Emotional & Mental Safety

The Wiseburn Unified School District preschool special education program provides a continuum of services and supports to three-, four-, and five-year-old children who meet eligibility criteria for special education. The special education preschool program is located at the Wiseburn Child Development Center (WCDC), where special education services are provided in the least restrictive environment, and opportunities to develop cognitive, language, motor, play, and social skills are maximized.

In order to meet the needs of each child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) in the least restrictive environment, the Wiseburn Unified School District provides services and support to children who are eligible for special education services. The WUSD Resource Specialist Program (RSP) services and supports include consultation with the general education program staff, in-class support and/or specialized academic instruction in the RSP classroom to ensure that children in the RSP program are accessing the general education curriculum, meeting targeted IEP goals and achieving appropriate social, emotional, and academic success.

The Wiseburn Unified School District Special Day Class Program (SDC) is a self-contained special education class that provides services to children who are eligible for special education services and present with more intensive needs that cannot be met by the general education program, RSP, or Disability and Inclusion Services (DIS) programs. The SDC class provides individual, and small group instructional activities to support each student’s Individualized Education Plan, emphasizing skill development in the areas of cognition, language, social-emotional, behavioral, and motor development. Children in the SDC class have daily opportunities for mainstreaming with typically developing peers in the age/grade-appropriate general education setting based on their IEP.

Speech and Language Pathology services are provided to students presenting with articulation, expressive and receptive language, social communication, fluency, and voice disorders. The WUSD speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with students, parents, teachers, and administrators within assigned schools to provide for the identification, assessment, consultation, and remediation of these disorders.

WUSD SLPs are members of a multi-disciplinary team to assess the speech-language needs of students in order to design and implement appropriate language and speech services and evaluate student progress. They provide individual and small group speech-language therapy services for students, work effectively and collaboratively with general and special education staff in the design and implementation of effective language and speech instructional/remedial models, and collaborate with general and special education staff in planning and implementing a comprehensive speech/language program, and when appropriate, integrate and align therapy activities with core curriculum while involving staff and parents in the therapy process.

To learn more, please visit our Speech and Language Services Brochure.

The Wiseburn Unified School District preschool special education program provides a continuum of services and supports to three-, four-, and five-year-old children who meet eligibility criteria for special education. The district's goal is to meet the needs of each child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) in the least restrictive environment. Some of the services and supports include consultation with general education early childhood teachers, in-class support in the general education preschool setting, and specially designed instruction in co-teaching classrooms with typically developing peers, staffed with early childhood education teachers, special education early childhood teachers, and trained paraprofessionals. The children requiring special education support in the co-teaching classrooms are provided with a language-rich classroom environment with opportunities to develop language, play, and social skills for age-appropriate classroom participation and peer interactions. Additionally, activities within this setting promote continued growth in the area of cognition and motor skills.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy (PT) is a related service under Part B and Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Physical Therapy is available as a “related service” under IDEA in a child’s IEP when the service is required for a child with a disability to benefit from a special education program. Educationally necessary PT means that a child with a disability has a need for improvement in functional skills related to their performance in the educational environment.  Physical therapists look at the child’s ability to physically access the classroom and campus environments and focus on the child’s ability in a variety of areas. Emphasis must be placed on the child’s learning and activity context. Physical therapists in WUSD work collaboratively with a student’s IEP team and participate in screening, evaluation, program planning, and intervention. As a member of the IEP team, physical therapists design and implement physical therapy interventions—including teaching and training of family and education personnel and measurement and documentation of progress—to help the student achieve outlined IEP goal(s). Physical therapists assist students in accessing school environments and benefiting from their educational program.

To learn more about providing Physical Therapy under IDEA, read this American Physical Therapy Association Brochure.

Occupational Therapy

The purpose of occupational therapy (OT) in the public school setting is to support positive educational outcomes as described by the State of California Performance Plan (CDE 2007-2008). Based on the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) practice framework, OTs work with the educational team to support a child’s ability to access their educational curriculum and benefit from their overall educational program. School-based occupational therapy is designed to affect the student’s ability to learn, function, and benefit from his/her educational experience, rather than be an isolated service from which he/she benefits. When a certified occupational therapist is working in an educational model, their primary role is to provide direct or consultative services to help children to fulfill their role as students by teaching and developing skills in the deficit areas, and the students are then provided with an opportunity to practice these skills in the natural classroom setting. WUSD occupational therapists design and implement programming to improve inclusion and accessibility of the curriculum and collaborate with classroom teachers providing consultation on strategies that support student success.

To learn more about providing Occupational Therapy under IDEA, read this American Occupational Therapy Association Brochure.

Adapted Physical Education

Adapted Physical Education (APE) is physical education that has been adapted or modified, so that it is as appropriate for the person with a disability as it is for a person without a disability. Federal law mandates that physical education be provided to students with disabilities and defines Physical Education as the development of:

• physical and motor skills
• fundamental motor skills and patterns (throwing, catching, walking, running, etc.)
• skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act uses the term disability as a diagnostic category that qualifies students for special services. The APE teacher is a direct service provider, not a related service provider, because physical education for children with disabilities is a federally mandated component of special education services [U.S.C.A. 1402 (25)]. This means that physical education must be provided to the student with a disability as part of the special education services that child and receives. This is contrasted with physical therapy and occupational therapy, which are related services. These therapies are provided to the child with disabilities only if he/she needs them to benefit from instruction. 

