Special Education Services
Paradise Schools’ Exceptional Student Services department oversees programming for students with disabilities and maintains compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Paradise Schools provides a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal statutes and regulations.
Special Education
To qualify as a student with a disability under IDEA, a child must be of school age, in need of specially-designed instruction, and must meet the eligibility criteria for one or more of the following physical or mental disabilities, as set forth in the Arizona Revised Statutes: autism; developmental delay; emotional disability; hearing impairment; other health impairment; specific learning disability; mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability; multiple disabilities; multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment; orthopedic impairment; speech/language; impairment; traumatic brain injury; and visual impairment. Paradise Schools engages in identification procedures to ensure that eligible students receive FAPE, including special education and related services, individualized to meet student needs. To identify students who
may be eligible for special education, various screening activities are conducted on an ongoing basis. These screening activities include a review of data (cumulative records, enrollment records, health records, report cards, and achievement test scores), hearing and vision screenings, and speech/language screenings. Students who struggle academically or behaviorally may be referred to the school’s Intervention Team for pre-referral interventions. When screening or pre-referral intervention results suggest that a student may have a disability, the school’s special education team seeks parental consent to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Parents who suspect their child may have a disability may request a multidisciplinary evaluation by submitting a request to the school psychologist or administration.
When a student is identified as eligible for special education, the school’s Special Education Multidisciplinary Team will develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in order to identify the student’s needs for special education and related services. At least annually, the student’s IEP will be reviewed and revised. At least triennially, the student will be re-evaluated to determine if he/she still meets the eligibility criteria as a student with a disability in need of specially designed instruction.
Paradise Schools provides special education services to all eligible students in the Least Restrictive Environment and in alignment with their individual needs. Paradise Schools provides specially designed instruction in academic and behavioral strategies, itinerant vision and hearing services, speech therapy services, occupational therapy services, physical therapy services, counseling services, and other required Related Services for the student to benefit from the special education program.
