Community Consolidated School District 181 provides special education and related services to students who are identified as having a recognized disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-2004) or have a health condition requiring accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students who may be eligible and in need of special services may be identified through the District screening process or by referral.

As a parent, should you have reason to believe that your child may be entitled to special education services, you may request an evaluation. To request an evaluation, please address a letter to your building principal including the following information: name, age, and grade of your child, the reason you are requesting an evaluation, and your complete name and address. Any questions that you may have regarding the referral process or the special education services of the District may be directed to your Building Principal, Pupil Services Administrator or to the Executive Director of Special Services who is located in the Administration Building.

The Special Education Program is designed for students with a disability(s) who receive specialized instruction provided by a Special Education teacher. Support can include:

• Direct instruction: Tailored academic support in core subjects.
• Related services: Such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, and social work services.
• Accommodations and modifications: Adjustments to the curriculum, assignments, and assessments to meet individual needs.
• Assistive technology: Tools and devices to help students access the curriculum and participate in learning.
• Behavioral support: Strategies to address challenging behaviors and promote positive behavior.
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): Written plans that outline a student's specific goals, services, and supports.
• Resource room support: Pull out services for specific instruction.
• Inclusion support: Services provided within the general education classroom.
• Paraprofessional support: Assistance from trained aides.
• Transition services: Planning for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.

Related services may be required to assist the student to benefit from special education. Students receive instruction in a variety of settings--general education classroom or resource room. Adaptations modifications and accommodations of general education curriculum may occur according to the individual needs of the students as determined at an IEP meeting.

Related services include those needed to assist the student with disabilities to benefit from special education. These services include, transportation, speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, school health services, social work services, and parent training.

If your student receives related services from the District through their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) document, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, speech and language therapy, you may request copies of related service logs. These related service logs include the date and duration of service administered to your child.

Ages 3-5 @ Oak Elementary School

About Our Program

The D181 Neighborhood Preschool incorporates research-based practices by using a play-based model that includes active academic learning, exploration, and student initiated learning for 3-5 year-olds of all ability levels within the D181 community. To prepare students for kindergarten, an emphasis is also placed on self-regulation, independence, language development, and interpersonal skills. It is the mission of the District 181 Neighborhood Preschool to identify and respond to all children’s unique learning needs within a safe and nurturing classroom community. Staff will foster a partnership with families to encourage all children to learn and grow to reach their potential.

Blended Classrooms

District 181 Early Childhood classrooms support 3-5 year-old students with and without disabilities. Approximately half of the students in the program are enrolled as tuition-based students and the other half of the students have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

The students are taught by teachers who hold Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) certifications in early childhood education, special education and English Language Learner certifications. An integrated service approach is utilized and includes a licensed speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and a social worker working within the classroom environment on a weekly basis. A certified school psychologist or English Learner (EL) teacher also works with the students and collaborates with the team. In addition to the certified teachers and related service providers, there are instructional assistants that support each classroom.

All of the students’ diverse learning needs are met by having a low student-to-teacher ratio, which provides opportunities for individual and small group attention.

Kindergarten-5th Grade @ Walker Elementary School

Program RISE provides a highly structured and supported classroom with small class size, high levels of staff supervision/ assistance, and an integrated model of related service delivery. Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy are scheduled into the classroom in collaboration with the special education teacher. In addition to individualized academic skill work, the curriculum maintains a strong focus on the development of social-communication and pragmatic language skills, emotional regulation skills, sensory regulation skills and executive functioning skills. Students are integrated with general education peers at all appropriate opportunities based upon individual needs. Sensory breaks are integrated into each student’s daily schedule and tailored to meet individual needs. Adaptive Art, Music and Physical Education are also integrated into weekly programming if students require these supports.

Individualized Academic Skill Practice

Students receive foundational academic skills utilizing core academic strategies and resources targeted around individual student goals and needs.

Social Communication

Students participate in weekly social groups along with individual students receiving minutes to work on individual goals or skills.

Pragmatic Language

Emotional Regulation

Sensory Regulation

Executive Functioning

Adaptive Art, Music, or P.E. (as determined by the IEP team)

General Education Inclusion (as determined by the IEP team)

6th Grade - 8th Grade @ Hinsdale Middle School

This class provides individual and small group instruction using curriculums such as Unique Learning, Equals or TouchMath, and Structured Teaching tasks. The purpose of Foundations is to assist students with learning functional academic skills for students whom the IEP team determines are able to continue to participate in a general education school building with individual support and services.

