Related Services & Supports for School Personnel
IDEA 2004 requires that, during the evaluation or reevaluation process, a student be assessed in all areas related to his or her suspected disability. The IEP team must review all evaluation information to determine whether a student is eligible to receive special education services. Once the student is determined to be eligible, the IEP team identifies the student’s need for related services that help the student benefit from special education. These services are defined in the student’s IEP.
Autism Consultant
One of the many ways the WCSD supports students on the autism spectrum is by using an autism consultant. The district’s autism consultant offers various services to support the education of neurodivergent learners. The autism consultant can meet with educators and staff upon request to problem-solve specific behavioral, communicative, and social difficulties experienced or displayed by the student on the spectrum. The autism consultant can communicate with family members and community stakeholders to coordinate efforts to support the student.
Emotional Support Interventionist
Provides direct, intense support within the Emotional Support program that focuses on helping students learn to respond to their daily environment in a practical and productive manner. Emphasis will be placed on a child's current needs, functions, and support systems as they relate to social emotional learning. Works in collaboration with Emotional Support Teachers and Instructional Assistants.
Speech/Language
Speech Language Pathologists (SLP) and Speech Language Therapists are employed by the district to support the communication needs of students. The role of the SLP is to evaluate a child’s speech and language skills, determine whether a disability is present, and determine if the child is in need of treatment. School based SLP services support the development of speech sounds, expressive language, receptive language, language processing, social/pragmatic communication, voice, stuttering, and cognitive communication. For specific questions about your child, contact the speech language pathologist in your child’s school.
IU Services: The Special Programs & Services Department provides related support and services to students and educators in Carbon and Lehigh counties who are recommended for these services.
Occupational Therapy:
School occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants are key contributors within the education team. They support a student’s ability to participate in desired daily school activities or “occupations.” They help children to fulfill their role as students by supporting their academic achievement and promoting positive behaviors necessary for learning
Vision Support:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) defines “visual impairment including blindness” as an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness. The ultimate goal of the vision support program is to prepare students with varying degrees of visual impairment to function as productive members of society.
Auditory:
The Educational Audiologist will focus their practice on supporting students with hearing difficulties in an educational setting by evaluating the student's hearing, listening, and auditory processing deficits that can affect their academic success, communication abilities and psychosocial well-being.
Deaf or Hard of Hearing:
They are utilized for children who have hearing loss but are performing well and have no other educational needs. They can provide for accommodations such as: wearing hearing aids in school, use of FM systems, and preferred seating. IEP plans provide accommodations as well as specially designed instruction
Physical Therapy:
School-based physical therapy (PT) is a related service included in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children 3 to 22 years of age who meet criteria for special education services may be eligible for PT services. School-based physical therapy, which requires a medical diagnosis in order to provide treatment, is a support service to the student's educational program. School-based physical therapists use therapeutic activities that may improve a sudent's ability to physically access his educational environment.