Special Education is a program-planning option that allows parents, educators, and students when appropriate, an opportunity to sit down and determine an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which includes specially designed instruction to meet the needs of the student.

Special education is offered at no cost to the parents for students age 3 to 21.

Examples of services include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Early identification and assessment of disabilities
• Psychological services for educational assessment
• Modification of the course material within the regular classroom
• Small-group instruction 
• Speech/language therapy 
• Career/vocational education 
• Physical therapy 
• Vision and hearing screening 
• Orientation and mobility services

Students may be eligible for Special Education services in one of the following categories

1.   Developmentally Delayed 
2.   Specific Learning Disability
3.   Seriously Behaviorally Disabled
4.   Intellectual Disability
5.   Speech/Language Impaired
6.   Multi Handicapped
7.   Orthopedically Impaired
8.   Deaf
9.   Health Impaired
10. Hard of Hearing
11. Visually Impaired
12. Deaf-Blind
13. Autism
14. Traumatic Brain Injury

Students in need of specialized education may be brought to the attention of the school district by parents or child care providers, educational staff, community agencies or other concerned individuals. Parents who wish to make their child (3yrs old to 21yrs old) a "Focus of Concern" for special education may contact their neighborhood school directly, or call  the District Special Services Department at 509-543-6703 for assistance.

The special education policies and procedures, evaluations, IEPs and any reports related to IDEA are available to the public, upon request, by contacting the Special Services office at 509-543-6703 or twilson@psd1.org.