Special Education & Disability Services

District 15 provides special education programs and services for children with disabilities in compliance with federal and state regulations.

These programs and services are provided for students with specific learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, cognitive disabilities, speech/language impairments, orthopedic impairments, health impairments, traumatic brain injuries, autism, hearing impairments, visual impairments, deaf-blindness, developmental delays, or multiple disabilities.

The following programs and services are available:

• Early Intervention Transition Services 
  For all children with disabilities who receive Early Intervention Services and who are turning three years old.
   

• Early Childhood Programs and Services
  For all children with disabilities from three to five years of age (not yet kindergarten age). If your child is between the ages of 3 and 5, please call the John G. Conyers Learning Academy at 847-963-3400 to request an appointment for a screening. Additional information regarding preschool programming and services may be obtained through the Department of Student Services at 847-963-3146.
   

• Speech and Language Therapy
  A service for students with speech and/or language impairments that impact their education, to the extent that special education is necessary.
   

• Resource Services
  For students with mild to moderate disabilities who can progress in the general education setting with supports and services.
   

• LEAP Instructional Classrooms—Learning Environment for Academic Progress
  For students with various disabilities who require a cross-categorical, self-contained special education classroom setting, primarily characterized by significant academic delays and the need for intensive related services.
   

• STAR Program—Social Emotional, Trauma Informed Practices, Academic Achievement, Relationships and Character Building
  For students with primary needs in the areas of social, emotional, and/or behavioral learning, who require a special education classroom.
   

• REACH Therapeutic Day Program—Relationship and Character Building, Emotional Regulation, Academic Achievement, Coping Skills Training, High Expectations for Student Success
  For students with significant social, emotional, or behavioral disorders who require a therapeutic day school setting.
   

• AIME and MILE Programs—Alternative Instruction for Meaningful Education (AIME) and Modified Instruction for Learning Environment (MILE) Programs
  For students with mild, moderate, and severe cognitive/intellectual disabilities who require a special education classroom.
   

• ABLE Therapeutic Day Program—Accessibility, Behavior Supports, Life Skills, and Empowerment
  For students with multiple cognitive and behavioral needs who require a special education classroom in an intensive, therapeutic day school setting.
   

• SIP Program—Structured for Independence
  For students with autism or other developmental disabilities who require a highly structured special education classroom.
   

• Visual Impairment Program/Services
  For students with visual impairments who can progress in general or special education classrooms with supportive services.
   

• Hearing Impairment Program/Services
  For students with mild to profound hearing impairments who can progress in regular or special education classrooms with supportive services.
   

• Assistive Technology
  Assistive Technology (AT) means any item, piece of equipment, product system, device or service (to provide access to AT) whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability and support the IEP services. Special education programs in CCSD15 may provide AT as part of the program or, when necessary to receive a free, appropriate public education, individualized AT is provided through an IEP process for students with disabilities.
  • ISBE's assistive technology website. Phone: 866-262-6663 or 888-261-2708.
     
• Occupational Therapy
  A related service for students with fine motor and/or sensory needs that impact their education to the extent that special education is necessary.
   
• Physical Therapy
  A related service available for students with gross motor needs that impact their education to the extent that special education is necessary.
   

• Counseling Services
  A related service for students with social, emotional, and/or behavioral needs that impact their education to the extent that special education is necessary.
   

• Homebound/Hospital Instruction
  Homebound instruction is available for students who cannot attend school due to a certified medical condition.
   

• Sign Language Interpreters
  Sign language interpreters are assigned to children with a significant hearing loss that interferes with auditory communication (receptive and/or expressive). 

Students who are eligible to receive special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are to be provided a free appropriate public education (FAPE). An Individualized Education Program (IEP) must be developed for each student who is eligible to receive special education and related services under IDEA. Parents/guardians who are deaf, or do not normally communicate using spoken English, are entitled to the services of an interpreter when participating in an IEP meeting.

Inquiries regarding the identification of students with disabilities and IEPs may be directed to: Mindy McGuffin, Ed.D., at 847-963-3149, or 580 North 1st Bank Drive, Palatine, IL 60067.

Students who do not qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act may qualify for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 if the child 1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, 2) has a record of physical or mental impairment, or 3) is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment. 

All children with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate public education. If you have concerns about your child and believe that he/she has a disability that may require Section 504 Plan accommodations or special education services, please contact your child’s school administrator to begin the referral process. 

