The Rio Rancho Schools Special Services Department is responsible for all Special Education and federal programs in the district. We provide a wide range of services in a variety of settings.

 

We have employed some of the most qualified professionals in all service areas and enjoy seeing successful programs run at every school.

We provide services for children from 3 to 22 years of age, and address students' learning styles from a multi-modality approach.

 

This means that services are integrated with emphasis on cooperative planning and intervention, coordination with the curriculum, and collaboration with the parents.

 

 

Important Links for Parents:

• Click here to view the Parent / Student Rights and Responsiblities information. You can also click here to download this document. (Derechos de los Padres y del/la Niño(a) en la Educación Especial.)
• Visit this page to view developmental norms for children.
• Is your child being referred? View the referral process here.
• Parent Guide to the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process
• IEP Parent Feedback Questionnaire
  

CHILD FIND SCREENING

The Child Find Team conducts developmental screenings for children, from birth to 5, at the Child Find Center. At no cost to you, children will be screened in the areas of speech, language, fine motor, gross motor, self help skills, vision and hearing. Click here to view details and screening dates.

 

Find out about: Child Development Institute Links about Educational Topics of ALL KINDS! Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) The Referral Process Parent Rights and Responsibilities Definitions of Special Ed.Terms Growing Up (A development chart)

Visit our: Special Education Parent Advisory Council Native American Parent Advisory Council RRPS Online Resource Catalog (view Special Education Resources) Online Resources for Assistive Technology and more! Parent Rights and Responsibilities Information

Here are our procedures for referral and identification of students as well as what types of programs we currently run at our some of our schools. Here is the procedures we use. (You'll need the Adobe Reader to open.)

• In-School Identification, Referral and MDT Process
• Parent Guide to the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process
• IEP Parent Feedback Questionnaire

Program Definitions:

The goal of special education is to meet the educational needs of students within the least restrictive environment. Whether that means providing consultation to the general education teacher, or providing a highly specialized teaching environment for a student, our programs must be as diversified as our students.

Below is a description of most of the types of programs we offer for our students here in Rio Rancho. Also, you can visit a school (to the left) to see more specific descriptions of the programs offered there. To view the referral process, click here. To view definitions of special education terms, click here.

1. Preschool- RRPS offers preschool programs at selected elementary schools to provide early intervention services to children ages 3 to 5. Services are rendered in developmentally-appropriate settings with intense instruction coordinated with speech and motor therapists.
   
   
2. Monitor- This type of program is used with students showing mild symptoms or those who are at the final stages of their treatment. A lot of consultation and feedback is done with the classroom teacher and parents to get a clear picture of the student's abilities, however direct contact with the student will not likely occur.
   
   
3. Consultation- This model of intervention typically occurs as a student nears the end of his/her treatment. Usually the therapist will consult closely with the classroom teacher (and any other service personnel) about the ongoing needs of the student, and develop a means of reporting back to the clinician about the student's performance in target areas. For example, a student may have been receiving services to address listening skills, and the time has come for the student to demonstrate those skills without the direct intervention of the Speech Therapist. Instead, the teacher will observer and encourage the student's listening skills in the classroom and report this back to the therapist, who may provide some further guidance to the student, teacher, or in many cases the parents. The goal is for students to become independent in maintaining their new skills.
   
   
4. Inclusion/General Education- This program is designed to provide a way for the student to receive services within the classroom setting. Very often the Speech Therapist or Occupational Therapist collaborates with the Special or General Education teacher to coordinate therapy activities with academic tasks already occurring in the classroom. Every effort is made not to single out students, but to provide an opportunity for them to practice their skills in the classroom. At upper grades, different kinds of inclusion programs have been created that lean more toward helping students with their core subjects. For example, a student may be placed in an inclusion class to provide focused help with literacy skills (writing, reading) but also be in a general education class for social studies and science. The purpose of the inclusion class is to provide extra help in the areas a student is struggling, without singling out that student.
   
   
5. Pullout- This kind of program is certainly a more traditional type of therapy model and involves seeing the student in the therapy office, often with one or two other students for typically a half hour. This kind of intervention is most beneficial for students who need to be taught specific strategies (such as listening, speaking or writing). This provides maximum instruction with minimal distraction. Every effort is made to insure carryover of skills back into the classroom setting. For students receiving language therapy, the latest research is indicating that this model of therapy has been the least effective in creating noticeable changes in how the student performs (listening/speaking) in the classroom, unless it is combined with an Inclusion or Consultation model. This is the model of intervention most often used to help students with Articulation delays (how sounds are produced).
   