Some examples of these skills are learning how to tell time, identify coins, count money, or read sight words. While Foundations is led by a special education teacher, it is supported by a collaborative team that includes a social worker, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, instructional aides, and a BCBA consultant to address behavioral, communication, social, and other student needs in the classroom. Although students in Foundations receive academic instruction primarily in the same classroom, they have opportunities to interact with their typical peers in Advisory, lunch, FPAAS (elective) courses, and some regular education classes with the modified curriculum as determined by a student’s IEP. Additionally, students have opportunities to apply functional academic skills and prevocational tasks within the school environment. Class size varies from 5-13 students. This program services students with a variety of needs and eligibility designations. *Please note that the program components may be individualized with consideration of a full continuum of services that can be provided in a public school setting.

Life Skills:

• The Life Skills program at Hinsdale Middle School typically involves one to two periods a day to address functional, fine or gross motor skills, and adaptive daily living skills. Throughout the year, we have different monthly skills that we target and then generalize throughout daily school activities over the duration of the school year. Some examples include safety skills, restaurant skills, how to interact in the community, and hygiene.
• Social Skills Groups: We currently have two different groups divided by skill level (primarily verbal or device use) to directly teach social interaction skills. Skills align with student IEP social/pragmatic objectives but typically include greetings, asking questions, making comments, and remaining attentive in a group setting.
• Community Outings: This aligns with our monthly skill targets. It’s an opportunity to address functional academic (i.e. money, sight word knowledge, etc), behavioral, safety, social, and communication skills that relate to student IEP goals. For example, on a trip to a local restaurant, our students need to cross at street crossings safely, place an order by talking/using a device with a clerk, counting out money to pay, and waiting for food. Outings determined on an annual basis based on the needs of students.

Occupational Therapy / Social Work Groups: These groups involve game playing/ turn taking and teaching sensory integration strategies as well as hygiene practices. A sensory area and a full bathroom are available within the classroom setting for this purpose.

Meal Planning: This group involves the use of structured visual and written task analysis for each student to independently complete a food preparation task. The level of adaptation to complete a task independently varies for each student's needs.

Accommodations are made for varying nutritional needs/restrictions. A full kitchen is available to us for this purpose.

Lunch Groups: Each student has a lunch group (usually with same gender and grade level) with his or her typical peers where the students generalize the social skill goals taught explicitly in their social skills groups.

Program Success was designed to provide students with identified behavioral or emotional disabilities a safe, supportive learning environment, with opportunities for social emotional skill development, including problem-solving and academic interventions. Supports for students continue to be provided during a full or partial class period within the student’s scheduled day for those with behavioral or emotional needs. A Program Success case manager is assigned and works as an advocate for the student, providing a link between social/emotional needs and academic performance within the middle school setting.

Social Emotional Learning provides the framework for students to begin their journey to high school, college and career readiness. Ideally, all students begin high school with the ability to manage their own stress, fear, and insecurities. Our caring and supportive staff rely on the use of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework to assist students in understanding their difficulties and developing specific strategies to improve Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Skills. Some students, however, have many external and internal factors impacting their success. Program Success is designed to address these factors through the instruction of social emotional skills and academic skill support.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Definition

The term assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability. The term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device.

The term assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. Such term includes...

(A) the evaluation of the needs of such child, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment;

(B) purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by such child;

(C) selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices;

(D) coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;

(E) training or technical assistance for such child, or, where appropriate, the family of such child; and

(F) training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education and rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of such child.

AT Categories

There are many categories of assistive technology. When considering assistive technology for a student, it is important to look at each of these categories.

