The
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program provides services to students from birth
through age 22 years old who have hearing losses ranging from mild to profound.
Both the instructional classroom and itinerant services are offered to students
who reside within Merced County school districts.
The DHH classroom is located at Peterson (Allan)
Elementary. The classroom is staffed by a highly qualified teacher, signer
aide, and certified interpreters prepared to meet the needs of Deaf and Hard of
Hearing students grades kindergarten to sixth grade.
A total communication approach that emphasizes all avenues of communication
(speech, speech reading, aural, sign language, fingerspelling, etc.) is used
throughout the instructional day. Students have access to the adopted general
education curriculum and support services. Interdisciplinary
collaboration among all educational team members is crucial in providing the
students with an integrated program. As appropriate, DHOH students are
mainstreamed into the regular education classroom with a certified interpreter
in a designated subject academic area. The DHH program is designed to develop
strong, independent, and individual learners.
The Itinerant IDHOH Program serves students ages birth to 22 years old who receive
services based on their ability to access the general education curriculum
through either direct support or consult model. The
itinerant teachers of the deaf and hearing-impaired have the primary
responsibility for the specialized instruction and services required to meet
the unique needs of students in general education classes with hearing loss.
Eligible students are those whose hearing
loss affects their developmental growth or educational performance to such
an extent that special education and related services are required. Itinerant Services are provided at each
student’s school.
Annette Palmer, Program Director
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The following ECSE programs serve infants and young children with disabilities:
Infant Care Program (GROW)
The Infant Care Program, part of the California Early Start Program, provides services to children from birth to three years of age and to their families. Services are based on an Individualized Family Service Plan that allows for 1-2 days per week of center-based activities, home visits, family training, parent-to-parent support, respite care, nursing, occupational therapy, and transportation. Each family is provided with a service coordinator who coordinates Early Start services. ICP staff works closely with other agencies to facilitate service coordination. Parental involvement is an essential component of the ECSE program.
Jennifer Slatten, Program Coordinator
Preschool Specialist Program (PSP)
The Preschool Specialist Program is an early education program for eligible preschoolers between the ages of three and five. Services are provided to eligible children who need assistance in one or more of the following areas: communication, communication, cognitive/adaptive, academic readiness, gross/fine motor, or social/behavioral. Services include developmental assessment, special instruction, family support, service coordination, and consultation.
Kara Solorio, Program Coordinator
Other ECSE Programs
Other ECSE programs serve children, ages three to six, having disabilities that range from moderate to severe. Services include instruction and therapy in small classes that meet three to four times per week. Home visits are provided for some children as determined by the Individualized Educational Program (IEP) team.
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Students with orthopedic impairments have
a wide range of needs based on the nature and severity of their physical impairments.
Orthopedic impairment is defined by
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as
a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a student’s educational
performance. Primarily, orthopedic impairments involve physical disabilities
which could affect the academic process. An
evaluation is required for a disability to be classified as an orthopedic
impairment. Considering the diversity in
conditions embodied by the orthopedic impairments category,
educational challenges will differ case by case, and the strategies used in
each case should focus on a student’s unique needs.
Many of these students attend regular
classes in their local school districts. The OH teacher travels to the local
school to facilitate the student’s program through consultation and direct
services.
Manuel Cavazos, Program Coordinator
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School psychologist services are available to Merced County’s school districts that wish to contract for these services. These services, particularly assessment and counseling, are critical for the placement of students in Special Education classes, programs, and services. School psychologists also provide important information and support to both teachers and parents/family members regarding the students’ education, living skills and behavior management.
Siobhan Hanna, Program Coordinatorback
Merced County Office of
Education provides nursing services for all special day classes. Nurses have
two primary roles, first as health providers and second as health educators.
