Kara Saldierna Director of Special Education
Fax: (531) 299-0386 kara.saldierna@ops.org
If you have concerns regarding the
development of your child who is
between the ages of birth to 5 years old,
please call the Early Childhood Referral Line
at 531-299-0242 to discuss your concerns.
Assistive Technology is provided to students to improve their access to and participation in the learning process. The team is comprised of special education supervisors and speech/language pathologists. Students are referred to the Assistive Technology Team due to concerns with oral communication, written language or deficits in written output. The referral/evaluation process includes the following:
Audiologist: The audiologist assesses the student to determine the amount of hearing loss and the effects of this loss on speech discrimination. The audiologist also provides:
Autism Consultation Team: The Autism Consultation Team (ACT) consists of classroom teachers, psychologists, speech/language pathologists and special education supervisors who have undergone extensive training in the implementation of the Structured Teaching model. Referrals come from the building staff to the special education supervisors. The team provides consultation, direct services, and training.
Team activities include:
Behavior Consultation Team:
Behavior Consultation Teams are assigned to each zone according to the elementary Student Assignment Plan. Each team consists of a special education supervisor, special education school psychologist, and a behavior consultant. Team members can offer building staff assistance in the following:
The building principal makes a referral to the special education supervisor assigned to the building once all buildings level support has been utilized.
Hearing Impaired Resource Teacher: The hearing impaired resource teacher provides direct and consultative services. The hearing impaired resource teacher works with the classroom teacher(s) to provide the instructional support necessary for students to make academic gains. The hearing impaired resource teacher also assists classroom teachers in the use and monitoring of amplification equipment.
Physical Therapist (P.T.): The physical therapist evaluates and provides treatment for gross motor control, basic mobility and balance. The P.T. assists students with developing motor skills needed in walking, sitting, positioning for a variety of purposes as well as wheelchair fitting and other gross motor skills.
Occupational Therapist (O.T.):
The occupational therapist evaluates and provides treatment for skills which focus on development of readiness abilities, fine motor control and functional skills. The O. T. assists students with motor skills needed in feeding, handwriting, self help skills, head control, positioning for augmentative equipment as well as other fine motor skills.
Sign Language Interpreter: The educational sign language interpreter's role is to facilitate communication between signing and non-signing individuals. The interpreter converts the auditory-oral communication into sign language and sign language into auditory-oral communication.
Special Education Supervisor: A special education supervisor is assigned to each elementary, middle, high school and alternative center to assist teachers, building administrators and staff in the following areas: assessment, behavior intervention plans, classroom management, content standards, direct instruction, federal and state compliance issues, IEP development and implementation, parent involvement and inservice training relating to students with disabilities.
Speech and language Pathologist (SAP): The SLP provides therapy for students in the disability areas of articulation, language, fluency, and voice. Services are provided in a direct, consultative, or integrative model. Teachers and SLPs work collaboratively to monitor progress on language and communication IEP goals and objectives.
Vision Impaired Itinerant Teacher:
The vision impaired itinerant teacher coordinates instruction for the students and provides the necessary support in the educational environment. Instruction in orientation and mobility is necessary for some students. The teacher can assist students in learning safe and efficient travel in the classroom, the school and out in the community.
The success of a classroom is dependent on sound classroom management and creative behavior intervention plans that meet the unique needs of all students. Once the classroom environment has been structured effectively then a classroom management plan can be implemented. Components of a good management plan include:
Environmental Structure The classroom can be structured to successfully meet group and individual needs if attention is paid to providing an environment that capitalizes on enhancing interpersonal skills and teaching personal space while providing opportunities for all learning activities. A conducive environment includes:
Environmental Structure
The classroom can be structured to successfully meet group and individual needs if attention is paid to providing an environment that capitalizes on enhancing interpersonal skills and teaching personal space while providing opportunities for all learning activities.
A conducive environment includes:
Behavior Point Cards/Behavior Contracts To provide positive experiences for shaping behavior it is often necessary to seat up a reward system that give students continuous and timely feedback on desired behaviors as they are exhibited.
Effective monitoring systems:
Some students with behavior disorders may occasionally display behaviors that result in a crisis situation. These behaviors may create a threat of safety to the students and others around him or her. At this time it is important to protect the student and others from harm and lower the activity level of the students.
It may be helpful to identify staff in the building that have the ability and expertise to de-escalate students in a crisis and may intervene if a crisis situation arises.
In addressing students in a crisis:
Students may experience some difficulty with change of routine or participation in less structured activities. Such activities include: assemblies, restroom breaks, passing in hallways, recess, field trips, lunch, movement to and from buses or vans. Transitions can be facilitated with more ease if the following are observed:
Best Practices for Intervention Accommodations
Handwriting, Visual Integration, Math, Written Expression, Daily Organization, Spelling/Grammar/Punctuation, and Reading
Suggestions for use:
Sequence of Goals For Rubrics
Work Skills (Organizational/Management)
Self-Advocacy
Adult Relation (Builds/maintains appropriate relationships with adults)
Peer Relations (Builds/maintains appropriate relationships with peers)
Intrapersonal
Problem Solving/Decision-Making
Self-Control
A Power Point presentation describing the Homebound Program.
Homebound Program Presentation
Books on Tape and CD Students with specific learning disabilities in reading decoding and comprehension skills may benefit from auditory reproduction of written textbook information. The Books on Tape program provide cassette tapes so students may listen to the recorded text. Teachers interested in this program can make inquiries to your building supervisor.
To request Books on Tape the teacher will need to complete and submit the forms to the building supervisor. Forms may be found at https://www.rfbd.org/indapp.pdf.
Examples of items purchased by school buildings include:
Furniture/Equipment:
Materials
Supplies
Examples of items purchased by Special Education include:
*Special materials and supplies are requested from the program supervisor