Special Services

The Special Services Department educates students who are identified through a special education review process as eligible for special education (specialized instruction) and who have Individualized Education Plans.

An Evaluation and Planning Team determines a student's eligibility for an IEP according to Vermont State Department of Education Special Education rules.

Special services are provided for students who qualify under one or more of the following categories of disabilities:
Learning impairment
Emotional disturbance
Orthopedic impairment
Specific learning disability
Visual impairment
Autism
Deafness/hard of hearing
Other health impairments
Speech or Language Impairment
Multiple disabilities
Traumatic brain injury
Deaf-blindness

The Special Services staff includes Vermont-certified learning specialists, a reading teacher, a speech and language pathologist, paraeducators, and related services providers.

Special education personnel work with other agencies' personnel to facilitate the transition of students to college or other post-high school or employment opportunities. This may include placing a student on a 504 plan which is designed to assist the student throughout life.

The Study Skills course is offered in our Learning Center for students who need additional academic support to function successfully in regular education classes. Also, through our Learning Center, identified special education students may take a core academic class at a modified level for credit.

The Life Skills Program and the ACCESS Program (Accessing Community, Careers, Education through Successful Self-Determination) are life-skills, functional academic, community-based, job-training courses of study for students who need a highly specialized and individualized high school program.

For more information please contact Director of Special Services Mary Diaz at 802.549.8115 or by e-mail mdiaz@burrburton.org.