Our Role:

Special education provides instruction specifically designed to address the educational and related developmental needs of children with disabilities.

This includes Early Intervention Services for infants and toddlers, pre-school for students starting at age three, services for school age children in grades K-12, and transition services for eligible students up to age 22.

Services are provided at sites throughout the district.

Our People:

Kathy Little, Director of Special Education Norlene Rossetti, Administrative Secretary

                                (760) 416- 6034         Fax (760) 416-8407

Janis Ruetz – Coordinator of Special Education     (760) 416-6039
Debra Sather – Secondary Program Specialist       (760) 416-6035
Courtney Weber - Elementary Program Specialist  (760) 416-6523

Special Education Summary

• Parent information. Click here to understand what Special Education can provide
• What are "Special Needs" for children? Click here
• Section 504 Program. Click here for an outline
• Click here to see the list of services we offer
• For a complete understanding of Special Education, view A Special Education Guide for Parents and Guardians as prepared by the Community Advisory Committee, Riverside County Special Local Plan Area
• For quick links to outside sources and related information, click here
  

For Parents:

As a parent, there are many questions you may have regarding your child's special needs education.

The first may be, "How do I know if my child has special education needs?". Click here to see an outline of areas of potential special needs.

Are the terms new and/or confusing to you? Click here for a list of acronyms.

It is important to understand the overall Special Education program process. Click here to view the Special Education process timeline. Click here to see the Assessment and IEP timeline.

Some children may not meet the Special Education Eligibility requirement (i.e., the student's disability did not significantly affect the student's ability to learn). "What can I do if my child doesn't meet the special education eligibility requirements? Click here to learn about Section 504 programs.

Outline of areas of special needs is shown below:

Autism	Deaf/Blind	Hard of Hearing
Mental Retardation	Multiple Disability	Serious Emotional Disturbance
Severe Orthopedic Impairment	Specific Learning Disablility	Speech or Language Impaired
Traumatic Brain Injury	Visual Impairment	Other Health Impairment*

* (Impaired in strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems)

Section 504 programs explained:

Congress passed section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1973 which states, in part, "No otherwise qualified individual with handicaps in the United States, shall, solely by reason of his/her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal assistance..."

Who is considered to be "otherwise qualified"?

• All students with disabilities who are entitled to attend school under state law
• Parents with a disability
• An employee with a disability who can, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the essential requirements of a job
• Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), persons who are discriminated against because of their association with individuals with disabilities

Who is an "Individual with a Disability"?

A person who:

• Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a mjor life activity;
• Has a record or history of having such an impairment; or
• Is regarded as having such impairment

What are considered "major life activities"?

Major life activities include seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks.

What are some examples of disabling conditions?

Some conditions that entitle a student to receive special education, e.g., mental retardation, learning disabilities, serious emotional disturbances, AIDS, cancer, alcohol addiction, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, ashtma, physical disabilities, behavior disorders, etc., so long as they substantially limit a major life activity.

What we offer: