What is Special Education?
State and federal laws mandate that a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) be available to all individuals birth through 26 years of age who have physical, mental, or psychological disabilities. Special Education provides individual support and instruction to meet the unique needs of all students with disabilities and helps them develop to their maximum potential.
SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IN THE MANISTEE COUNTY AREA:
- Early Childhood Special Education (Preschool) Program
- Severely Cognitively Impaired Program
- Moderately Cognitively Impaired Program
- Severely Emotionally Impaired Program
- Teacher Consultant Services for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mentally Impaired, Emotionally
- Impaired, Early Childhood, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, and Orientation and Mobility Specialist
- School Psychological Testing Services
- School Social Work Services
- Speech and Language Therapy Services
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Transition Services
- Project Find
- Monitoring and Compliance of Special Education Programs and Services
Depending upon their age and individual needs, special education students within the Manistee County area may receive services in a variety of locations. Special education services are provided in all K-8 and K-12 school districts as well as parochial, private, and registered home schools. Manistee ISD provides services for preschool age or other students with unique learning needs. Infants, young toddlers, or students with physical/health impairments may receive services in their home when appropriate.
- Students have differing abilities and potential to achieve
- Growth and change are a desirable phenomena
- Learning is a shared responsibility
- Children learn through a variety of modes
- Cooperation and cooperative opportunities are essential to growth
- The key in education is to ensure that we learn from a variety of experiences
- Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and acceptance
- High expectations produce results
- A confident person who makes choices for his/her successful living
- A collaborative contributor in a global society
- A creative, caring, sensitive, and flexible human being with a positive self image
- A person capable of applying his/her acquired knowledge in diverse situations
- A person able to communicate effectively
- A person engaged in learning over a lifetime