Special Education

Special Education Programs and related services are available for students identified as handicapped from birth through age twenty-one. These programs and services are provided to students who are deemed eligible under one of the following handicapping condition categories: 

Autism                                                                                                                                                             
Deaf/Blindness
Deafness
Emotional Disturbance
Established Medical Disability (3-5-years-old)
Hard of Hearing
Intellectual Disabilities
Multiple Disability
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Speech/Language Impairment 
Specific Learning Disability
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment

Autism - means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7 (c)(1)(i-ii)

Deafness - means a hearing impairment which is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, which adversely affects educational performance.
P.L. 101-476 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(3)

Deaf/Blindness - means concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for with deafness or children with blindness.
P.L. 105-107 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(2)

Emotional Disturbance - is defined as follows:
a. The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, that adversely affects educational performance:
(1) An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(2) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(3) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
(4) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
(5) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
b. The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not include children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), CFR, 300.7(c)(4)

Hard of Hearing - means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), CFR, 300.7(c)(5)

Intellectual Disabilities - means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR 300.7(c)(6)

Multiple Disabilities - means concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mentally retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(7)

Orthopedic Impairment - means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc.), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(8)

Other Health Impairment - means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that -
(i) Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and
(ii) Adversely affects a child's educational performance
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(9)

Specific Learning Disability - is defined as follows:
General. The term means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Disorders not included. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(10)

Speech or Language Impairment - means a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, a language impairment, or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), CFR, 300.7 (c)(11)

Traumatic Brain Injury - means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.
P.L. 105-17 (IDEA), Title 34, CFR, 300.7(c)(12)

Visual Impairment including blindness - means an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.
P.L. 101476 (IDEA), CFR, 300.5(b)(11)

All determinations of eligibility, placement and services are an Individual Education Program (IEP) team decision, based upon the results of a multi-disciplinary team evaluation.

Individual and Small Group Instruction (Preschoolers only) - Instruction delivered one-to-one or in a small group as specified in an IEP enabling the individual(s) to participate effectively in the total school program.  

Individualized Educational Program (IEP) - The Individual Education Plan is a document that is developed for each child who is found eligible for Special Education services. The IEP is developed in accordance with state and federal laws as well as specific procedural requirements such as timelines and notification requirements.

Individualized Education Program Team - is composed of an administrator or his/her designee, the student's teacher, and the parents.  Other members may include the student, other individuals selected by the parent or the IEP chairperson, and those who have conducted assessment on the student.

Individual Transition Plan - a plan written with graduating students and their families to facilitate appropriate adult life post-school options.

Intensive Individualized Instruction - Student requires additional support for all or part of the day. (Usually for additional paraprofessional support.)

Language and Speech - Remedial intervention for eligible individuals with difficulty understanding or using spoken language. Services may include specialized instruction and services, monitoring, reviewing, and consultation. They may be direct or indirect including the use of a speech consultant.

Least Restrictive Environment - Special Education services are provided in as close proximity to regular school programs as is educationally appropriate for each individual child.

Special Education - "Specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parent, to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs, whose educational needs cannot be met with modification of the regular instruction program, and related services, at no cost to the parent, that may be needed to assist these individuals to benefit from specially designed instruction. Special education is an integral part of the total public education system and provides education in a manner that promotes maximum interaction between children or youth with disabilities and children or youth who are not disabled, in a manner that is appropriate to the needs of both. Special education provides a full continuum of program options, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings; and instruction in physical education, to meet the educational and service needs of individuals with exceptional needs in the least restrictive environment. Individuals with exceptional needs shall be grouped for instructional purposes according to their instructional needs."

Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) - School districts organized within a geographic area in accordance with the law to coordinate the administration and delivery of Special Education services.

Specialized Academic Instruction - Adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to ensure that children receiving special education services retain appropriately specified access to the general curriculum.  The particular subjects, duration, and location of general education exposure are individually tailored for each special education student, based on their specific needs and the services they are receiving, and thus, may vary greatly between students.

