Special Education

The Illinois State Board of Education oversees compliance and technical assistance to local school districts, including monitoring least restrictive environment compliance; approving policies and procedures; administering the due process system and mediation services; and providing information and guidance on special education practices and service delivery. The Illinois State Board of Education has published a comprehensive guide to Understanding Special Education in Illinois, available online here.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is important to understand. As the nation’s special education law, IDEA provides rights and protections to children with disabilities and to their parents. It ensures a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities and ensures that special education and related services are provided to those children.

If a student continues to struggle in an area of concern with interventions in place and services provided with fidelity, school personnel, parents and legal guardians may request a special education evaluation of their child by a multidisciplinary team of experts. The multidisciplinary team will review all documentation and data concerning the areas of concern and determine whether a special education evaluation is warranted per the presence of persistent, academic, and/or social emotional detriment in light of the provision of targeted intervention. If an evaluation is warranted, the team will then determine the necessary areas of evaluation and proceed with evaluations once parents/guardians provide consent. Once all consented evaluations are completed, the multidisciplinary team will then determine whether the student has a qualifying disability as defined by IDEA, and whether they are eligible for school-based special education services.

The data gathered from the student’s evaluations will then be used to determine if there is a need for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan.

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a specially-designed plan of instruction that is used to address the specific needs of students who have been identified as having a disability that negatively and significantly affects their academic and/or social-emotional progress within the general education setting. The IEP is created after a child has been evaluated by a team of qualified professionals and found eligible to receive special education and/or related services. Student progress towards his or her IEP goals is measured by their providers. We review and revise IEPs annually, as necessary, with parental/guardian consent.

Intrinsic provides access to a full continuum of special education programming. We adhere to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with a commitment to educating students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). To meet the individual needs of all students, programming and related service options are based on the nature and degree of intervention needed for each student.

The 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability under the law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations and supports that will ensure their academic success and equal access to the learning environment. The disability must substantially limit a major life activity, which includes a child’s ability to learn in a general education classroom.

Section 504 has a broader definition of a disability than IDEA, so a child who does not qualify for an IEP might still be able to receive accommodations and related services under a 504 Plan.

Accommodations can help children who are struggling at school, work around their weaknesses. Examples of 504 Plan accommodations include preferential seating; extended time on tests and assignments; changes to class schedules, homework assignments, and grading; verbal, visual, or technology aids; and behavior management support.

Additional information: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

A modification is a change in what the student is expected to learn and/or demonstrate. While a student may be working on modified course content, the subject area remains the same as the rest of the class.

Assistive Technology: Assistive Technology includes products, equipment, and systems that enhance learning, working, and daily living for individuals with disabilities (i.e., text-to-speak software, reading pens, electronic dictionaries, etc.). The need for assistive technology is determined by the Special Education, Multidisciplinary Team via the special education evaluation process.

• Psychology: School Psychologists conduct psychological assessments and provide high-quality, evidence-based services to support the academic achievement and optimal mental and behavioral health for all students. In collaboration with various stakeholders, school psychologists provide prevention activities and intervention strategies that enhance student outcomes.
• Occupational Therapy: (OT) services enhance the educational, physiological, and psychosocial development of all students. OT services assist students in achieving their full potential in becoming active members of society through fine motor therapeutic services.
• Physical Therapy: Services promote students’ gross motor development. School-based physical therapists perform a variety of therapeutic interventions focusing on functional mobility and safe, efficient access to, and participation in, activities and routines in students’ natural learning environments.
• Speech and Language Pathology: Within the school setting, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) work to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, and cognitive-communication disorders that adversely impact the academic performance of students. Speech and language therapy services may target areas of communication such as articulation, language comprehension, language expression, voice, pragmatic language, and fluency.
• Social Work: Social Workers seek to understand factors in the home, school, and/or community that impact students’ educational success. They provide comprehensive social-emotional and behavioral supports, including crisis intervention and Safety Plans. Services may include individual, group, and whole class therapeutic interventions. Social workers make recommendations and referrals based on student/family needs.
• Nursing: The primary focus of Nurses within the school-based setting is to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the care of students with acute and chronic health conditions. Within the school setting, Nurses collaborate with parents, school staff, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders to bring about an individualized plan for health management during the school day. Services may include reviewing communicable diseases, coordinating medication and treatments at school, and reviewing health reports to plan for care as needed.
• Audiology: School-based Audiologists provide support in the evidence-based identification and diagnosis of hearing and other central auditory processing disorders. Audiologists conduct audiological evaluations, make recommendations for hearing-related goals and service delivery, and establish necessary accommodations and modifications for students with hearing loss/disorders.

Parents of students with IEPs should receive a Notice of Procedural Safeguards of Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities at least once a year, as well as under other circumstances, including upon your request. The document outlines the rights that are safeguarded by state and federal law.