Source: 2008 Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS)

A student aged 3 through 22, with a suspected disability, may be eligible to receive special education and related services. 

First, an assessment needs to be completed to determine whether or not the student has one of the thirteen Federally-defined disabilities. Second, the disability has to adversely impact the student’s educational performance to a degree that requires special education services. 

Special education decisions are made by the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, which includes the parents, teacher(s), and other specialists.

Special education eligibility categories include:

• Hearing impairment
• Vision impairment
• Hearing and vision impairment
• Intellectual disability
• Autism
• Speech and language impairment
• Emotional disturbance
• Traumatic brain injury
• Specific learning disability
• Orthopedic impairment
• Other health impairment
• Established medical disability
• Multiple disabilities

In 1977, all school districts and county school offices were mandated to form consortiums in geographical regions of sufficient size and scope to provide for all special education service needs of children residing within the region's boundaries. Each region, a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), developed a local plan describing how it would provide special education services.

SELPAs are dedicated to the belief that all students can learn and that special needs students must be guaranteed equal opportunity to become contributing members of society. SELPAs facilitate high-quality educational programs and services for special needs students and training for parents and educators. The SELPA collaborates with county agencies and school districts to develop and maintain healthy and enriching environments in which special needs students and families can live and succeed.

The Southwest SELPA services over 14,000 students in 12 School Districts, several Charter Schools, and Regionalized SELPA programs. SELPA responsibilities include Ensuring Program Availability for all Children with Disabilities, Curriculum Development and Support, Community Advisory Committee Support, Transition Planning, Legal Assistance, Program Evaluation, Interagency Coordination, Program Coordination, Fiscal Management, Community Awareness, and Staff Development.

Additional SELPA Resources:

• SELPA Local Plan
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Services (ADR) Brochure
• Servicios Alternativos de Resolución de Disputas (ADR) Brochure

Parents Rights (English)

Parents Rights (Spanish)

Understanding the Individualized Education Plan(IEP) (Parent Guide)

WUSD/DaVinci A Guide to Special Education Services (Brochure)

Section 504 is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil rights law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. Section 504 states that: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706(8) of this title, shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…" [29 U.S.C. §794(a), 34 C.F.R. §104.4(a)].

Wiseburn Unified School District complies with this legislation and provides a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to each qualified student with a disability who is in the school district's jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability. Under Section 504, FAPE consists of a provision of services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.

Please reference the WUSD Parent's Guide to Section 504 for more specific information.

What is IDEA?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a Federal law that requires equal access for eligible students with disabilities to a free appropriate education.

What is a Free Appropriate Public Education?

A Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ensures that students with disabilities have access to special education and related services designed to address their unique needs and prepare them to be ready for further education, employment, and independent living.

How can I get the school district to evaluate or assess my child?

Your school district has an obligation to "identify, locate, and evaluate" all children with disabilities who may be eligible for special education, including those who are attending private schools or are homeless or wards of the court. [34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.111; Cal. Ed. Code Secs. 56300 & 301.). This is called "child find."

You can also request a referral for assessment at any time by contacting your local school administrator (for example, the principal or special education director). When doing so, outline areas of concern about your child's suspected disability and request an "evaluation" or "assessment." Follow up with a written, dated request to document your request timelines. School district personnel must help you put your request in writing. [Cal. Ed. Code Secs. 56029, 56301, 56302 & 56321(a); 5 C.C.R. Sec. 3021.]

How long will it take for the district to complete my child's assessment?

Under state law, your school district must give you an assessment plan within 15 days of their receipt of your written referral for special education services. If a referral for assessment is made 10 days or less prior to the end of the regular year, the assessment plan must be developed within 10 days after school commences the following school year. [Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56321(a).] You have at least 15 days to respond to or approve the assessment plan. [Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56321(c)(4).] Once the district has received the signed assessment plan, it has 60 days (excluding days of school vacation in excess of five and days that school is not in session) to complete the assessment and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP), assuming it finds the child to be eligible. [Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56344(a).]

How often must evaluations be conducted for a student with a disability?

An initial evaluation must be conducted prior to a student being considered for special education and related services. A re-evaluation must be conducted at least every three years for special education students with certain exceptions. A reevaluation must also be conducted whenever the student's parents, teacher or district staff request one. [20 U.S.C. Sec. 1414(a)(2); 34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.303.]

What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and how do I request one for my child?

An IEP is a written statement that describes your child's present levels of performance, learning goals, school placement, and services. In order to obtain an IEP, your child must first be assessed. Starting from the date the district receives your written consent to assessment, the assessment(s) must be completed, and the IEP developed at a meeting within 60 calendar days. In counting days, you do not count the days in between regular school sessions or school vacation in excess of five school days. If an initial referral of a student to special education has been made 30 days or less before the end of the regular school year, an IEP shall be developed within 30 days after the beginning of the next school year. [34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.320; Cal. Ed. Code Sec. 56344 (a).]

What is a parent's role in special education?

Parents are an essential aspect in their child's education. Educators and parents partner in the decision-making and planning of the educational program and services, including assessment, individualized program and services, placement, and program review.

What happens if the student is not found eligible for special education?

The IEP team members review assessment results and determine special education eligibility. If the team determines that the student is not eligible for special education and related services, and the parent is not in agreement with the decision, the district must provide information as to what the parent can do under IDEA.