SPECIAL ED ACRONYMS
A	Autistic	FERPA	Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act
AB 3632	Mental Health Services by CMH	HI	Hearing impaired
ABA	Applied Behavior Analysis	IBI	Intensive Behavior Intervention
ADA	Average Daily Attendance	IDEA	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
ADD	Attention Deficit Disorder	IEP	Individualized Education Program
ADHD	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder	IEP TEAM	Individualized Education Program Team
AR	Annual Review	IFSP	Individualized Family Service Plan
ASD	Autistic Spectrum Disorder	ISP	Individual Service Plan
AUT	Autism	ITP	Individual Transition Plan
CAA	Certified Application Assistant	LEA	Local Education Agency
CAPA	California Alternate Performance Assessment	LRE	Least Restrictive Environment
CAHSEE	California High School Exit Exam	MH	Multihandicapped  (preschool only)
CASEMIS	California Special Education Management Information System	NCLB	No Child Left Behind
CCS	California Children’s Services	NON-CAT	Non-Categorical
CDS	Community Day School	NPA	Non-Public Agency
CELDT	California English Language Development Test	NPS	Non Public School
CMA	California Modified Assessment	OHI	Other Health Impaired
CDE	California Department of Education	OI	Orthopedically Impaired
CMH	Community Memorial Hospital	OT	Occupational Therapy
CST	California State Testing	PT	Physical Therapy
CWA	Child Welfare and Attendance	RTI	Response to Intervention
D/HH	Deaf/Hard of Hearing	RSP	Resource Program
DIS	Designated Instruction	SAI	Specialized Academic Instruction
DB	Deaf-Blind	SARB	School Attendance Review Board
DRDP	Desired Results Developmental Profile	SDC	Special Day Class
ED	Emotionally Disturbed	SELPA	Special Education Local Plan Area
EIC	Early Intervention Center	SLD	Specific Learning Disabled
EMD	Established Medical Disability	SLI	Speech/Language Impaired
EL	English Learner	SLP	Speech/Language Pathologist
ELA	English Language Arts	SSID	Statewide Student Identifier
ESL	English as a Second Language	SST	Student Study Team
ESY	Extended School Year	STAR	Standardized Testing & Reporting
FAA	Functional Analysis Assessment	TBI	Traumatic Brain Injury
FBA	Functional Behavior Assessment	VI	Visually Impaired

 

California Department of Education

Tri-Counties Regional Center

Ventura County Office of Education

Ventura County Special Education Local Plan (SELPA)

For Parents of Special Education Students

Para Padres de Estudiantes en Education Especial

SELPA Community Advisory Committee Newsletter

Ventura County SELPA Revised Local Plan

Ventura Unified School District provides a full continuum of services for special needs students residing in the District. It also is a multi-district server for certain disabilities, for districts on the west end of Ventura County. These include programs for students with Emotional Disturbance and students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.

The way Special Education student services are being reported to the State has changed, with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Historically, programs were referred to as "Special Day Classes (SDC)" or "Resource Specialist Programs (RSP)". Students who required more than half the school day in a Special Education setting were classified SDC and less than half the day, were classified as RSP. These classifications are no longer being used. Instead, the primary Special Education service is being described as "Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI)". The I.E.P.'s will indicate the amount of time a student requires SAI in terms of daily minutes. This new approach allows more flexible service delivery and ultimately benefits the individual students. Once a student is eligible for Special Education, and the primary service of SAI is indicated on the I.E.P., the student may also be eligible for related services to support that Special Education placement (Speech/Language Therapy; Adapted P.E.; Occupational Therapy, etc.).

Primary Services 
 There are four Primary Services, at least one of which must be listed first on a student's IEP: 
 

• Specialized Academic Instruction - Based on the evaluation and determination of the IEP team, this service may be received while in the regular education classroom, or in a separate room on a regular campus Some students will spend the majority of their time in the regular education classroom and be pulled out to a separate room for instruction by a special education teacher for a short part of the day. Others may spend the majority of their day in a separate classroom where they will receive specialized academic instruction, also from a credentialed special education teacher. In some less common circumstances, students may spend their entire day in the regular education classroom with their curriculum adapted and modified by the regular education teacher, with or without assistance from the special education teacher. The type, duration, and frequency of the service(s) is determined by the IEP team. 
   
