Welcome to the Special Education home page for the Whitewater Unified School District. Here you will find information on our local services, policies and procedures, school staff, and parent resources.
The Whitewater Unified School District provides services to children with disabilities and their families. Students, ages 3-21, are eligible for services in a variety of disability areas. These include:
- Autism
- Deaf/blind
- Emotional Behavioral Disability
- Hearing
- Intellectual Disability
- Other Health Impairment
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Significant Developmental Delay
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech and Language
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Vision
Additional information on each of these disabilities and the criteria for eligibility can be found on the WI Department of Special Education site at https://dpi.wi.gov/sped.
Once it is determined that a student is eligible for services, a team is established to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the student. Regardless of which school a student attends, services designed to meet individual needs are available. These services are based upon a philosophy of integrated service delivery. This means that special educators work in collaboration with general educators to meet the needs of all students.
Parent(s) and guardian(s) are an integral part of the IEP team. Careful consideration is given to their input and concerns about the child’s education. Parent(s) and guardian(s) will be given written notice of all IEP team meetings, and in addition will need to give consent for any evaluations and services.
Many other professionals provide related services to students with disabilities including: Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech and Language Pathologists, Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers, School Nurses, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and Vision and Hearing Specialists. Related services are provided to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education and meet their IEP goals. The amount and frequency of these services are determined by the IEP team.
If you have a particular concern about your child’s developmental progress, learning needs, or need for special education services, please contact me at (262) 472-8712.
Sincerely,
Lanora Heim
Director of Pupil Services