   
6. Self-Contained/Small Group- These types of programs are rare but are basically designed for students who have severe to profound disabilities and require significant intervention to address their needs. Students typically receive services from a variety of ancillary teachers (speech, OT, PT, etc.) and there are Educational Assistants who work closely with the teacher to implement the students' programs.
   

Our schools and community are rich with resources. There are numerous places you can go to find what you need. Listed below are just some of the local and regional sources that can help you. See a developmental chart that gives basic information on child development across a number of areas.

Visit our Special Education Parent Advisory Council (become a member!)

Center for Development and Disability
The following values direct the work of the CDD and its programs:

• Cultural and linguistic diversity
• Inclusion and accessibility for all individuals
• Partnerships and collaboration that encourage capacity building within communities
• Innovative, interdisciplinary & research-based practice
  
  

Local Early Intervention Services: These are individualized, community-based services designed to promote and enhance the development of children birth to three years.

» Parents for Behaviorally Different Children (PBDC) - 1-800-273-PBDC
» Children's Medical Services - 897-3311
» Alta Mira Specialized Family Services - 262-0801
» La Vida Felicidad, Inc. - 865-4651
» Native American Pueblo Parent Resources, Inc. - 345-6289
» PB & J Family Services, Inc. - 877-7060
» RCI, Inc. - 255-5501
» Southwest Communication Resources - 867-3396

 

Online Special Education Resources (for even more specific websites, visit our online resource catalog here):

PED – New Mexico Public Education Department (PED): Official web site of the New Mexico Public Education Department	RRPS Special Education Resources Sites
ASHA - American Speech-Language-Hearing Assoc.	AOTA - American Occupational Therapy Association
APTA - American Physical Therapy Association	PED Special Education Bureau - Special Education section of the PED web site
New Mexico State Resources (A comprehensive list of state agencies and organizations)	Global Internet Resource for Special Needs Children (Resources on any disability)
New Mexico Autism Society	What is Fragile X Syndrome?
NM State Dept. of Ed.: Indian Education	Child Development Institute
The Arc of New Mexico	Parent Information (Get Development Info Here!)
Special Olympics New Mexico	Disabilities Resources and Organizations
Parent Info (parent support on many topics)	Americans with Disabilities Act (Resources)
Stimulating Children's Language Development	Healthier Schools NM: Collection of resources
Children's Psychiatric Hospital (CPH)	Parents Reaching Out (Parent advocacy group)
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)	ERIC Clearinghouse (Disabilities & Gifted Education)
Autism Diagnostic Criteria (description)	Dyslexia Research Institute
CHADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)	Resources for Hearing Impaired Students
Parenting Tips for Blind Children	Resources for Visually Impaired Students
The International Dyslexia Association	NM DOE: Bilingual and Multicultural Education

Student Assistance Team (SAT):

A school-based team of professionals who meet with the parents and share relevant information about their child.  The purpose of SAT is to ask about the child's performance and propose interventions to help both the student and the teacher in making the classroom a more successful learning environment.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT):

A school team of professional service providers who meet along with the parents to share information relevant to the child's abilities and performance.  This information is utilized to determine a child's present level of educational performance, review interventions and strategies implemented in the classroom, and to make educational decisions about the student in terms of further steps to take.

Screening: 

A quick standardized procedure used to rule out the possibility of a problem and determine if further evaluation/diagnostic testing is warranted.

Diagnostic Testing:

Extensive evaluation by certified professionals only in the areas of the student's development needing assessment.  A variety of diagnostic tests are utilized to determine a student's strengths and weaknesses.  This information is used to develop strategies to help a student succeed in school, as well as possible eligibility for special education services.

Special Education:

Instructional programs and related services (Speech, PT, etc.) designed to meet the unique needs of a student (determined by diagnostic findings, and based on State Standards).  These programs and services can begin at age 3 and can continue through the student's 21st birthday.  Services may include classroom instruction, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, instruction in physical education, home instruction, and transportation.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP): 

An IEP is written, at least annually, for every student who meets testing criteria (eligibility) to receive special education services.  The written documentation allows both the parents and school personnel to participate in deciding the child's needs, which services are needed to meet those needs, the anticipated outcome of those services, and how the child's progress will be evaluated.  The IEP committee consists of the parents, the principal or designee, the general education teacher, a special education teacher, related service personnel (Speech, OT, etc.), and the student, if appropriate.  The team's purpose is to develop the best plan of services and placement to meet the student's special education needs so he/she can benefit from the educational program.