• Speech and Language - Remedial intervention for eligible individuals with difficulty understanding or using spoken language. Services may include specialized instruction and services, monitoring, reviewing, and consultation. They may be direct or indirect, including the use of a speech consultant. 
   
• Intensive Individualized Instruction - Student requires additional support for all or part of the day, usually for additional paraprofessional support. 
   
• Individual and Small Group Instruction (Preschoolers only) - Instruction delivered one-to-one or in a small group as specified in an IEP enabling the individual(s) to participate effectively in the total school program. 

Related Services 
 
Related Services are any services, which are necessary to assist an eligible student to benefit from his or her Special Education placement. In order to receive these services, a student must first be eligible as a student who requires special education under one of the 14 listed handi-capping conditions, and has been assigned to at least one of the primary services listed above. 
 
Related services include: 
  

Adapted Physical Education Assistive Technology Services Audiological Services Behavior Intervention Services Braille Transcription Counseling and Guidance Health and Nursing - other services Individual Counseling Interpreter Services Note Taking Services Occupational Therapy (OT) Orientation and Mobility Services Other Special Education/Related Services

Parent Counseling Psychological Services Physical Therapy (PT) Recreation Services Residential Treatment Services Social Work Services Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Specialized Orthopedic Services Specialized Physical Health Care Services Specialized Services-Low  Incidence Disabilities Specialized Vision Services Transcription Services Travel Training

 

Adapted Physical Education - Direct physical education services provided by an adapted physical education specialist to pupils who have needs that cannot be adequately satisfied in other physical education programs and who may not safely, successfully or meaningfully engage in unrestricted participation in the vigorous activities of the general or modified physical education program.

Assistive Technology Services - Any specialized training or technical support for the incorporation of assistive devices, adapted computer technology or specialized media with the educational programs to improve access for students.  

Audiological Services - Include measurements of acuity, monitoring amplification, and use of Frequency Modulations (FM) systems.

Braille Transcription - Any transcription services to convert materials from print to Braille.  It may include textbooks, tests, worksheets, or anything necessary for instruction.  The transcriber should be qualified in English Braille as well as Nemeth Code (mathematics) and be certified by appropriate agency.

Counseling and Guidance - Counseling in a group setting, provided by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP typically in social skills development. Guidance services include interpersonal, intrapersonal or family interventions, performed in an individual or group setting by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP.

Health and Nursing - Other Services - Services provided when a student has health problems which require nursing intervention beyond basic school health services.

Individual Counseling - One-to-one counseling, provided by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP.

Interpreter Services - Sign language interpretation of spoken language to individuals whose communication is normally sign language, by a qualified sign language interpreter.

Note Taking Services - Specialized assistance given to the student for the purpose of taking notes when the student in unable to do so independently. This may include, but is not limited to, copies of notes taken by another student, transcription of tape-recorded information from a class, or aide designated to take notes.

Occupational Therapy (OT) - Services to improve a student's educational performance including postural stability, self-help abilities, sensory processing and organization, environmental adaptations, use of assistive devices, motor planning and coordination, visual perception and integration, social and play abilities, and fine motor abilities. Both direct and indirect services may be provided within the classroom, other educational settings or the home; in a group or on an individual basis.

Orientation and Mobility Services -Training for students with visual impairments to develop skills to enable them to travel safely and independently around the school and in the community.

Other Special Education/Related Services - Any other specialized service required for a student with a disability to receive educational benefit.

Parent Counseling - Individual or group counseling provided by a qualified individual to assist the parent(s) of special education students in better understanding and meeting their child's needs; may include parent skills.

Psychological Services - These services provided by a credentialed or licensed psychologist may include:  

• Interpreting assessment results
• Obtaining and interpreting information about child behavior and conditions related to learning
• Planning programs of individual and group counseling and guidance services for children and parents

Physical Therapy (PT) - Includes, but is not limited to therapy for motor control and coordination, posture and balance, self-help, functional mobility, accessibility and use of assistive devices. Services may be provided within the classroom, other educational settings or in the home; and may occur in groups or individually.

Recreation Services - Therapeutic recreation and specialized instructional programs designed to assist pupils to become as independent as possible in leisure activities.

