficulty with oral communication; and/or difficulty in understanding auditory-presented information in the education environment. The term includes students who are deaf and students who are hard-of -hearing.

Vision – The capacity to see, after correction, is limited, impaired, or absent and results in one or more of the following: reduced performance in visual acuity tasks; difficulty with written communication; and/or difficulty with understanding information presented visually in the educational environment. The term includes students who are blind and students with limited vision.

Deaf-Blind – Concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes severe communication and other developmental and educational needs.

Specific Learning Disability

The term means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.

The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual impairment, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Child Find

It is the responsibility of the South Hadley Public Schools to identify any child who is a resident of South Hadley who may have a disability, regardless of the severity of the disability. It is also the responsibility of the South Hadley Public Schools to evaluate those students to determine if they are eligible for special education or related services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or 603 CMR 28 (Massachusetts Special Education Regulations).

The South Hadley Public Schools District is committed to identifying children before their third birthday in order to provide early intervention services for three- and four-year-olds. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s development and would like to have them screened, please call the Office of Student Services, Director of Student Services, Elizabeth Cooke, at 413-538-5072.

If you suspect that your child, at any age, may need an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services, you may request an evaluation, at no cost, at your district school. Please contact the principal at your child’s school for information about the response-to-intervention process available to your child.

For more information about Child Find, please click the links below.

Developmental Milestones

Massachusetts Early Intervention Program (birth to 3)

Children With Disabilities Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools

English Language Education (ELE) Program

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION (ELE) PROGRAM

in

South Hadley Public Schools

As required by M.G.L. 71A, Section 3, the district is required to assess non-English-proficient students new to our district. "English Language Learner" (ELL) is defined as a child who does not speak English or whose native language is not English and who is not currently able to perform ordinary classroom work in English.

Upon enrollment, a student who is not proficient in English will be evaluated by an ESL teacher using the LAS R/W and O. The results of this assessment provide us with standardized information about the student's level of proficiency using the English language. The building staff then coordinates a meeting with parents and staff to review the findings of the LAS R/W and O. The classroom teacher is integral to this discussion, as s/he will be able to share valuable input regarding the student's ability to participate in the language-rich classroom environment. A document (called the Language Assistant Team, LAT) is completed, and it summarizes the findings of the discussion and documents the plan that has been created to meet the student's needs.

Once a student has been identified as an ELL, they are also required to participate in Massachusetts Department of Education testing (MEPA and MELA-O) at specific times of the year.

English language learners in South Hadley Public Schools are taught to the same academic standards and curriculum frameworks as all students and are provided the same opportunities to master such standards and frameworks as other students. In addition, teachers in the SHPS will use the English Language Learners for Grades PreK–12 Benchmarks and Outcomes to support their work with ELL's.

It is the policy and practice of the South Hadley Public Schools to translate all pertinent home-bound material whenever possible. This material includes, but is not limited to, report card narratives, newsletters, medical forms, handbooks, classroom updates, and upcoming events. Whenever necessary and possible, interpreters will be available for parent/teacher meetings, IEP meetings, and other family-school related events.

Special Education Parent Advisory Council

The South Hadley Special Education Parent Advisory Council is responsible for advising the Department of Student Services, Superintendent, and School Committee on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities. The SEPAC is meant to function as an important resource for families of children in the South Hadley community between the ages of 3 and 22 who are in need of special education and related services. We work collaboratively with the Department of Student Services to help guide priorities and programming.

Participating in the SEPAC is a great way for parents and caregivers of students with disabilities to meet one another as we all learn more about special education, our rights, and the rights of our students.

The SEPAC meetings will be held on the second Thursday of every month

Resources

Information from DESE

Know Your Rights

PARENT/STUDENT RIGHTS

When IDEA 2004 was signed into law, the Massachusetts Department of Education issued the following document to inform parents and students of their rights under special education law (http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/parents.html). This site will also provide you with this document in a variety of languages.

State and federal laws and regulations govern special education entitlements and practices. The most recent federal regulations associated with IDEA 2004 were published on August 14, 2006, and were put into place during 2006–2007.

Federal Law IDEA 2004:
Click here

State regulations:
Click here

MASSPAC This site contains very valuable information with links to special education advocates and consultants, State and Federal Laws and Regulations, and general PAC information and guidelines.

Massachusetts Department Of Education - special education This website has lots of information including state special education regulations. For direct access to just a few of the valuable pages: IEP Forms, Notices, and Documents, Laws and Related Documents, Complaints and Compliance, Parent Information.

Massachusetts Association of 766 approved private schools (MAAPS)

Federation For Children With Special Needs The Federation is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families. The FCSN hosts a variety of workshops and conferences, please see their calendar for details.

NICHY - National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities This website has lots of information including state special education regulations. For direct access to just a few of the valuable pages: IEP Forms, Notices, and Documents, Laws and Related Documents, Complaints and Compliance, Parent Information.

Council for Exceptional Children

Wrightslaw - Special Education Law & Advocacy This is a very comprehensive site with "accurate, up-to-date information about advocacy for children with disabilities. You will find hundreds of articles, cases, newsletters, and resources about special education law and advocacy in the Advocacy Libraries and Law Libraries.

Homeless Resources

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act requires that school districts immediately enroll homeless students in school, even if they do not have the documents usually required for enrollment, such as school records, medical records, or proof of residency.

Homeless students have a right to either remain in their school of origin or to attend school where they are temporarily residing.

If a student chooses to remain in the school in which s/he was enrolled and is living in a town other than the town in which that school exists, these two towns are responsible for cost-sharing the expenses for transportation.

Homelessness is defined as one living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground; on the street; in an abandoned building or trailer; or doubled up with friends or relatives.

Students who are homeless have an automatic right to free breakfast and lunch.

For a list of resources if you are homeless, click here.

If you are an unaccompanied youth, click here to print the form for registration.

If you are a parent of a student and you are homeless, click here to print the form for registration.

The South Hadley Public School's homeless liaison is Elizabeth Cooke.

General Information Links

Links: General Information Links

Arlington Public Schools

Concord Special Education PAC This is a very comprehensive site with many informative special education pages including information on testing and evaluations, IEPs, specialists recommendations, parent education and much much more.

MASSPAC This site contains very valuable information with links to special education advocates and consultants, State and Federal Laws and Regulations, and general PAC information and guidelines.

Massachusetts Association of 766 approved private schools (MAAPS)

Community Gateway of Massachusetts

Council for Exceptional Children

Bridges For Kids Helping parents and professionals with source of information on education news and resources for special needs and at-risk children from birth to transition to adult life.

SERI - Special Education Resources on the Internet

All Kinds of Mind - Understanding Differences in Learning

Links on Disabilities

Links: Disability Links

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Disability Definitions and Related Links:

ADD / ADHD

National Resource Center on ADD/ADHD

ADHD Information and Support

CHADD - Children and Adults with ADD

Attention Deficit Disorder Association

Elizabeth Cooke

Director of Student Services