Special Education

Special Education

The Special Education Department of the Springfield Townshi= p School District sup= ports the school district’s goal to create a caring and positive environment that encourages each student to develop his or her potential in academic, physical, social, emotional, cultural and moral aspects. We provide a varie= ty of special education programs, which include pull-out resource rooms, inclu= sive settings, a Multiple Disabili= ties self contained classroom, and a preschool disabled program. The Special Education Department is committed to providing individual educational progr= ams and modifications with supplementary aides and services to students whose unique needs extend beyond the regular education program.

Child Study Team

The Child Study Team is made up of specialists in the = area of educational disabilities. Members of the Child Study Team include a school social worker, a sp= eech and language specialist, a school psychologist, and a learning disabilities= teacher consultant. Their responsibil= ity is to identify, evaluate and determine whether a student is eligible for speci= al education and related services. Other specialists in the area of educational disabili= ties include occupational therapists, physical therapists, and the school nurse. The Child Study Team w= orks closely with school personnel and parents/guardians in the development of a student’s Individualized Education Program. (IEP)

A student may be referred to the Child Study Team by a parent/guardian or by a teacher. When such a referral is made, the parent/guardian has input and provides consent for the Child Study Team to complete an evaluation in order to determine eligibility for special educat= ion and related services.

A Child Study Team evaluation typically consists of a = social history reported by the parent/guardian to the school social worker, an assessment of the student’s academic achievement by the learning disa= bilities teacher consultant, an evaluation of the child’s potential for learni= ng and their learning characteristics by the school psychologist, and if neede= d, an assessment of a student’s expressive and receptive language skills= by the speech and language specialist. Once a student is determined to be elig= ible for special education and related services, an Individualized Education Pro= gram (IEP) is developed. Placement options are considered with the least restric= tive environment being the determining factor.

The Child Study Team has the responsibility of case ma= naging for each student who receives special education services. They are responsible for monitorin= g the student’s progress and placement throughout the school year.

Members of our district’s Child Study Team inclu= de:

Susan Skinner

Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant

723-2479 ext.26

sski= nner@springfieldschool.org

Rebecca Schweitzer

School Social Worker

723-2479 ext.26

r= schweitzer@springfieldschool.org

Ruth Osman

Speech and Language Specialist

723-2479 ext.26

rosman= @springfieldschool.org

Dr. Alan Kotzen

School Psychologist

723-2479 ext.26