Ventura Unified School District provides a full continuum of services for special needs students residing in the District. It also is a multi-district server for certain disabilities, for districts on the west end of Ventura County. These include programs for students with Emotional Disturbance and students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
The way Special Education student services are being reported to the State has changed, with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Historically, programs were referred to as "Special Day Classes (SDC)" or "Resource Specialist Programs (RSP)". Students who required more than half the school day in a Special Education setting were classified SDC and less than half the day, were classified as RSP. These classifications are no longer being used. Instead, the primary Special Education service is being described as "Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI)". The I.E.P.'s will indicate the amount of time a student requires SAI in terms of daily minutes. This new approach allows more flexible service delivery and ultimately benefits the individual students. Once a student is eligible for Special Education, and the primary service of SAI is indicated on the I.E.P., the student may also be eligible for related services to support that Special Education placement (Speech/Language Therapy; Adapted P.E.; Occupational Therapy, etc.).
Primary Services
There are four Primary Services, at least one of which must be listed first on a student's IEP:
Specialized Academic Instruction - Based on the evaluation and determination of the IEP team, this service may be received while in the regular education classroom, or in a separate room on a regular campus Some students will spend the majority of their time in the regular education classroom and be pulled out to a separate room for instruction by a special education teacher for a short part of the day. Others may spend the majority of their day in a separate classroom where they will receive specialized academic instruction, also from a credentialed special education teacher. In some less common circumstances, students may spend their entire day in the regular education classroom with their curriculum adapted and modified by the regular education teacher, with or without assistance from the special education teacher. The type, duration, and frequency of the service(s) is determined by the IEP team.
Speech and Language - Remedial intervention for eligible individuals with difficulty understanding or using spoken language. Services may include specialized instruction and services, monitoring, reviewing, and consultation. They may be direct or indirect, including the use of a speech consultant.
Intensive Individualized Instruction - Student requires additional support for all or part of the day, usually for additional paraprofessional support.
Individual and Small Group Instruction (Preschoolers only) - Instruction delivered one-to-one or in a small group as specified in an IEP enabling the individual(s) to participate effectively in the total school program.
Related Services
Related Services are any services, which are necessary to assist an eligible student to benefit from his or her Special Education placement. In order to receive these services, a student must first be eligible as a student who requires special education under one of the 14 listed handi-capping conditions, and has been assigned to at least one of the primary services listed above.
Related services include:
 Adapted Physical Education Assistive Technology Services Audiological Services Behavior Intervention Services Braille Transcription Counseling and Guidance Health and Nursing - other services Individual Counseling Interpreter Services Note Taking Services Occupational Therapy (OT) Orientation and Mobility Services Other Special Education/Related Services |
Parent Counseling Psychological Services Physical Therapy (PT) Recreation Services Residential Treatment Services Social Work Services Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Specialized Orthopedic Services Specialized Physical Health Care Services Specialized Services-Low Incidence Disabilities Specialized Vision Services Transcription Services Travel Training |
Adapted Physical Education - Direct physical education services provided by an adapted physical education specialist to pupils who have needs that cannot be adequately satisfied in other physical education programs and who may not safely, successfully or meaningfully engage in unrestricted participation in the vigorous activities of the general or modified physical education program.
Assistive Technology Services - Any specialized training or technical support for the incorporation of assistive devices, adapted computer technology or specialized media with the educational programs to improve access for students.
Audiological Services - Include measurements of acuity, monitoring amplification, and use of Frequency Modulations (FM) systems.
Braille Transcription - Any transcription services to convert materials from print to Braille. It may include textbooks, tests, worksheets, or anything necessary for instruction. The transcriber should be qualified in English Braille as well as Nemeth Code (mathematics) and be certified by appropriate agency.
Counseling and Guidance - Counseling in a group setting, provided by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP typically in social skills development. Guidance services include interpersonal, intrapersonal or family interventions, performed in an individual or group setting by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP.
Health and Nursing - Other Services - Services provided when a student has health problems which require nursing intervention beyond basic school health services.
Individual Counseling - One-to-one counseling, provided by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP.
Interpreter Services - Sign language interpretation of spoken language to individuals whose communication is normally sign language, by a qualified sign language interpreter.
Note Taking Services - Specialized assistance given to the student for the purpose of taking notes when the student in unable to do so independently. This may include, but is not limited to, copies of notes taken by another student, transcription of tape-recorded information from a class, or aide designated to take notes.
Occupational Therapy (OT) - Services to improve a student's educational performance including postural stability, self-help abilities, sensory processing and organization, environmental adaptations, use of assistive devices, motor planning and coordination, visual perception and integration, social and play abilities, and fine motor abilities. Both direct and indirect services may be provided within the classroom, other educational settings or the home; in a group or on an individual basis.
Orientation and Mobility Services -Training for students with visual impairments to develop skills to enable them to travel safely and independently around the school and in the community.
Other Special Education/Related Services - Any other specialized service required for a student with a disability to receive educational benefit.
Parent Counseling - Individual or group counseling provided by a qualified individual to assist the parent(s) of special education students in better understanding and meeting their child's needs; may include parent skills.
Psychological Services - These services provided by a credentialed or licensed psychologist may include:
Interpreting assessment results;
Obtaining and interpreting information about child behavior and conditions related to learning;
Planning programs of individual and group counseling and guidance services for children and parents.
Physical Therapy (PT) - Includes, but is not limited to therapy for motor control and coordination, posture and balance, self-help, functional mobility, accessibility and use of assistive devices. Services may be provided within the classroom, other educational settings or in the home; and may occur in groups or individually.
Recreation Services - Therapeutic recreation and specialized instructional programs designed to assist pupils to become as independent as possible in leisure activities.
Residential Treatment Services - 24-hour out-of-home placement that provides intensive therapeutic services to support the educational program.
Social Work Services - Includes, but not limited to, preparing a social or developmental history of a child with a disability; group and individual counseling with the child and family; working with those problems in a child's living situation (home, school, and community) that affect the child's adjustment in school; and mobilizing school and community resources to enable the child to learn as effectively as possible in his or her educational program.
Specialized Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services - Services may include speech reading, auditory training and/or instruction in the student's mode of communication, provided by a qualified specialist. May include adapting curricula, methods, and the learning environment; and special consultation to students, parents, teachers, and other school personnel.
Specialized Orthopedic Services - Specially designed instruction related to the unique needs of students with orthopedic disabilities, including specialized materials and equipment.
Specialized Physical Health Care Services - Health services prescribed by the child's licensed physician or surgeon, requiring medically related training of the individual who performs the services that are necessary during the school day to enable the child to attend school.
Specialized Services for Low Incidence Disabilities - Low incidence services are defined as those provided to the population of students who are: orthopedically impaired (OI), visually impaired (VI), deaf, hard of hearing (HH), or deaf-blind (DB). Typically, services are provided in education settings by a qualified itinerant teacher/specialist.
Specialized Vision Services - Includes assessment of functional vision and curriculum modifications including Braille, large type and aural media. Also includes instruction in areas of need such as concept development and academic skills, communication skills (including alternative modes of reading and writing), social, emotional, career, vocational, and independent living skills.
Transcription Services - Any transcription service to convert materials from print to a mode of communication suitable for the student. This may also include dictation services as it may pertain to textbooks, tests, worksheets, or anything necessary for instruction.
Travel Training - Training a student in use of public transportation and community.