The Jefferson Township School District Department of Special Services provides a range of special education programs, from preschool to grade 12, to address the needs of students with disabilities. We offer a full continuum of placement options and continue to stress student achievement.

Preschool
The district provides various classes for children three through five years old who are identified with a disability in communication, fine/gross motor skills, intellectual development, and/or social and emotional growth. To qualify for a special education preschool program, the child must be 3-5 years or be turning three during the academic year (the child must not qualify for kindergarten), and experiencing a developmental delay, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures. A developmental delay means a 33% delay in one developmental area, or a 25% delay in two or more of the following areas:

• Communication
• Social and Emotional
• Cognitive
• Adaptive
• Physical, including gross motor, fine motor and sensory (vision and hearing) Instruction is provided using a language-based approach, with emphasis on learning through experience and play.

Grades K – 12
The district offers various programs to meet the individual needs of students identified in need of special education services. These include in-class support, pull-out replacement, and self-contained special education programs, supported by speech, occupational and physical therapies. The district also works with parents to place students in out-of-district, regional programs when we are unable to provide appropriate services in one of our schools.

School-to-Work Transition
The purpose of transition in the high school includes providing classified high school students with career options that broaden their horizons and provide incentives for achievable goals for their future.