Special Education

Special Education

Mary Harold, Preschool Special Needs Supervisor, Pike & Ross Counties

Tim McManus, Special Education Supervisor – Pike County

Lori Lowe, Special Education Supervisor – Ross County

Donna Minnix, Special Education Supervisor – Ross County

Barb Seigneur, Special Education Supervisor – Ross County

The Ross-Pike County ESD is committed to the provision of free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities identified in accordance with applicable State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations.  

The Special Education Supervisors work closely with the local school districts and coordinate the special education within Ross and Pike counties according to state and federal compliance.

The Ross-Pike County ESD operates numerous special education classes, while also providing supervisor services to our client districts.  The ESD assures that school administrators, teachers, staff, and parents are well informed regarding state and federal guidelines.  In addition, numerous related services are available through the ESD for children with disabilities.  These services are customized to meet the needs of the child and include occupational and physical therapy, psychological services, speech and language therapy, etc.  Interpreter and note-taking services are provided to those students with hearing impairments, PK-12, throughout the two counties in the classroom setting.

The school-age psychologists maintain updated psychological assessments on all identified students in the districts and the MRDD program.  The psychologists also provide assistance with evaluations of students having learning difficulties who are not identified.  The preschool psychologists evaluate children, ages 3-5, with suspected delays in cognitive, communication, adaptive, motor, visual, hearing, and/or social-emotional delays.

The speech therapists are available to the local school districts to conduct speech evaluations and provide therapy services to children needing expressive and receptive communication skills and language development.  The preschool therapists serve students with special needs at all center-based preschool sites, Head Start, home and day care settings.

Interpreter and note-taking services are provided to those students with hearing impairments, PK-12, throughout the two counties in the classroom setting.

Paraprofessionals consist of educational aides as well as student-based assistants.

Goals:

• To provide school administrators, special education teachers, regular education staff and parents information about State and Federal mandates regarding special education programs and related services for children with disabilities (birth-21 years of age).
• To provide a comprehensive and integrated plan for the delivery of pupil personnel and special education services.
• To provide programming, professional development, methods and strategies for teachers and parents, materials and resources for serving students with special needs.