Special Education

What is Special Education?

Special Education is specialized instruction given to a student because of a disability that adversely affects his/her educational performance.

Special Education is governed through two laws. At the Federal level it is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The re-authorized law

went into effect July 1, 2005. At the State level, the regulations are called the Exceptional Child Education Act. (ECEA)

Both of the laws provide for:

            • Identification of students with disabilities from Birth-21

            • Appropriate Services from ages 3-21

            • Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

            • Specially designed program to meet a student’s unique needs (IEP)

 

Categories of Special Education

A student may be determined eligible for services under the following categories:

            • Significant Limited Intellectual Capacity (Mental Disability)

            • Significant Identifiable Emotional Disability

            • Specific Learning Disability

            • Speech/Language Disability

            • Preschool Child with a Disability

            • Other Physical Disability

                      • Autism

                 • Traumatic Brain Injury

                          ADHD, ADD

            • Multiple Disabilities with Cognitive Impairment

                 • Deaf-Blind

            • Vision Disability

       • Hearing Disability

 

Special Education Staff

Estes Park Elementary School

Estes Park High School

Early Childhood

Linda Bensey

Grades 9 - 12

David Neubert

Grades K-5

Cale Whicker

Grades 9 - 12

Caitlin Hammer

Grades K-5

Carmen Middleton

    
 

Estes Park Middle School

District Wide

Grades 6 - 7

Ashley Murphy

Audiologist

 Nancy Alexander

Grades 7 - 8

Sundee Pietsch

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Joyce Best
   

Occupational Therapy

Linda Hanak
   

Physical Therapy

Annie Slack / Alana Yerman
   

School Psychologist

Claudia Menard
   

Speech/Language Therapist

  Kim Anderson