The
U.S. Congress enacted the reauthorization of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to insure that all children with
disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
designed to meet their unique needs in the least restrictive
environment. In accordance with this law, The Greencastle-Antrim School
District provides, without cost to parents, screenings and evaluations
of all students thought to be eligible for services under the IDEA,
and appropriate programs and services to all students identified as
having a disability who are in need of specially designed instruction.
Programs
and services are developed based on each child’s identified area of
disability and the need for specially designed instruction and related
services.
If you believe your child may be eligible:
If a child’s parent/guardian(s), teacher(s), or other school personnel
suspects that a child may have a disability they may request that the
student be referred for multidisciplinary evaluation (MDE) (which may be
in conjunction with a child going through the Intervention for
Proficiency (IFP) or Student Support Team (SST) processes). If a
parent/guardian suspects that his/her school age child has a disability,
he/she may request an evaluation by submitting a dated written
request, indicating the reason for the request. A Permission to
Evaluate (PTE) form will be issued along with a copy of Procedural
Safeguards, detailing parental rights in the evaluation and IEP
process. Once the permission is received, the district will begin the
evaluation. The Psychoeducational evaluation may include, but not be
limited to, the following assessments: review of records, intelligence
testing, achievement testing, parent input and teacher input. After all
assessments are completed an Evaluation Report (ER) will be shared
with the parents/guardians.
As
a result of the Multidisciplinary Evaluation, should it be determined
that a child has a disability and is in need of specially designed
instruction, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed with
input from a team of people. The IEP team is comprised of the
parent(s)/guardian(s), special education teacher, general education
teacher who has knowledge about the student, Local Education Agency
representative, and others who work with or have knowledge about the
student. Based on the student’s need for specially designed
instruction, the services to be provided will be defined in the IEP
with recommendations for an appropriate placement.
Types of Services Available:
Most students requiring special programs are educated and included
within The Greencastle-Antrim School District schools. Some students
attend programs operated by the Lincoln Intermediate Unit (LIU). Other
pupils attend Approved Private Schools (APS) supported by state and
local district funds.
In accordance with the IDEA a full continuum of services are provided for the disability categories listed below:
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1. Autism (including Pervasive Developmental Disorder)
2. Deaf-Blindness
3. Deafness
4. Emotional Disturbance
5. Hearing Impairment
6. Mental Retardation
7. Multiple Disabilities
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8. Orthopedic Impairment
9. Other Health Impairments
10. Specific Learning Disability
11. Speech or Language Impairment
12. Traumatic Brain Injury
13. Visual Impairment including Blindness
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Steps in the Evaluation Process:
- Upon request, permission to evaluate is issued to the parent/guardian
- Upon
receipt of signed permission the evaluation will begin and must be
completed within 60 calendar days, excluding days that school is not in
session for the summer
- A copy of the completed evaluation will be shared with the parents/guardians
- A team meeting will be convened to discuss the results of the evaluation and, if appropriate, to develop an IEP