Willow Wind conducts Child Study Teams (CST) to review student needs. By working with parents and the student's teacher, assistance may be available to students who are having difficulties at school academically or socially. If there is a concern that a student may have a disability, the SCT may access district specialists. Specialists help in planning positive student support; designing interventions and determining the need and nature of additional assessments that can help the CST meet the student’s needs. In some instances, the CST may refer a student for a formal evaluation for ADA/Section 504 or Special Education eligibility if a disability is suspected.

WHAT ARE SECTION 504 PLANS AND IEP’S?
ADA/Section 504 plans are available for students with mental or physical impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities. If a student identified under Section 504 requires accommodations in order to access his/her educational program, a 504 plan will be written. At Willow Wind, we focus on strategies that support learning for all children and offer most accommodations to any child that needs them, so 504 plans with individualized accommodations are often not needed. The CST team can help in determining the best course of action for students.

Special Education services provide eligible children with disabilities specially designed instruction and related services through an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Ashland School District offers a range of programs and services to meet the needs of student’s with IEP’s. Special education services or the majority of related services are not offered on site, but may be made available at an alternative location or school.

WHAT IF MY CHILD HAS AN IEP OR NEEDS AN EVALUATION?
If you are an Ashland resident, evaluations and services for special education occur through your neighborhood school. In most instances, your child can attend Willow Wind classes and receive specialist support through their neighborhood school such as resource room support or speech language therapy.

Families may need to schedule Willow Wind classes around available specialist service times. In some instances, an IEP team may determine that another setting is more appropriate to meet a child's special needs. Parents are an important part of IEP teams and are involved in the design of IEP’s and placement decisions. IEP teams work with families to determine the most appropriate and least restrictive placement for a student. Parents generally provide transportation to and from the location the student will receive special services at.

Itinerant specialist services may be offered on site at Willow Wind if the specialist's schedule allows. Willow Wind will work with families on inter‐district transfer from other districts, and the resident district to complete any evaluations on a case‐by‐case basis. IEP services may be available to interdistrict transfer students at another Ashland school depending on program space and availability. If you have questions regarding an inter‐district transfer for a child with special needs, contact Samuel Bogdanove, Director of Student Services at the Ashland School District office 541-482-2811.