Special Education
McDuffie County Schools provides services to students with disabilities in a continuum of educational environments from regular class placement with special services in students' home schools to full day programs in specialized facilities. Students receive evaluations in all suspected areas of disability. The Individual Education Program (IEP) determines the type and degree of required services. Students and parents are afforded all due process procedural safeguards as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA).
Special Education is a Service- Not a Place
The purpose of special education parallels the purpose of elementary, middle and secondary education as a whole: to prepare children to lead productive lives as citizens and members of the community. Students who have disabilities often need special education services to develop skills for participating in the community as productive and contributing citizens and taxpayers. Participation as a learner, contributor and consumer in school lays the foundations for being a learner, contributor and consumer as an adult. The age-appropriate general education class is the first placement of choice for all students, including those who have been identified as needing an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Child Find/Child Serve project aims to identify children between birth and age 21 with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities presently in and out of school.
Special education programs and/or services are provided for students with disabilities who require a specially designed instructional program. Services are available for students in grades K-12. Resource programs, self-contained programs, collaborative services, and consultative services with regular education are available based on the needs of the student.
Students are identified in the areas of disability as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Related services are provided for school-age children when recommended by the Special Education Placement Committee. Services include occupational therapy, physical therapy, and orientation & mobility.
Disability Categories Defined Under IDEA
- Specific Learning Disability
- Emotional and Behavior Disorder
- Intellectual Disability
- Autism
- Other Health Impairment
- Speech/Language Impairment
- Visual Impairment
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- Deaf-Blind
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Significant Developmental Delay
At the secondary level, work experience is available to students with disabilities through the Community-Based Vocational Instructional Program or the Work-Study Program.
Students experiencing severe emotional/behavioral problems may receive services through the Sand Hills Psychoeducational Program, which offers intensive therapeutic classes for promoting social/emotional growth and developing more appropriate behaviors, as well as academic subjects.
Students experiencing severe emotional/behavioral problems may receive services through the Sand Hills Psychoeducational Program, which offers intensive therapeutic classes for promoting social/emotional growth and developing more appropriate behaviors, as well as academic subjects.