Special Education
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 DoDEA Special Education
*
 Communication Impaired Program
*
 Information for Parents
*
 Learning Disabilities Program
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 Special Education Process
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 Emotionally Impaired Program
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 Services Available at Aukamm ES
 
 
 
DoDEA Special Education
* In compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and DoD Instruction 1342.12, DoDDS provides a free and appropriate public education to all special education students to ensure that students with disabilities develop to their greatest potential.
* Special education services are provided to eligible students from 3 through 21 years of age.
 
Information for Parents
* An overview of special education and related links is provided by DoDDS-Europe.
* "Partners in Education: A Parent Guide" provides information about special education within DoDDS.
* "Parent Rights and Responsibilities" lists the rights/responsibilities of parents throughout the special education process.
* "OCONUS Directory" describes the services available in various schools/communities.
* "Military Homefront: Special Needs/EFMP " (external link) provides families and those who support the families with access to information on numerous military and community resources. There is information on eligibility criteria, forms, military issues, and family stories/connections.
* "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services" (OSERS) dedicates itself to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.
* Parents are encouraged to contact the special education teacher, the Speech/Language Therapist, the counselor, or the principal for additional information regarding special education services at Aukamm. Incoming parents may e-mail the principal and the message will be forwarded to the appropriate teacher.
   
Informational Websites (External Links)
* Schwab Learning is a "Parents' Guide for Helping Kids with Learning Difficulties"
* LD Online has information on learning disabilities for parents, teachers, and other professionals
   
 
Special Education Process - A Brief Review
* The teacher or parent requests a conference about a child who appears to be struggling in school. This includes academic tasks, emotional/behavioral situations, language usage, or speech production.
* The teacher and parent hold a conference to discuss the child and generate strategies on how to help him/her in school. These strategies are implemented at school and/or home. This initiates the special education pre-referral stage.
* If the child continues to have difficulty, the teacher or parent may complete the paperwork for a formal referral to special education. If a teacher makes the referral, the parent is notified.
* The parent is invited to a meeting with school personnel (classroom teacher, special education teacher, principal, counselor, and possibly other school personnel) to review the referral.
* If the referral is accepted, an assessment plan is created. This lists the educators who will be assessing the child and what assessment (e.g., articulation test, observation) will be conducted.
* Once all of the assessments are completed, a meeting will be held with the parent to discuss the results. The child will be declared "eligible" for special education or "not eligible" for special education.
* If the child is "eligible" one more meeting will be scheduled to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the child. This document lists the services to be provided, how frequently, and what goals/objectives will be worked on.
* The child begins receiving special education services.
 
Services Available at Aukamm ES
* Aukamm provides services for students with Communication Impairments, Learning Disabilities, and Emotional Impairments for students in grades K-5.
* Preschool age students living in Aukamm Village who are eligible for Preschool Services for Students with Disabilities (PSCD) will receive services from/at Hainerberg Elementary School.
* For information on special education for other students (e.g., visually impaired, hearing impaired, autistic) please contact the Heidelberg DSO Special Education Coordinator via the Superintendent.
 
Communication Impaired Program (Speech and Language Therapy)
* The current speech/language pathologist (SLP) is qualified to provide therapy for students with special needs in the area of communication skills.
* The SLP provides services for disabilities or delays in articulation, language development, voice and fluency. Needs are identified through assessment and are addressed through individually designed goals and objectives on the IEP.
* Services may be provided in the Speech/Language room (in small group sessions), in the General Education classroom, or a combination of both. This is determined at an IEP meeting with the parents.
* The SLP will also be available to consult with parents and classroom teachers of non-special education students.
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The following sites (all external) may be useful to parents:
  http://www.helpforkidsspeech.com
  http://www.kiddyhouse.com/worksheets
  http://www.asha.org/default.htm
 
Learning Disabilities Program ("Resource Room")
* The current teacher (LD teacher) for students with learning impairments is qualified to teach students with mild to severe learning impairments as well as emotional impairments.
* The LD teacher provides supplementary instruction in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral areas. The primary focus is to improve and enhance a student's educational abilities.
* Services may be in the Resource Room, in the General Education Room, or a combination of both. This is determined at an IEP meeting with parents.
* The LD teacher will also be available to consult with parents and classroom teachers of non-special education students.
 
Emotionally Impaired Program
* The current teacher (EI teacher) for students with emotional impairments is qualified to teach students with emotional impairments as well as mild to severe learning impairments.
* The EI teacher provides additional instruction and support in the emotional and behavioral areas.
* Services may be in the Resource Room, in the General Education Room, or a combination of both. This is determined at an IEP meeting with parents.
* The EI teacher will also be available to consult with parents and classroom teachers of non-special education students. This includes consultations regarding students in need of a behavior management program or "work contract" (e.g., work habits, attention skills, impulsivity).