Special Services
Mission
In support of the mission of Laramie County School District 1, the mission of the Special Services Department is to guarantee specialized instruction, maximized student learning and a variety of educational opportunities to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
overview
LCSD1's Special Services offers a wide range of programs and services are provided for children ages 5 to 21 with special educational needs. The primary purpose of special education is to ensure that exceptional children develop mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.
Every school in the district provides special education services within resource rooms as well as regular classrooms. Some schools also have district-wide programs.
Services are provided for students with educational disabilities in full compliance with regulations & requirements of the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) & the federal mandates as outlined in the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Eligibility for Services
Who is eligible?
Any student is eligible when identified within one of the categories of disability as defined under state and federal definition. This determination is made by qualified professionals.
Eligibility Classifications
The categories of disability which must be met in order for students to qualify for special education include: autism spectrum disorder, cognitive disability, deaf-blindness, developmental delay, emotional disability, hearing impairment including deafness, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment including blindness.
What happens in the evaluation process?
Every school has a Building Intervention Team (BIT) that processes referrals from parents, staff or other concerned parties of students who are experiencing educational difficulties. The BIT reviews information and designs appropriate intervention to assist staff in providing alternatives. The BIT is responsible for referring students to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) for further evaluations if these alternatives are unsuccessful. After obtaining the parent’s/legal guardian’s written consent, the MDT will conduct an assessment of the student that includes teacher and parent/legal guardian interviews, testing and classroom observation(s). The MDT is comprised of individuals knowledgeable in the area of the suspected disability, as well as persons familiar with the student’s background. The purpose of the MDT is to determine if the student is eligible under one of the existing disabilities. The results of the evaluation are given to the Individual Education Plan Team (IEP Team) who reviews that information with the parent/legal guardian. If the IEP Team determines the student is eligible, special education and related services may be initiated to provide appropriate educational services.
Percentage of students with IDEA disabilities
Child Find
Child Find is a district-wide service designed to locate and assess students, ages birth through 21 whose disability adversely affects educational performance. The purpose of this service is to identify all disabled children who need special education and related services and to implement appropriate services at an early age.
Child Find endeavors to locate students with disabilities through:
• Public awareness programs to alert parents/legal guardians and community members who oversee or work with young children in order to facilitate early diagnosis and services.
• Screening of all students beginning in kindergarten for motor, speech, language, hearing, cognitive and health problems.
• Standardized testing of students enrolled in school.
• Observation and referral of students by classroom teachers.
LCSD1 Special Services Programs
LCSD1 provides the following special education programs to meet the needs of students in our community with a disability:
District-wide Programs
- Child Find locates children with disabilities.
- Adaptive Living Skills Programs provide individualized educational instruction for students defined as moderately or severely intellectually disabled.
- Day Treatment Programs provide special learning opportunities for students with emotional or behavioral challenges who cannot function effectively in the general education classroom.
Related Services
- Psychological Services provides diagnostic evaluations by certified staff and assesses students for educational disabilities.
- Social Work Services assists students with school, home or community problems that influence the student’s adjustment in school.
- Counseling and Guidance Services assists students in making decisions affecting their education, personal adjustment and future vocational plans.
- Audiology provides diagnostic services to students suspected of having hearing or auditory processing impairments.
- Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Services provides instruction for students who are identified as deaf or hard of hearing and cannot benefit fully from regular education programs without support.
- Speech and Language Therapy provides remedial services to students who exhibit speech/language delays or deficiencies, fluency problems or voice disorders. Find a link in the resource block on this page for more information.
- Visual Impairment Services assists classroom teachers with support and accommodations and provides specifically designed individual instruction to students who are visually impaired.
- Occupational/Physical Therapy provides screening, evaluation and intervention designed to service students identified as eligible for special education services.
- Adaptive Physical Education Program provides developmental activities, games and sports suited to the interests, abilities and limitations of students with disabilities who may not safely or successfully engage in the general physical education program.
- School Health Services provides health services to district students and promotes good health as well as disease and injury prevention.
- Transition Services prepares special education students with skills and services needed to be successful in their transition from school to work and/or post-secondary education and training.
Support Services
- Homebound Instructional Services provides teachers for students who may be absent from school for an extended period of time.
- Specialized Transportation Services are available for students with disabilities who are unable to access regular transportation options.
LCSD1 WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
a month ago
Laramie County School District 1 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability or age in admission or access to, or treatment, or employment in, its educational programs or activities. Inquiries concerning Title VI and Title IX pertaining to adults, may be referred to the LCSD1 Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources located in the LCSD1 Administration Building at 2810 House Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001, or phone 307-771-2160. Inquiries concerning Title VII and Title IX pertaining to students and any Section 504 concerns may be referred to the LCSD1 Assistant Director of Special Services located in the LCSD1 Administration Building at 2810 House Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001, or phone 307-771-2174 or by email: servicedesk@laramie1.org.
We continually strive towards compliance with LCSD1 Non-Discrimination Policies, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, Americans with Disabilities Act, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), as well as Section 508 policy regarding web accessibility. LCSD1 is committed to providing accessibility to all users, and we will continue to make improvements to our website to ensure that it meets the requirements of these laws and standards. If assistance is needed in accessing material on any of the LCSD1 websites, please contact our Service Desk at 307-771-2242.