Special Education
Special Education (SPED) refers to instruction specially designed to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. It is individualized instruction, not a place. We provide special education services at no cost to families.
How Is Eligibility Determined?
Students are eligible for SPED services following a comprehensive evaluation and agreement of the multidisciplinary evaluation team (MET) that a child meets the eligibility criteria.
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What Areas Does Special Education Cover?
Each special education category has specific evaluation criteria that must be met.
- Autism (A)
- Other Health Impairments (OHI)
- Emotional Disability (ED)
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
- Emotional Disability B Private (EDP)
- Speech/Language Impairment (SLI)
- Hearing Impairment (HI)
- Severe Mental Retardation (SMR)
- Mild Mental Retardation (MIMR)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Moderate Mental Retardation (MOMR)
- Visual Impairment (VI)
- Multiple Disabilities (MD)
- Preschool Speech/Language Delay (PSL)
- Multiple Disabilities B Severe Sensory Impairment (MDSSI)
- Preschool – Moderate Delay (PMD)
- Preschool – Severe Delay (PSD)
- Orthopedic Impairment (OI)
Who Provides Services to Students?
Special education teachers, speech therapists, and a psychologist provide services to children in grades K–8. Preschool-aged children in special education participate in our preschool program or the Tolleson Head Start Program.
SPED teachers provide service to students in a cross-categorical model. The level of service for each student varies and depends on the recommendations (based on student needs) in the Individual Education Program (IEP). The amount of SPED services received ranges from consultation services in the regular classroom to all academic content in a special education classroom. When needed, children can also receive related services, such as occupational and physical therapy.
What is Our Special Education Curriculum?
Curriculum content for each child is determined based on the strengths and needs identified in the evaluation, the specific learning style and functioning level of the student, district standards/curriculum, functional needs, and IEP team input.
What is the SLIEP Process?
The Student-Led IEP (SLIEP) process is one way we help students with disabilities to develop an understanding of their strengths as well as their disabilities. It is a system of instruction that enables students to become active participants as they learn about special education, the laws that have been passed on their behalf, and the process of planning their own futures. SLIEPs result in students who feel and act like equal members of their IEP team instead of passive recipients of other people’s decisions about their lives.
Students in preschool through primary grades participate by sharing their strengths and needs. Young children share what they like about school and what is hard for them. Students in intermediate grades participate by sharing what their strengths and needs are and what accommodations work best for them. Middle school students are included in the planning and setting of goals (particularly for transition) and accommodations. They often lead the entire meeting.
What Are the Exit Criteria?
Students are no longer eligible for special education services if a re-evaluation determines they no longer meet the eligibility requirements.
Transitioning to High School for Students With an IEP
Transitioning to high school can be a scary time for any student, and for those with an IEP, it can feel very overwhelming. We’re here to help make this change as easy as possible for our students with IEPs and their families. Please watch our orientation video, where we’ll walk you through what to expect.
We're Here for You
Please complete our online form so we can respond to your needs. We want you and your child to feel prepared and ready. We will respond to you either in writing or schedule time to meet with you.
High School Contacts
Andrew Meana
Department Chair - Tolleson Union High School
Janeen Nichols
Department Chair - West Point High School
