West Deptford School District

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM:

A wide variety of special education programs are available for students between the ages of 3 and 21 who require specialized instruction and/or related services such as speech/language services, occupational therapy and physical therapy in order to meet their educational needs. Educational program options include: instruction in a regular class with all the necessary and appropriate supports, supplemental instruction, resource center programs, special class programs within the school district, special education programs in out-of-district public or private schools, individual instruction at home, in medical institutions or other appropriate facilities.

PRESCHOOL DISABLED PROGRAM:

The Preschool Disabled Program provides appropriate educational experiences for youngsters between the ages of 3 and 5 who experience developmental delays in the areas of speech and language, motor development, cognition and/or social/emotional functioning. The school district offers an educational program, related services, and door-to-door transportation at no cost to parents. The children are placed according to individual needs and developmental levels. In the preschool programs, they are encouraged to explore new materials, develop emerging skills, and interact in a social setting. Speech/language therapy and occupational therapy are offered as an integral part of the classroom program and/or on an individual basis as needed. If warranted, other services such as physical therapy may be initiated.

If you have any questions about either of the programs described above and feel that your child may require services, please call the Supervisor of the Child Study Team, Mrs. Cheryl Fairchild, at (856) 848-6110.

Parent and Teacher Guide to the Special Education process

WHAT IS A BASIC CHILD STUDY TEAM EVALUATION:

According to the New Jersey Special Education Code, a Child Study Team evaluation may include an assessment by two or more of the following certified personnel: School Psychologist, Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant, and Social Worker.

Each evaluation of the student shall:

1. Include, where appropriate, or required, the use of a standardized test(s) which shall be:

Individually administered;
Valid and reliable;
Normed on a representative population; and
Scored as either standard score with standard deviation or norm referenced scores with a cutoff score.

2. Include functional assessment of academic performance and where appropriate, behavior. Each of the following components shall be completed by at least one evaluator:

A minimum of one structured observation by one evaluator in other than a testing session;
In the case of a student who is suspected of having a specific learning disability,
one evaluator shall observe the student's academic performance in the regular classroom;
An interview with the student's parent;
An interview with the teacher(s) referring the potentially disabled student;
A review of the student's developmental/educational history including records and interviews;
A review of interventions documented by the classroom teacher(s) and others who work with the student; and
One or more informal measure(s) which may include, but not be limited to surveys and inventories; analysis of
work; trial teaching; self report; criterion referenced tests; curriculum based assessment; and informal rating scales.

If necessary, evaluations will be conducted by other specialists: speech/language specialists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, audiologists, school nurses, and physicians.