The Watson Chapel School
District's Special Education Department provides a variety of
educational services to students in grades K-12, who have been
identified as having a disability and requiring special education
services. Special education is governed by federal and state law. Under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Special
Education is defined as: "Specially designed instruction, at no cost to
parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability."
Special education is in place to provide additional services,
support, programs, specialized placements or environments to ensure that
all students' educational needs are being met. Students qualifying for
special education services have needs that will often require support
that goes beyond what is normally offered or received in the regular
classroom setting. A child suspected of needing special education
support will usually be referred to the special education department.
Parents, teachers, or both can make referrals for special education.
Watson Chapel School District offers a variety of least restrictive
environments and services for students who qualify for special education
services. The district utilizes Indirect Services, Resource Classroom
Settings, and Self-Contained Classroom Settings. Some of the related
services that we offer include Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and
Physical Therapy.
The Watson Chapel School District employs 14 certified special
education teachers, 2 speech pathologists, 1 special education designee, and 8 paraprofessionals.
Child Find is an ongoing cooperative effort that involves state and
local education agencies, parents, the community, professionals, related
organizations, and private schools. IDEA requires all states to have a
"comprehensive Child Find system" to assure that all children who are in
need of early intervention or special education are located,
identified, and referred. Watson Chapel conducts Child Find Activities
throughout the year.