Please select a sub item from "Special Services" for more information.

 

All children who are at the South Dakota School for the Deaf (SDSD) are on an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP) and served by the special education team. The special education team consists of Program Specialist, Special Education Teachers, Audiologist, Speech Language Pathologist, School Health Nurse, Educational Psychologist, Transition Specialist and Outreach. This team serves all of the children at SDSD, as well as, children across the state through outreach and by evaluating children through the external evaluation process.

 

The majority of the special education team members provide direct service to children at SDSD within the classroom, as well as, providing evaluation/assessment for the internal and external evaluation process resulting in comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation reports. The information from these reports along with a functional assessment is used in developing appropriate plans so that children can progress in the educational program.

 

Children are identified through child-find activities, audiologist and birth to three programs. The children are referred from birth to 3 programs, their local school districts, or hospitals to SDSD. Once children fail a newborn screening, parents are informed that further audiological evaluations should occur. If a child is identified through an audiologist, that child is referred to the local school district for special education or special education and related services. SDSD collaborates with local educational authorities to provide services to their children as determined by Individual Service Family Plan (ISFP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP) process or 504 plans.

 

SDSD utilizes the system for identification, location and evaluation of deaf and hard of hearing children in need of an educational program and related services. The system includes all children residing within the jurisdiction of the state ages birth through twenty-one regardless of the severity of their hearing loss. The primary responsibility for the identification of students who are deaf or hard of hearing lies with the local public school. Local school districts needing assistance in providing service are responsible for the referral of all deaf and hard of hearing children of proper age to SDSD. This includes local school districts that are out of state and/or private school districts.

 

Students are eligible for three types of referrals to SDSD: placement, evaluations, and consultation. Students may be referred to SDSD by parents, local school districts, audiologists, health professionals or others. If the initial referral comes from other than a local school district, often called the Local Education Agency (LEA), that referral is redirected back to the LEA of residence for the family whose child has been referred.

 

When the SDSD Superintendent receives a request for placement from the LEA superintendent, that referral is passed on to the SDSD Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), which includes outreach staff. All relevant data regarding the student is collected from all possible sources and the MDT team makes a recommendation for the student’s placement and related services.

 

The MDT makes a referral to the SDSD superintendent after a review of the child’s records. While the recommendation typically identifies type and degree of services, the recommendation may not recommend placement. All placement recommendations must pass through this process prior to enrollment.

 

Students are accepted on a short term evaluation placement, which is a 45-day evaluation period in which informal or formal evaluation can occur as determined by the placement committee which includes the MDT, parents and the local education agency in keeping with the guidelines of the IFSP or IEP. At the conclusion of the 45-day period, the parents/guardians, LEA representative(s) and the SDSD staff meets to decide upon specific goals and objectives to be included in the IFSP or IEP whether the child is admitted or not to SDSD.

 

South Dakota School for the Deaf has established and implements procedures for the development, review and revision of educational programs at SDSD for all students who receive some or their entire educational program at SDSD. This includes general procedures, determination of related services, vocational education services, transition services and graduation requirements as a function of the IEP process.

 

South Dakota School for the Deaf firmly believes that it is important for parents, the local school district and each individual student to work with SDSD faculty and staff to develop appropriate goals and objectives based on the student’s needs. Frequently other parties to the student’s program are invited to be involved with any additional planning. The student themselves are encouraged to participate in the planning whenever appropriate.

 

Teaching SDSD students to live and work successfully and independently in the community is part of the school’s role and mission. SDSD students will be given opportunities to practice their acquired skills within the community settings and not be limited to the school environment alone.