Special Education Services

  • Special Education Services include early identification and assessment, partial or all-day specialized instruction, and special related services. There are a variety of program options, placement options and related services available to meet the needs of eligible students.

    Program Considerations

    We offer a continuum of special education programs that involve students from ages 3 through 22. Program service options include:

    • Consultation to teachers and parents
    • Home-based services
    • Services delivered in general classroom
    • School based pull-out programs
    • Self-contained classes on a general education site
    • Special day classes on an isolated site
    • Students may also receive services in non-public day schools, residential schools, and in hospital settings.

    Placement Considerations

    An Individualized Educational Planning (IEP) team determines a student’s placement in a special education program. For more information about IEP's, see our IEP webpage. At the IEP meeting, the team first determines a student’s eligibility for services based upon one of the fourteen disability categories.

    Once a student’s eligibility for services is established, learning goals and objectives are determined. Then, placement options are reviewed to determine the appropriate type of level of service. Students of any disability may be served in any placement option. However, students classified as speech impaired are most often enrolled in the Speech and Language program. Students who are determined to have a specific learning disability are often enrolled in the Resource Specialist Program (RSP). The Preschool Center houses special education preschool programs and the preschool diagnostic team.

    Major placement options for eligible students include:

    • General education class with aids/modifications
    • State special school
    • General education class
    • Residential program with public school
    • Residential program with school on-site
    • Home/Hospital
    • General education class with specialist services
    • Special class with mainstreaming
    • Special class in another district
    • Nonpublic, nonsectarian school
    • Special class on integrated campus

    Related Services

    The term "related services" means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services (including speech- language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, social work services, school nurse services designed to enable an individual with exceptional needs to receive a free appropriate public education as described in the individualized education program of the child.

    Related services are by definition services required for students to make progress on their IEP goals, and thus are not provided as stand-alone IEP services. Exceptions are: 1. Speech and language therapy (SLP) may be a stand-alone instructional service for students with Speech and Language Impairment (SLI), and 2. Occupational and/or physical therapy (OT/PT) may be a stand-alone instructional service for students with Orthopedic Impairments (OI). Related services needed to meet the unique needs of the individual student are determined by the IEP team.

    Related services, as specified in the IEP, shall be available when data establishes that they are necessary in order for the student to benefit educationally from his or her special education program. These services may include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Speech and Language Services
    • Audiological Services
    • Orientation and Mobility Instruction
    • Instruction in the home and hospital
    • Adapted Physical Education (APE)
    • Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT)
    • Psychological Services
    • Parent Counseling and Training
    • Health and Nursing Services
    • Specially Designed Vocational Education and Career Development
    • Recreation Services
    • Services for Students with Chronic Illnesses or Acute Health Problems
    • Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
    • Educationally Related Intensive Counseling Services (ERICS)

    For additional information, see Tri Valley SELPA's related services section