Student Services
SAU 70 makes available a free, appropriate public education to all children ages 3 to 22 who have been determined to have a disability. The services provided address each child's identified special education and related service needs. Services and placement within the least restrictive environment are determined in response to the child's unique needs and continue until the student has earned a regular diploma or reaches age 22, whichever occurs first.
Students with educational disabilities are defined as those who:
Have at least one educational disability, as defined under federal and state regulations, that requires special education/ related services.
SAU 70 supports an inclusive philosophy for all students with disabilities. As such, it is agreed that the primary educational environment for all students with disabilities is a regular classroom setting. Teachers provide a wide variety of instructional approaches to help students meet the district's curriculum standards. Supports for students with disabilities include, but are not limited to, special education professional consultation, direct and consultative related service support, and direct and consultative specialized instruction that incorporates recommended adapted equipment, materials and/or curriculum, and environmental accommodations.
What is Child Find?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes the Child Find mandate. Child Find requires all school districts to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disabilities. This obligation to identify all children who may need special education services exists even if the school is not providing special education services to the child. The IDEA act requires all states to develop and implement a practical method of determining which children with disabilities are receiving special education and related services and which children are not.
Free Child Find
SAU 70 offers free Child Find for children ages three through five on an ongoing basis. Parents/guardians who suspect that their child is not developing skills at age-appropriate milestones may wish to have the child screened. Specialists are available to screen children's overall development, including the areas of cognitive ability, speech/language, motor and vision/hearing. Results will be shared with parents.
For New Hampshire residents, please contact Jill Koppers, Preschool Coordinator, at (603) 643-6655, x 1511 or via email.
For Vermont residents, please contact Mary Coffey, Early Essential Education Learning Specialist at (802) 649- 1703 or via email.