Policies regarding Privately Funded Outside Therapists and Consultants within our Classrooms
Many Special Education students in our school district have outside therapists and/or other educational consultants who are employed by the students’ parents. The following policies are intended to standardize expectations and procedures of school personnel, parents, and private therapists when these individuals enter the school classrooms to observe or work with their students.
PROCEDURES
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FORMS
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RESPONSIBILITY
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Reasons vary for having these therapists come to class, but
typical reasons include: • To observe the student in order to better understand the student’s strengths and needs within the class, in order to inform the instruction provided in the private program. • To team with the school personnel in order to be able to coordinate the instructional practices, in order to improve effectiveness of both programs. |
When outside therapists desire to visit the classroom, they must
contact the IEP Case Manager, who will beresponsible to • arrange the schedule of this visit • communicate with other school personnel who should be notified of the visit, informing them of who is visiting, the schedule, and the reason for the visit • ensure that a current Consent for Mutual Exchange of Information is signed by the parent and included in the student’s file. |
The school personnel delivering service to a student are
responsible to make decisions regarding that student’s school program. While they will listen to and consider the input of an outside therapist or consultant who has been employed by the student’s parent, they are ultimately responsible for the decisions regarding the student’s program while in school. If the outside therapist makes recommendations that contradict the program that the IEP team has determined is in that student’s best interest, then the IEP team is in the position to determine what, if any, adjustments will be made in the student’s school program based on this recommendation. |
Consent for Mutal Exchange of Information
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IEP Case Manager
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Private-pay personnel are not to provide service to SVSD students
on school grounds during the school day, on an ongoing basis without district approval. Reasons for this include the potential for: • interference with the district’s ability to provide FAPE • disruption of the class routines and privacy of other students . improper to use school property for private pay purposes |