• Aids for Daily Living
• Communication
• Computer Access
• Hearing
• Mathematics
• Organization
• Positioning, Seating, Mobility
• Reading
• Recreation/Leisure
• Vision
• Writing

Per IDEA 2004, assistive technology needs to be considered for every student with an IEP, regardless of their disability. It is the responsibility of every IEP team to consider the student's need for assistive technology. Although consideration can occur at many stages of a student's educational journey, it must always be done as part of a team's discussion of special factors at a student's annual review and three-year reevaluation. Consideration is based on the unique IEP goals, IEP benchmarks or objectives, and curricular goals of a student. In addition, a range of assistive technology should be considered, including low/light, mid, and high tech. An IEP team may find that a student requires a system of tools. For example, a student who struggles with the motor aspects of writing may require the following system of tools: adapted pencil for short answers, a word processor for note taking and paragraph writing of one to three paragraphs, and speech recognition software for writing over three paragraphs. Below are some resources that can help guide IEP teams as they work through the consideration process. It is not mandatory to complete this paperwork and attach it to the IEP, but these are recommended resources that team should reference. The IEP team should document the AT Consideration conversation in the Additional Notes page of a student's IEP.

WATI AT Consideration Guide
This guide was developed by the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) and is highly recommended for IEP teams as they work through the consideration process.

QIAT AT Consideration Guide
This guide was developed by the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) Leadership Team. It is another recommended resource for IEP teams as they work through the assistive technology consideration process.

Randy Wooten

Community Consolidated School District 181 actively seeks out and attempts to identify all students in the district who have disabilities that significantly impact academic achievement and functional performance. When a concern is expressed either by school staff, student, or a parent, the student’s academic and social/emotional status is reviewed through a problem-solving process. Teachers and support staff, along with the student and parents, may develop and implement interventions and strategies to address needs. When interventions/strategies adequately meet the needs of a student, no further action is necessary.

When strategies and intervention plans are not successful in appropriately supporting a student, an individual assessment, referred to as a case study evaluation, is initiated to determine eligibility for Special Education services.

A case study evaluation is conducted with written parent/guardian consent and includes a series of assessments and data collection procedures that provide information about the student and the nature of the difficulties that affect educational success. The educational team, including the parents, decides what assessments and data are needed in order to complete a comprehensive review. Assessments may include, but not be limited to, psychological, achievement, adaptive behavior, speech and language, occupational/physical therapy, vision and hearing screenings, health history and a social developmental study. The assessment must be completed within 60 school days from the date of written parental consent. When the case study evaluation is completed, results are shared and eligibility for Special Education services is determined by the educational team.

Any private evaluations, provided by parents, are considered by the educational team and are compared to the district’s special education evaluative results. Within 14 days of receiving a private evaluation or other request for assessment, the educational team determines whether additional assessment or other steps are warranted.

To receive special education services, students must be determined to have one of the following exceptionalities as defined by the Illinois State Board of Education (http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/categories.htm):

• Autism (includes, but is not limited to, any Autism Spectrum Disorder)
• Deaf-blindness
• Deafness
• Emotional disability
• Hearing impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Multiple disabilities
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Specific learning disability
• Speech or language impairment
• Traumatic brain injury
• Visual impairment

If the student is determined to be eligible for special education support, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed and reviewed annually. Eligibility for special education services is reevaluated every three years.

Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Parents/Guardians of Students with Disabilities must be shared with parents if a case study evaluation is initiated and thereafter provided annually to families if their child receives special education services.

Resources

Parent Guide to Special Education
Student Records Keeper

District 181 provides an at-risk screening for children, birth through five years old. The purpose of this screening is to determine if a child may be at-risk for future educational difficulty. Preschool screenings for students who are three years of age or older are also provided on selected dates throughout the school year. Only children residing in or attending a parochial school in District 181 will be screened.

Children's development in the areas of speech, language, motor abilities, concept formation, and preschool readiness skills are screened. Results of these screenings are used to identify students who might be at risk of developing difficulties with school and to identify students for further evaluation if a disability is suspected.

Screenings are conducted at Oak School and can be scheduled by calling (630) 861-4302.

Parents have the right to request an independent education evaluation at public expense if the parent disagrees with the evaluative results obtained by District 181. A parent is entitled, pursuant to federal law, only one independent educational evaluation at public expense each time the District conducts an evaluation with which the parent disagrees.

Requests for an independent educational evaluation must be in writing and submitted to Erica Ekstrom, Executive Director of Special Education, at eekstrom@d181.org. All requests will receive a written response that either grants or denies the request. If granted, a list of possible evaluators that the parent can choose from will be provided. If denied due to not meeting the IEE rule requirements (as outlined in the preceding paragraph) the reason for the denial will be outlined and a copy of the Procedural Safeguards will be enclosed. If the denial is due to the District’s position that the current evaluation is appropriate, the District will notify the parent that it is required by federal law to file a due process hearing request. Such request will be filed with the Illinois State Board of Education.

