Special Education Services

Guilford County Schools takes great pride in the quality and variety of programs provided for children with special needs. Supported by local, state and federal funding, these programs are staffed by outstanding professionals who work hand-in-hand with parents to ensure quality educational opportunities for all children. The following programs and services are provided by the Guilford County Schools for children with special needs.

Autistic: Students with Autism receive their special education through programs located in regular schools and through a center-based program at Gateway Education Center.

Behaviorally-Emotionally Disabled: Students served in this program, after receiving specifically designed educational support services and intervention strategies in the regular classroom, still exhibit patterns of situationally inappropriate interpersonal behavior of such frequency, duration and intensity to disrupt the student's own learning process. Regular classroom and resource services are available at all schools. For those students requiring greater structure, separate classes are available.

Educable Mentally Disabled: Resource teachers work with regular classroom teachers to provide appropriate educational services in all regular schools. Students who need a more structured individualized program are placed in separate programs.

Hearing Impaired: Identified students are provided audiological services in their home school when possible and itinerant speech therapists are on call to provide services when needed. Resource teachers in schools assist identified students while others are served in a cross-categorical placement. Interpreters are provided for the bilaterally deaf or profoundly hard-of-hearing students when appropriate. Assistive Listening devices are provided as well as closed-captioned decoders and TTYs.

Moderate/Severe/Profound Disabilities: Students with moderate/severe/profound disabilities are served in the least restrictive environment. As deemed appropriate, services are provided through inclusive education environments, resource services, and separate classes. For those students requiring a separate school, McIver School and Gateway Education Center offer a highly structured and individualized educational program.

Orthopedic Impaired: Students who have orthopedic and/or neurological disabilities are main-streamed in regular schools when appropriate. Students who have severe orthopedic and neurological disabilities are served at Gateway Education Center. All related services are available (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, assistive technology, special transportation, etc.).

Other Health Impaired: Students with other health impairments are those students with chronic/acute health problems which cause limited strength, vitality, or alertness to such an extent that special education services are required. This includes children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Preschool Developmentally Disabled: All children with identified special needs under the guidelines of NC Rules and Regulations can receive school services on their third birthday. Identified children are served through a variety of settings, including day care centers, homes, Head Start centers, outreach locations, etc. Services include all related services (i.e., occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, special transportation, etc.).

Specific Learning Disabled: Regular resource services are provided in all schools in the district. Resource teachers and regular classroom teachers cooperatively plan for and teach students with learning disabilities. Students with more severe learning disabilities receive their services through a separate classroom.

Speech/Language Impaired: Speech-Language services are provided at all schools. Itinerant personnel are available in the intermediate schools. Therapists deal with articulation, fluency, voice problems and other areas usually ascribed to a speech pathologist. Separate programs are provided for severe language impaired students as well as augmentative communication devices when appropriate.

Transition Services: Federal law mandates that all special education students, beginning at age 14 and no later than 16, have a transition plan in place (Public Law 101-476). The school system is responsible for assessing (vocationally) all special education students and addressing their needs for vocational training, post secondary education, integrated employment, adult services, independent living, recreation and community participation, transportation, and medical and financial needs.

Visually Impaired: Services to visually impaired students are provided by either resource or itinerant teachers, Readers, Braillists, teachers' assistants, and a mobility specialist are also available to implement an appropriate educational plan for each student that may involve parents, teachers and community resources. Training and utilization of functional vision, adaptation of classroom materials, instruction in the use of assistive technology, daily living skills, as well as Braille and abacus, are some examples of skills taught to enable the visually impaired student to be included in all aspects of school and community life.

To find out more about Guilford County Schools Special Education Services, call (336) 370-2319.

Back to Programs and Initiatives