Student Support

The role of Student Services is to ensure that students in District 622 have appropriate support to meet individual student needs related to the educational experience. These programs and services include Special Education, Section 504, Health Services, School Social Workers, English Language Learners, School Psychologists, Alternative Learning Programs, Safe Schools/Healthy Students, School-Based Mental Health, and McKinney-Vento Homeless.

Special Education
Special education is a mandated service available to eligible children with disabilities, birth through age 21. The child must meet the special education criteria in one of the 13 disability categories, and also be in need of special education services. Before a special education referral is made, interventions are tried in the general education environment to assist the child to make educational progress. If the interventions are not effective, an evaluation can be proposed by the school team and/or parent to determine if there is a need for special education services. 

Through the evaluation process, a student may be found eligible, as outlined on the criteria checklists, for special education services in one of the following areas: traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, specific learning disability, emotional-behavioral disorders, communication disorders, developmental delays at the early childhood level, vision or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, other health impairments, developmental cognitive disorders, severe multiple impairments, or deaf/blind. 

Related services may also be needed in order for the student to benefit from their special education instruction. Related services include, but are not limited to, special transportation, occupational and physical therapy, developmental adapted physical education, social work, assistive technology, health/nursing services and psychological services.

Health and special education services are also available to eligible students enrolled in the district’s non-public schools.

Section 504 - Accommodations for Students with Disabilities 
If your child has an identified, documented medical diagnosis and needs accommodations, they may be eligible for support under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In the event a student qualifies for a 504 Plan, appropriate accommodations will be provided through regular education. A 504 Plan would not apply if your child is currently receiving special education services. For more information, contact your child’s school principal and ask for the building 504 coordinator.

Rights for students experiencing homelessness
The McKinney-Vento Federal law ensures students experiencing homelessness have the right to:

• Immediate enrollment in school
• Continue in the school they attended before they became homeless
• Transportation to their school of origin, if feasible
• Access to school support staff services 
• Title I services
• Free school meals
• Dispute school placements that differ from parent or student request

Students experiencing homelessness live in any of these conditions:

• In a shelter (family, individual, domestic violence, youth, temporary housing)
• In a motel or hotel
• Doubled up with others because of lack of housing or economic hardship
• On the street
• In a car, park, abandoned building, or other places not designed for human habitation