After the independent educational evaluation is complete, the IEP team will reconvene to consider the results and make any necessary changes to the IEP.

Parents who have unresolved concerns regarding the appropriateness of the special education and related services provided to their child have the right to request mediation. Mediation is a voluntary process in which the parents and District 181 personnel meet to resolve disputes with the assistance of an Illinois State Board of Education trained mediator. In mediation, the parties are brought together to discuss and consider alternative solutions to the issues. Mediation is designed to resolve issues without going to a formal due process hearing. This service is provided by the Illinois State Board of Education at no cost to either the parents or District 181. If the parties do not reach resolution through mediation, a due process hearing may be necessary.

A due process hearing is an administrative hearing held to settle disagreements between the parents and District 181. The hearing is a formal procedure in which a hearing officer is sent from the Illinois State Board of Education. Both the parents and District may choose to be represented by legal counsel during the course of these proceedings. Requests for a hearing must be submitted in writing to the superintendent. A hearing can be requested at any time for any reason and cannot be denied by District 181.

A student who attends a private, parochial or is home schooled within the boundaries of Community Consolidated School District 181 is eligible for consideration for a special education evaluation and services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). IDEA 2004-Section 612 requires each public school district to utilize a portion of its Federal Part B special education funds in order to provide students with disabilities, who attend private schools within the boundaries of the district, the opportunity to equitably participate in special education and services offered by the district. When there is reason to believe that a student may have a disability requiring special education and related services, the student can be referred for a special education evaluation. Referral may be made by any concerned person, including school personnel, the parent/guardian of the student, an employee of a community service agency, professional having knowledge of a students' challenges, a student, or an employee of the Illinois State Board of Education. Students who attend private schools receive an Individual Service Plan if they are found eligible for special education services.

Timely and Meaningful Consultation

Each year, the principals of the private schools in Community Consolidated School District 181 are invited to a meeting at the District Office in which information about plans for working with students with disabilities in the upcoming school year are discussed. This meeting is called the Timely and Meaningful Consultation (TMC). At the TMC, information is shared pertaining to how students who are suspected of having one or more disabilities may access the District programs to address the nature and scope of the disabilities.

Parents of students attending a private or parochial school or students who are home-schooled and need further information regarding services for their child should contact the Assistant Superintendent of Learning, Pupil Services.

Illinois State Board of Education - Special Education Resources

• Parent Guide to Special Education
• Notice of Procedural Safeguards for Students with Disabilities

Occupational and physical therapy are two of the related services of special education mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). There are several ways a student can receive occupational and physical therapy services in an educational setting. To receive services, students must have an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. School based therapy services strive to facilitate the students' potential for functional independence and participation in educational activities. This differs from the medical model of therapy services which focuses on medical needs. As related services, OT and PT services are provided if the therapists' expertise is needed to support the attainment of the identified IEP goals or Section 504 supports.

Occupational therapists work with students who are eligible for special education and have been identified with visual motor, fine motor, postural and/or motor needs, self-care and sensory processing deficits that significantly impact the student's ability to participate in their educational program.

Physical therapists work with students who are eligible for special education and have been identified with gross motor, functional mobility, strength/endurance, postural and/or positioning needs that significantly impact the students' ability to participate in their educational program.

Services are provided in the student's most natural and least restrictive environment. Services are delivered using a direct and consultation model.

School based OT and PT services are not intended to take the place of clinical therapy. Medical diagnoses or medical issues that do not interfere with a student's ability to access or participate in his/her educational program are not the focus of school therapy services.

School social workers serve all students enrolled in Community Consolidated School District 181. School social workers bring to the school setting an understanding of the social/emotional development of children and the influence of family, community and cultural differences.

What is a School Social Worker?
School Social Workers (SSW) are a vital part of the educational team, working together with parents, administrators, teachers and related service providers. Their unique graduate level training in social work enables them to understand and interpret influences of the school, home and community on children. School Social Workers identify factors that can make school a more successful experience for students.

What do School Social Workers Do?

School Social Workers help students:

• understand themselves and others
• improve interpersonal relationships
• cope with stress
• develop decision making skills.

