• Lunch accommodations
• Accommodations in assembly attendance
• Physical accommodations for communication, ambulation
and any problems such as sensitivity to light
• Longer time taking tests
Before your child reenters school full-time, plan for a few visits
to the school with the child, this will allow the child to get
reacquainted with his or her classmates and build anticipation
for the full time return. Also, these visits will help you and the
school to determine if there will be a need to relocate classes
and to determine if the student is going to have trouble getting
around the building. This will allow the school to plan for
accommodations. For example, one child in a central Kentucky
school is allowed extra time to get to classes because of the trouble
in walking.
If you have any concerns, contact your child’s teacher. If the
teacher cannot address the situation, work with the Exceptional
Student Education director to make sure that all of your concerns
are being adequately addressed.
Pam Masters is a school psychologist in Bullitt County, Kentucky
RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION
US Department of Education
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates
that all schools provide all the educational needs for children with
disabilities. The following are key points of IDEA:
• States are required to provide free, appropriate education
for all children
• This education is to be provided in the least restrictive
environment available
• They are to provide children with an Individualized
Educational Plan (IEP)
• They will provide children with highly qualified special
education teachers.
Contacting the US Department of Education
US Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202-7100
1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327)
www.ed.gov
Click on the tab “Parents,” then under “My child has special
needs” to get more information.
Kentucky Department of Education
If you are unsure who to speak to at your child’s school in order
to get them ready to return to school, contact the Kentucky
Department of Education at the address below. They will be happy
to help you get in contact with the appropriate persons at your
child’s school.
To contact the Kentucky Department of Education
Elementary and Secondary Education
Kentucky Department of Education
2 Hudson Hollow Rd
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-3141
(502) 564-4770
http://www.kde.state.ky.us/KDE
1. Instructional Resources
• Links to Kentucky Schools and School Districts
For facts about the education system, see Kentucky
Education Facts page on the department’s website.
This offers links to school and district Web sites, contact
information for every school and district. Most of
Kentucky’s schools and districts have web sites that
contain school year calendars, personnel, and phone
numbers. For more information, call (502) 564-4770.
• Division of Exceptional Children Services
addresses the provision of appropriate instruction and
related services for students with disabilities. Each local
school district provides special education and related
services. For more information, call (502) 564-4770.
• Advanced Placement program for high school students
includes information regarding College Board Advanced
Placement courses and credit; the Commonwealth Diploma;
dual credit and dual-enrollment courses; Kentucky Virtual
High School Advanced Placement courses, online course
scholarships and AP exam fee waivers. For more
information, call toll free: 1-866-432-0008.
2. Student & Family Support
Resources to help students and families address instructional
challenges, particularly those barriers affecting students with
special needs.
• Extended School Services (ESS) program is a proactive
program designed to assist individual students who are
having difficulty in one or more content areas. ESS funds
are allocated to every school district. For more information,
call (502) 564-4772.
• Safe & Drug Free Schools and Communities
(SDFSC) program provides funding to local school districts
in an effort to support substance abuse and violence
reduction programming. For more information call (502)
564-4770.
C
C
Children/Teen Services
46 2020-2022 BIAK Resource Journal
/www.ed.gov
/KDE