Parents/guardians who are deaf or do not typically communicate using spoken English are entitled to the services of an interpreter when participating in a Section 504 meeting.

If your child is between the ages of 3 and 5, please call the John G. Conyers Learning Academy at 847-963-3400 to request an appointment for a screening. Additional information regarding preschool programming and services may be obtained through the Department of Student Services at 847-963-3146.  

Inquiries regarding Section 504 may be directed to: Liz Ashmann, Director of Related Services, Section 504 Coordinator, at ashmanne@ccsd15.net, 847-963-3066, or 580 N. 1st Bank Drive, Palatine, IL 60067.

If your child receives special education services and is Medicaid eligible, District 15 may receive Medicaid reimbursement for the health services provided under your child’s Individualized Education Program. Medicaid reimbursement does not affect you or your child’s services and can help school districts pay for diagnostic and therapeutic services for students.

This process requires that District 15 provides your child’s name, birth date, and Medicaid number to Medicaid and we are required to notify parents of our intent to pursue this reimbursement opportunity.

Your permission or denial to release this information to Medicaid is provided as part of the student registration process you complete each year, and no further action is required.

If you object to the release of information to Medicaid, now or in the future, please state your objection in writing to:

Dr. Thomas Edgar
Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services
Community Consolidated School District 15
580 N 1st Bank Drive
Palatine, IL 60067

Regardless of your decision, the district will continue to provide, at no cost to you, the services listed in your child’s IEP.

Participation in this program has no impact on your child’s or family’s current or future Medicaid benefits. Participation in this program CANNOT:

1. decrease lifetime coverage or any other public insurance benefit,
2. result in the family paying for services that would otherwise be covered by Medicaid,
3. increase your premiums or lead to discontinuation of benefits or insurance, or
4. result in the loss of eligibility for home and community-based waivers.

Individuals with disabilities shall be provided an opportunity to participate in all school-sponsored services, programs, or activities, including parent-teacher conferences, school programs, and school board meetings on an equal basis and will not be subject to illegal discrimination. Where necessary, the district may provide separate or different aids, benefits, or services from, but as effective as, those provided to others. The district will provide reasonable accommodations where necessary to afford individuals with disabilities equal opportunity to participate in or enjoy the benefits of a service, program, or activity. Each service, program, or activity operated in existing facilities shall be readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities.

Individuals with disabilities should notify the Superintendent or building principal if they have a disability requiring special assistance or services and, if so, what services are required. This notification should occur as far as possible before the school-sponsored function, program, or meeting.

Individuals with disabilities may allege a violation of this policy or federal law by filing a grievance under the Uniform Grievance Procedure (Board Policy 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure).

Complaint Managers:

• Shari Lazor, EdD, Associate Superintendent, lazors@ccsd15.net, 847-963-3202, 580 N 1st Bank Drive, Palatine IL 60067
• Thomas Edgar, PhD, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services, edgart@ccsd15.net, 847-963-3106, 580 N 1st Bank Drive, Palatine IL 60067

The Illinois School for the Deaf and Illinois School for the Visually Impaired provide educational services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired. For more information on admissions criteria and school programs please see the contact information below, or contact the Student Services department at 847-963-3146.

The Illinois School for the Deaf

Website: www.illinoisdeaf.org
Address: 125 South Webster Avenue, Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Phone: 217-479-4200 • Fax: 217-479-4209

Information on school services and admissions criteria:

The Illinois School for the Deaf is an integral part of the statewide continuum of services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Illinois School for the Deaf serves students ages 3-21, from preschool through 12th grade, and they also have a program designed specifically for infants and toddlers in the school’s surrounding area who are deaf or hard of hearing. There is a 3-step enrollment process: 

1. Let’s Talk
2. Come Visit
3. Complete an application

The Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI)

Contact Information:

Website: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=87427
Address: 658 East State Street, Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
Toll Free: 1-800-919-5617  Voice: 217-479-4400  Fax: 217-479-4479

Information on school services and admissions criteria:

The mission of ISVI is to serve as a statewide educational resource, offering students with visual impairments quality services which will enable them to become personally productive, self-sufficient citizens. 

