Columbia

Local Schools

Special Education

Special Education Services

Welcome to the Pupil Services webpage for the Columbia Local School District. This webpage is to serve as a resource for parents, staff and students with regard to Columbia’s special education programs.

Approximately 10% of the Columbia Local School District student population has been identified with one or more disabilities and are provided with a free, appropriate public education in accordance with federal and state regulations. Special education and related services are provided to
eligible students with a disability that has an adverse effect on educational performance for ages three through twenty-one years.

Special education and related services are determined through a differential referral process of Response to Intervention (RTI), an Intervention Assistance Team (IAT), the Evaluation Team Report (ETR) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) team processes.

In accordance with federal and state laws,
"…to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled. Removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment is permitted only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in the regular classes, with the use of supplementary aids and services, cannot be achieved satisfactorily."

A full continuum of special education service delivery exists in meeting the individualized needs of students with disabilities.

Different types of educational environments available to students with disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Regular classes, consultation between the general education staff by an intervention specialist
Special classes with individual and small group instruction provided in resource rooms
Special schools outside the district that are designed specifically for specialized disability needs; separate facilities
Home instruction when the disability prevents the child from attending a regular or special program even with the aid of special transportation
And others as required by students with special needs.

Disability categories that are eligible for special education services include:

· Autism
· Cognitive Disability
· Deaf-Blindness
· Deafness
· Emotional Disturbance
· Hearing Impairment
· Multiple Disabilities
· Orthopedic Impairment
· Other Health Impairment
· Preschool Children with a Disability
· Specific Learning Disability
· Speech or Language Impairment
· Traumatic Brain Injury
· Visual Impairment, Including Blindness

Related Services are support services needed to allow children with disabilities to benefit from special education. These services may include but are not limited to:

· Speech and Language Services
· School Psychology Services
· Occupational Therapy
· Physical Therapy
· Work Study and Transition Services
· Vocational Occupational Special Education Services
· Specialized Transportation