School Social Workers help parents:

• participate effectively in their children's education
• understand and meet their children's social and emotional needs
• understand programs available to students with special needs
• utilize school and community resources effectively.

School Social Workers help schools:

• understand factors (cultural, societal, economic, familial, health, etc.) that affect students' abilities to make maximum use of their school experience
• utilize their resources in meeting the educational, social and emotional needs of students
• promote a safe school environment.

Speech Eligibility Criteria

Working Across All Levels — SLPs provide appropriate speech-language services to students in preschool, elementary, and middle school levels.

Serving a Range of Disorders — As delineated in the American Speech-Hearing Association (ASHA) Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology and federal regulations, SLPs work with students exhibiting the full range of communication disorders, including those involving receptive and/or expressive language, articulation (speech sound disorders), fluency, voice/resonance, and swallowing.

Ensuring Educational Relevance — SLPs address personal, social/emotional, academic, and vocational needs that have an impact on attainment of educational goals.

Providing Unique Contributions to Curriculum — SLPs provide a distinct set of roles based on their focused expertise in language. They offer assistance in addressing the linguistic and metalinguistic foundations of curriculum learning for students with disabilities, as well as other learners who are at risk for school failure, or those who struggle in school settings.

Highlighting Language/Literacy — Current research supports the interrelationships across the language processes of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. SLPs contribute significantly to the literacy achievement of students with communication disorders, as well as other learners who are at risk for school failure, or those who struggle in school settings.

Providing Culturally Competent Services — With the ever-increasing diversity in the schools, SLPs make important contributions to ensure that all students receive quality, culturally competent services. SLPs have the expertise to distinguish a language disorder from “something else.” That “something else” might include cultural and linguistic differences, socioeconomic factors, lack of adequate prior instruction, and the process of acquiring the dialect of English used in the schools. This expertise leads to more accurate and appropriate identification of student needs. SLPs can also address the impact of language differences and second language acquisition on student learning and provide assistance to teachers in promoting educational growth.

Prevention — SLPs are integrally involved in the efforts of schools to prevent academic failure in whatever form those initiatives may take; for example, in Response to Intervention (RTI). SLPs use evidence-based practice (EBP) in prevention approaches.

Assessment — SLPs conduct assessments in collaboration with others that help to identify students with communication disorders as well as to inform instruction and intervention, consistent with EBP.

Intervention — SLPs provide intervention that is appropriate to the age and learning needs of each individual student and is selected through an evidence-based decision-making process.

Program Design — SLPs configure schoolwide programs that employ a continuum of service delivery models in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities, and that they provide services to other students as appropriate.

Data Collection and Analysis — SLPs, like all educators, are accountable for student outcomes. Therefore, data-based decision making, including gathering and interpreting data with individual students, as well as overall program evaluation are essential responsibilities.

Collaboration with Other School Professionals — SLPs provide services to support the instructional program at a school. Therefore, SLPs' unique contributions complement and augment those made by other professionals who also have unique perspectives and skills. Working collegially with general education teachers who are primarily responsible for curriculum and instruction is essential. SLPs also work closely with reading specialists, literacy coaches, special education teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, audiologists, and social workers, in addition to others. Working with school and district administrators in designing and implementing programs is crucial.

Collaboration within the Community — SLPs work with a variety of individuals and agencies (e.g., physicians, private therapy practitioners, social service agencies, private schools, and vocational rehabilitation) who may be involved in teaching or providing services to district students.

Collaboration with Families — SLPs engage families in planning, decision making, and program implementation. SLPs are in a position to provide training to parents of students of all ages with regard to communication development and disorders. They may be especially helpful to families in creating a language- and literacy-rich home environment.

Supervision and Mentorship — SLPs are involved with supervising student SLPs and clinical fellows, as well as in mentoring new SLPs. They also may assist in training and supervising teacher assistants.

School psychologists provide a variety of services to students, school staff, and parents. School psychologists are trained in the areas of assessment, childhood development, behavioral management, individual/group counseling, and consultation.

School psychologists are involved in many areas including:

• Response to Intervention
• Academic Performance and Evaluation
• Child Development
• Crisis Intervention
• Behavioral Management
• Social Skills
• State & Federal Special Education Regulations
• Psychoeducational Evaluations