DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
Dickinson Public School offers a wide-range of special education programs and services, which are provided to students and their families beginning at age 3 and through age 21. Our special education and related service staff provides instruction and support to students with identified disabilities in the least restrictive environment, to the maximum extent appropriate with nondisabled peers and access to the general education curriculum.
The district’s goals are to meet the unique learning needs of each student, support school success, and promote the independence of children with disabilities based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP describes the student’s present level of academic and functional performance, educational goals and objectives, classroom and curriculum accommodations and modifications, special education and related services.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide special education to eligible students. But not every child who struggles in school qualifies. To qualify, a child’s school performance must be adversely affected and require specially designed instruction due to a disability in one of the 13 categories below.
- Autism
- Deaf-Blind
- Deafness
- Emotional Disturbance
- Hearing Impairment
- Intellectual Disability
- Non-Categorical Delay
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech or Language Impairments
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment