Special Education
The individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires all school districts to locate, evaluate, and provide services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children between the ages of birth and 21, who may have a disability. This process of locating and evaluating children with disabilities is referred to as “Child Find.” A parent, staff member, student or outside person may refer a child for potential identification.
If you have a child or know of a child that you believe may be eligible for and in need of special education services, please contact one of the following:
Junction City Area Early Intervention ~ Early Childhood Special Education Program
Infants/Toddlers (Birth-2) and Three to Five Year Olds ~ Contact EC Cares Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Program at 541-346-2578.
Junction City School District Special Education Program
School Age Children (5-21) ~ Contact the school where the child attends, ask to speak to the special education teacher or contact the Special Programs Director at 541-998-6311 x5621.
Referral Process:
A school staff member, parent or student may refer a student (ages 5-21) for special education identification. Usually the student’s regular education teacher has conducted a variety of interventions with the student prior to the referral.
Evaluation Process:
A meeting is scheduled which the parent is invited to attend, to determine if an evaluation for special education should be considered. If it is determined that an evaluation needs to be conducted, the parent must provide written permission for the evaluation and is a participant in determining the types of evaluations needed. The timeframe for an evaluation is 60 school days or less after parental consent is received.
An evaluation may consist of some of the following measures:
File review of the student’s academic grades, state assessment scores, behavior, academic assessments, observations of the student in the school setting, assessments of the student’s receptive and expressive language ability, assessments of functional living skills, developmental history, fine and gross motor abilities.
This is not an exhaustive list; these are just some examples of assessments that the special education team (of which the parent is a part) may determine are appropriate to evaluate a student for special education services. The evaluation team may also request or need information from the student’s physician as well.
Individuals who conduct the needed evaluations are specifically trained in their areas of expertise and hold all the necessary licensure to provide the services. Evaluation staff may consist of the following professionals:
School Psychologist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Autism Consultant, Special Education Teacher, Occupational Therapist and/or Physical Therapist
Eligibility Process:
A meeting is scheduled with the parent to review the evaluation results. The Special Education Team (parent is a member) may determine that the student meets eligibility requirements for special education, and that the student requires specially designed instruction. If the child is found eligible, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is written by the team to specify services to the child. Once the IEP has been developed, then placement is determined.
Helpful Resources for families:
Parent Rights for Special Education
Community Partners and Agencies (Oregon Department of Human Services: Intellectual/Development Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.)
Shared Decision Making Resources (for when students are 18 and older)
Oregon Department of Human Services : Vocational Rehabilitation Youth Services : VR Youth Services : State of Oregon The Youth Transition Program (YTP) is a partnership between the JCSD and Vocational Rehabilitation. The purpose of YTP is prepare students with disabilities for employment or career-related postsecondary education or training. YTP brings year-round, coordinated transition services to students across the state of Oregon. In order for students to access YTP, they must be enrolled in a school district with a YTP contract at the time they enter YTP.
Tax Exemption for Parents of Children with Disabilities