Students must have the primary disability of Blind or Visual Impairment and be a resident of Illinois to be considered for admission. ISVI offers a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes independence and vocational skills, instruction in Braille, daily living skills, orientation and mobility training, assistive technology, adaptive physical education, family and consumer science, and industrial arts.  ISVI offers a transitional living program that teaches students how to live independently. Students learn money management, meal planning and preparation, housekeeping, decision making, and accessing community resources.  Class size is normally limited to a student-faculty ratio of 7 to 1. Students may participate in mainstream education classes at local public schools.  ISVI offers a broad array of social and recreational activities to all students through the residential living programs during evenings and weekends. Extracurricular activities include track, cheerleading, swimming, wrestling, goalball, choir and forensics.

Direct and consultative services provided to parents of children (0-3) with vision loss. Employment opportunities are available for students in both on and off-campus settings. Educational services are provided  at no cost to parents. Personal belongings, health care, and spending money are the responsibility of parents. Schools are responsible for transportation costs for home-going breaks and one-on-one aides, if necessary.

Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education-Roosevelt (ICRE)

Contact information:

Website: www.icre-roosevelt.org
Address: 1950 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, Illinois 60608
Toll Free: 312-433-3100 • Voice: 312-433-3100

Information on school services and admissions criteria:

The mission of ICRE-R is to provide transition services including independent living, post-secondary education, vocational training, advocacy, community participation, and services to assist students with disabilities in achieving the highest level of independence in community living and employment. ICRE-R, first opened in September of 1946 under the name Illinois Children's Hospital-School (ICHS), provides a comprehensive transition program for students with physical disabilities and other health impairments who have completed their high school education, but have deferred their high school diplomas. The program is four (4) years in length and is available to students for four (4) years or until they reach 22 years of age, whichever comes first.

ICRE works with students, parent/guardian, local education, and community agencies to assist with coordinating services from high school to adult living. Students may attend ICRE-R as a residential student in the dormitories or attend the day program Monday-Thursday, as a day student. Each student's program is tailored to his/her individual needs, skills, and interests and each has the opportunity to learn:living skills, vocational skills, employability skills, self advocacy, social skills, leisure skills, medical management, and mobility skills.

The use of service animals, including dogs and miniature horses, individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a student with a disability are permitted to accompany a student at all school functions, whether in or outside the classroom. The service animal must be properly vaccinated (e.g., rabies) and in compliance with any local licensing/registration requirements for the type of animal.

For students with disabilities, we follow specific guidelines to ensure behavioral interventions are appropriate and effective and are consistent with Board policy 7:230, Misconduct By Students with Disabilities:

• Individualized Education Program (IEP): Each student with a disability has an IEP developed in collaboration with parents, general education teachers, and special education staff. This plan includes specific goals and behavioral interventions tailored to the student’s needs.
• Annual Review: The IEP is reviewed annually to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.
• Least Restrictive Environment: Interventions aim to support students in the least restrictive environment, enabling participation in the general education curriculum as much as possible.

We are committed to providing special education services in the least restrictive environment, ensuring students can participate in and benefit from the general education curriculum to the greatest extent possible.

These procedures are designed to promote the use and maintenance of the best professional standards and practices for providing students with behavioral interventions. Specifically, the use of these interventions must respect the dignity and privacy of students while promoting the learning of more appropriate behaviors. 

Specific behavioral interventions are implemented based on a proportionate response to the student's behavior. Depending on a student's needs and Individualized Education Program (IEP), the following behavioral interventions may be used with the student: 1) proactive nonrestrictive, 2) reactive nonrestrictive, 3) restrictive, 4) highly restrictive, and 5) prohibited.

All parents can positively impact their children’s learning and healthy development, and when families, schools and communities partner together, schools thrive and students benefit. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to navigate the educational system and know how to best work with district and school personnel. Often times, parents of students with disabilities face additional challenges. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has developed some web pages and resources specifically for parents of students with disabilities.

A Parent's Guide - Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois

Derechos y responsabilidades educacionales: entendiendo la educación especial en Illinois “Guía para padres”

Visit ISBE's website: Special Education | Information for Parents/Guardians for more information.

Our school district emphasizes a proactive, systematic framework called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to improve student behavior outcomes. We aim to create engaging, innovative, and equitable learning experiences through a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). The key components include:

• Tier I: Universal Interventions: School-wide programs and strategies to promote positive behavior and prevent issues. These proactive, research-based strategies are designed for all students to increase learning and decrease problem behaviors.
• Tier 2: Targeted Interventions: Additional support for students who need more than the universal strategies. This includes small group interventions to address specific behavioral needs.
• Tier 3: Intensive Interventions: Customized plans for students with significant behavioral challenges. These intensive interventions are individualized based on the student’s specific needs.