Residential Treatment Services - 24-hour out-of-home placement that provides intensive therapeutic services to support the educational program.

Social Work Services - Includes, but not limited to, preparing a social or developmental history of a child with a disability; group and individual counseling with the child and family; working with those problems in a child's living situation (home, school, and community) that affect the child's adjustment in school; and mobilizing school and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program.

Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services - Services may include speech reading, auditory training and/or instruction in the student's mode of communication, provided by a qualified specialist. May include adapting curricula, methods, and the learning environment; and special consultation to students, parents, teachers, and other school personnel.

Specialized Orthopedic Services - Specially designed instruction related to the unique needs of students with orthopedic disabilities, including specialized materials and equipment.

Specialized Physical Health Care Services - Health services prescribed by the child's licensed physician or surgeon, requiring medically related training of the individual who performs the services that are necessary during the school day to enable the child to attend school.

Specialized Services for Low Incidence Disabilities - Low incidence services are defined as those provided to the population of students who are: orthopedically impaired (OI), visually impaired (VI), deaf, hard of hearing (HH), or deaf-blind (DB). Typically, services are provided in education settings by a qualified itinerant teacher/specialist.

Specialized Vision Services - Includes assessment of functional vision and curriculum modifications including Braille, large type and aural media. Also includes instruction in areas of need such as concept development and academic skills, communication skills (including alternative modes of reading and writing), social, emotional, career, vocational, and independent living skills.

Transcription Services - Any transcription service to convert materials from print to a mode of communication suitable for the student. This may also include dictation services as it may pertain to textbooks, tests, worksheets, or anything necessary for instruction.

Travel Training - Training a student in use of public transportation and community.

DATES/TIMES
September 22, 2023, 9:00 - 11:00, Christa McAuliffe Room
October 20, 2023, 9:00 - 11:00,  Zoom
December 1, 2023, 9:00 - 11:00, Christa McAuliffe Room
January 26, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00, Zoom
February 23, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00, Christa McAuliffe Room
March 22, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00,  Zoom
April 26, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00,  Zoom
May 31, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00, Christa McAuliffe Room

Terms Of Use

Contact Us

255 W. Stanley Avenue, #100
Ventura, California 93001
805.641-5000

District Staff

Neil Virani
Executive Director x1123

Nick Vlahos
Deputy Director x1132

Diana Montes
Senior Administrative Specialist x1123

Eva Gehn
District Translator x1128

Roxanne Sonnenschein
Data Specialist I x1124

Lisa Jacobs
Senior Office Assistant x1119 

Tiffany Lindstrom
Senior Office Assistant x1125

Ember Wyman
Senior Office Assistant x1127

 

Program Specialists

Marcel Harner
Coordinator
Early Intervention Center

Sarah Rodriguez
Program Specialist
Moderate/Severe K-12

Tamme Koehn
Program Specialist
Autism, x2905

Angalyce Turner
Program Specialist
Emotionally Disturbed Disabilities

Danielle DeChellis
Program Specialist
Mild/Moderate Disabilities, x1132

Marcie Ball
Program Specialist
Deaf/Hard of Hearing 6-12

 

Educational Therapeutic & Behavioral Services

Katie McKarrell
Director

Behavior Team		Licensed Clinicians
Jessica Bae Board Certified Behavior Analyst Bailey Iannolo Board Certified Behavior Analyst Elizabeth Keane Board Certified Behavior Analyst Dena Kocher Board Certified Behavior Analyst Manuel Morales Board Certified Behavior Analyst Mariah Satnick Board Certified Behavior Analyst Jamie Vaughn Board Certified Behavior Analyst		Yuridia Barillas Associate Clinician Andrea Chavez Associate Clinician Nicole Cortes Associate Clinician Johanna Fernandez Associate Clinician Heather Gisler Associate Clinician Jennifer Guardado Associate Clinician Elizabeth Keane Associate Clinician Keegan Pittman Associate Clinician Leticia Rodriguez Associate Clinician Euciane Walden Associate Clinician

 

Transition Partnership Program and Workability

Malcolm McNeil
Career Development Specialist
Transition Partnership x1366

Alana Ridgway
Work Based Learning Coordinator
Transition Partnership, x1129