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Special Education

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The Douglas County School District Special Education Department provides instructional and programming support and professional development to 85 school sites. Services are provided to approximately 7,000 students district-wide by approximately 1,225 special educators, related service providers, and educational assistants. 

Universal and targeted special education support and services are delivered at all school sites within the framework of moderate needs support and itinerant services. Itinerant services include mental health, speech-language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, vision, deaf hard of hearing, and audiology.

Douglas County Schools also provides an intensive level of support in center-based programs for students who experience significant support needs, serious emotional disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, and autism.  Center-based programming is designed to enable students to build the skills required to access and make progress in the general curriculum/environment to the fullest extent possible.

Special Education Main Line: 303-387-0078

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Looking for information related to Section 504 for students? Click Here

 

Universal Services

Universal special education services are afforded to all students who are eligible for special education services as identified in the student’s Individualized Education Program. Universal services may include:

  • Moderate needs support: An individualized service delivery model that primarily utilizes inclusive practices through a combination of special education support provided in the general classroom environment and/or special education support provided outside the general classroom environment.

  • Direct itinerant support: This may include mental health, speech-language, and occupational therapy interventions provided in the general classroom environment and/or special education support provided outside the general classroom environment.

  • Indirect itinerant support: This consists of primarily consultative services provided by mental health, speech- language, and occupational therapy service providers.

  • Instructional/environmental accommodations & modifications

  • State assessment accommodations

  • Individualized instructional practices

  • Small group services/interventions

  • Individual goal setting and progress monitoring

 

Targeted Services

The continuum of special education services (universal, targeted, intensive) is designed to ensure that students are able to access and make progress in the general curriculum. Service delivery is driven by student need and subject to change as the student makes progress towards goals and objectives and is served in the least restrictive environment.