The emphasis is on teaching positive social behaviors and creating environments that focus on the desired behaviors rather than simply reacting to misbehavior. This includes consistent teaching, modeling, and reinforcement of appropriate behaviors.

The goal of PBIS is to increase students’ motivation to behave appropriately, which could include students earning a prize, a “paw”, a certificate, or participating in a celebration, and to reduce recurring misbehaviors through targeted learning and support, which could include reteaching expectations, restoring relationships, and providing logical consequences.

Classroom teachers embed behavior interventions and supports into their classroom and monitor behavior, which could include the use of chunked assignments, sensory tools, timers, and reflective point sheets. If a student needs more explicit support, they may receive out-of-the-classroom instruction.

In accordance with the requirements set forth in 105 ILCS 5/2-3.130 and Public Act 102-0339​,​ each school district board must create an oversight team that consists of, but is not limited to, teachers, paraprofessionals, school service personnel, and administrators to develop district-specific plans that include procedures to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of physical restraint, time out, and isolated time out (RTO). 

Physical restraint is always a method of last resort and is governed by strict guidelines to ensure student safety and compliance with state regulations. We emphasize the following:

• Ukeru: Ukeru is a safe, restraint-free crisis management approach using padded equipment and communication to de-escalate dangerous behavior. Staff are trained in Ukeru techniques.
• Physical Restraint: Physical restraint follows the Crisis Prevention Institute’s approach and is used only by trained, supervised staff and if a student poses an immediate danger to themselves or others, and other interventions have failed to deescalate the situation. Staff must document the incident, notify parents, and follow up with a debriefing session to review the situation and prevent future occurrences.

Our staff receives training to ensure these interventions are applied appropriately, safely, and effectively.
 

Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) is a database of Illinois children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities who want or need developmental disability services. The PUNS database helps the Division of Developmental Disabilities identify and plan for your services. Registering in PUNS is the first and most important step you and your family can take to receive Home and Community Based Waiver services from the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Developmental Disabilities.

Parents who need help understanding the PUNS database, the steps needed to register students, how to contact the appropriate developmental disabilities Independent Service Coordination Agency (ISC), and the documentation and information parents/guardians will need for the registration process, may contact the following D15 designated PUNS trained staff for assistance:   

• Conyers Learning Academy (Early Childhood Center): Alysha Gillani, gillania@ccsd15.net, and Kristin Johnson, johnsonk1@ccsd15.net
• Central Road School: Chad Ziarko, ziarkoc@ccsd15.net
• Frank C. Whiteley School: Olivia Gentile, gentileo@ccsd15.net
• Gray M. Sanborn School: Margie Whiteley, whitelem@ccsd15.net
• Hunting Ridge School: Kimberly Johnson, johnsok2@ccsd15.net
• Jane Addams School: Maxine Weinman, weinmanm@ccsd15.net
• Kimball Hill School: Kelley Dettloff, dettlofk@ccsd15.net
• Lake Louise School: Chad Ziarko, ziarkoc@ccsd15.net  
• Lincoln School: Stephanie Jakimczyk, jakimczyks@ccsd15.net
• Marion Jordan School: Kayla Fleming, flemingk@ccsd15.net
• Pleasant Hill School: Liciele Acance, acancel@ccsd15.net  
• Stuart R. Paddock School: Kristi Aguilar, aguilark@ccsd15.net
• Virginia Lake School: Kristi Aguilar, aguilark@ccsd15.net
• Willow Bend School: Kelley Dettloff, dettlofk@ccsd15.net  
• Carl Sandburg Middle School: Anthony DeFeo, defeoa@ccsd15.net  
• Plum Grove Middle School: Karla Richards, richark@ccsd15.net  
• Thomas Jefferson Middle School: Allison Moe, moea@ccsd15.net  
• Walter R. Sundling Middle School: Stephanie Reuter, reuters@ccsd15.net  
• Winston Campus Middle School: Courtney Mangognia, mangognc@ccsd15.net  

For information regarding PUNS, please visit: Illinois Department of Human Services - PUNS - Division of Developmental Disabilities