Low Incidence Services

About

Low Incidence services are provided to individuals with disabilities from birth to 22 who have been identified with hearing, vision, orthopedic or combination thereof. Our goal is to assist students in order to access education and inclusion in school, home and community settings. Staff work collaboratively with parents, care providers, educators, and other professionals who serve these individuals. Services are determined according to student program placement and individual need based on IEP requirements.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH)

An itinerant resource program provides support for students who are hard of hearing whose loss affects their learning ability. Integral DHH services include: consultation to support the student and school staff for successful mainstreaming; liaison; between family, medical community, school, and in-service for peers and staff. Direct services focus on Language Arts, and can include classroom interpreters, note takers and tutoring. Assistive devices are available to students as needed. Parent support and education are central to the infant program. Services for infants include a combination of home based and group sessions for children and parents. The communication philosophy supports each families goals for their child’s needs, with strong support given to American Sign Language as the ideal for signing students.

Orthopedically Impaired (OI)

Eligibility for the OI program is dependent upon a medical diagnosis, which adversely affects educational performance. Some conditions resulting in severe orthopedic impairments include cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries and head trauma. Normal physical development, movement and daily living activities may be significantly restricted. Staff provide direct educational service, collaborate with other specialists including speech, physical and occupational therapists, provide ability awareness to peers and staff, and stay current with best practices and new innovations in adaptive equipment and state of the art technology.

Orientation and Mobility Specialist

Instructs students with visual impairments in the development of skills and knowledge that enable them to travel independently, to the highest degree possible.

Speech & Language Therapy

Speech and Language Pathologists provide an array of services for students and Families in the Early Start program, and provide contracted services for districts throughout the county. These services include assisting with articulation challenges, language development, and communication strategies. SLPs provide direct services individually and in small groups to facilitate social interaction, training to school staff and work with teams to identify and provide alternative communication devices and assistive technology.

Visually Impaired (VI)

As part of the inclusive education, staff instructs students with visual impairments to learn all or part of the routines in which their peers engage. Increasing awareness of their world, instruction in self-advocacy, daily living skills, classroom and school activities, and improving self-esteem are emphasized. Students succeed academically with Braille instruction, materials in large print, audiotapes and adaptive equipment to access the core curriculum. Staff work with parents regarding coping strategies, other agency and medical contacts, and transition planning which pave the way toward their independence and success as adults.