They are registered nurses with further specialization in school health care. The school nurse, as the health expert, has an important role
to play as a member of the special education team in evaluating whether a
student has health concerns that are impacting learning and how health barriers
to learning might be reduced. As part of the full and individual evaluation,
the school nurse composes a written report and makes recommendations to the
team regarding necessary health services and other modifications the student
may need. The goal is to ensure students’ health and safety is addressed for
students to receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Maria Duran-Barajas, Program Director
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The Sierra Special Education Program serves students, kindergarten through high school, who meet the state’s seriously emotionally disturbed criteria. MCOE provides services to students who have severe emotional problems that interfere with their educational performance. Physical and mental limitations must be ruled out as the primary reason that a student is not learning in a normal manner. The program emphasizes social skills training and interagency collaboration, including the Merced County Mental Health Department.
Siobhan Hanna, Program Coordinator
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The Merced County Office of
Education operates TABS classes at various locations throughout the county. The
classes are designed to meet the relatively low incidence of special education
needs of students ages birth to 22 years old whose disabilities are severe,
including those with multiple handicapping conditions and intellectual
disabilities.
Placement decisions are based on such factors as the
student’s age, educational needs, parental perspectives regarding the instructional
setting, and whether there are medical conditions or needs for specialized
equipment and services which might preclude appropriate placement on a particular
school site. The primary goal is the development of independent living skills
to the fullest degree possible.
Annette Palmer, Program Director back
Speech and Language Services
Speech and Language Services are provided to children between the ages of birth through twenty-one years who have qualifying speech and/or language problems. Services include: Evaluation by a qualified Language, Speech and Hearing Specialist Individual or small group instruction as necessary to provide language, speech and/or hearing therapy Consultation
Maria Duran-Barajas, Program Directorback
Transition Services
All special education students served in MCOE-operated classes are eligible for transition services from age fourteen through graduation or age twenty-two, whichever comes first. These services include career exploration activities, job search skills, job keeping skills, job shadowing activities, and on-site job training through the Regional Occupational Program (ROP). For those students who successfully complete all these activities, a Work-Ability program providing paid work experience is available. Starting at age fourteen, every student receives a brochure titled making plans for Life After High School, and a transition services Plan for the Future is included in their Individual Education Plan. This plan details what instructional services, community involvement activities, development of employment and other post-school living objectives and daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation are necessary for the student to achieve their dreams.
Itinerant Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI)
The teachers of the visually impaired
assist students who have a visual impairment that interferes with their
normal educational progress. The program serves students from birth through age 22
years old who are functionally blind or have low vision. A functionally blind
student is a student who relies basically on senses other than vision as major
channels of learning. A low vision student is a student who uses vision as a
major channel of learning. Visual impairment does not include visual
perceptual or visual-motor dysfunction resulting from a learning disability.
Medical verification of visual impairment is required. As prescribed by the
Individual Educational Program (IEP), individual or small group instruction or
consultation is provided. The instruction may include Braille, academic
support, listening, visual efficiency, living skills, use of technology, and
other adaptive skills. The VI services are provided at the school’s educational
placement.
Maria Duran- Barajas, Program Coordinatorback
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is provided to
students from birth through the age of 22 years old as a direct or consultative service
based on the student’s Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.). Occupational
therapy is a related service in which the therapist functions as a member of an
interdisciplinary team whose purpose is to provide an appropriate educational
program for students with disabilities. School-based occupational
therapy practitioners are occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants
(COTAs) who use meaningful activities to help students participate in what they
need and/or want to do in order to promote physical and mental health and
well-being. For students in schools,
occupational therapy works to ensure that a student can participate in the full
breadth of school activities—from paying attention in class; concentrating on
the task at hand; holding a pencil, musical instrument, or book in the easiest
way; or just behaving appropriately in class. The whole purpose of school-based
occupational therapy is to help enhance the students’ potential for
learning.
Manuel Cavazos, Program Coordinator
IMPORTANT NOTE ON LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
All special education students have the opportunity to interact with non-disabled children of their own age. Access to regular school classes and activities is determined at the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) development meeting. As appropriate, students participate with non-disabled peers in activities such as art, music, physical education, recess, lunch, assemblies, and field trips.
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