Services for students who are blind or visually impaired are designed to support students in their least restrictive environment. The services are customized to provide disability specific support within each student’s school program. Students are eligible for services from birth through 21 years and have a medically diagnosed visual impairment.

Services are designed to support student learning within the home, school or community. These services may include adaptations to the educational environment and learning materials in order to increase access for students who are blind or visually impaired. Services may also include direct instruction in skills related to blindness or visual impairment, such as: braille literacy, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, transition planning, independent living skills and self-determination.

• Participate as a member of the Individualized Education Plan team on all students who have a qualifying hearing loss.
• Provide consultation and training to teachers, other school staff and administrators regarding the unique needs of the D/HH student.
• Have knowledge of resources and current best practices.
• Work closely with the classroom teacher and educational audiologist.
• Provide direct individualized services which may include: helping the D/HH student understand his/her hearing loss, communication repair strategies, compensatory/self-advocacy skills and academic support.
  
  

What is Development Adapted Physical Education (DAPE)?

DAPE is specialized instruction to allow for safe and successful gross motor participation in the physical education or special education setting for those students who meet initial Minnesota eligibility criteria.  Anoka Hennepin follows the philosophy and standards of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education when determining if the development or achievement and independence in school, home and community settings are inadequate to allow success in regular Physical Education.  We assess looking at the whole child and any needs identified in the following domains: psychomotor, cognitive, affective, and physical fitness. (NASPE, 2013) 

According to our Minnesota DAPE Best Practice Operational Guide, (Sept, 2012) Developmental Adapted Physical Education is specifically designed physical education instruction and services for students with disabilities who have a significant delay or disorder in physical development. Developmental adapted physical education instruction for pupils age 3-21 may include development of physical and motor fitness, fundamental motor skills and patterns, aquatics, dance, individual and group games, and sports. Aquatic instruction is not part of Anoka-Hennepin curriculum at any grade level. Students with conditions such as obesity, temporary injuries, and short-term illness or disabilities are termed special needs students.  Special needs students are not eligible for Developmental Adapted Physical Education.

The DAPE teacher is a direct service provider, not a related service provider, because physical education for children with disabilities is a federally mandated component of special education services. This means that physical education needs to be provided to the student with a disability as part of the special education services that a child receives. This is contrasted with physical therapy and occupational therapy, which are related services. (MN DAPE Best Practice Operational Guide September, 2012)

Referral and assessment procedures

For initial DAPE assessment, after physical education interventions are first attempted, the physical ed. teacher refers a student for assessment by completing the Physical Ed. Checklist.  The DAPE Teacher then attends child study to discuss these concerns with the team and review the checklist to determine if assessment is necessary.  Comprehensive assessment requires 30 days once parent permission is received.  

DAPE criteria:

According to Minnesota a student is eligible for Developmental Adapted Physical Education if the team determines the student meets the criteria in items A and B below.

1. The pupil has one of the identified disabilities listed; autism spectrum disorders, deaf-blind, emotional or behavioral disorders, deaf or hard of hearing, specific learning disability, developmental cognitive disability, severely multiply impaired, other health disability, physically impaired, visually impaired, or traumatic brain injury.
2. The pupil is determined by the team to need specially designed physical education instruction because:
   • The pupil's performance on an appropriately selected, technically adequate, norm-referenced psychomotor or physical fitness instrument is 1.5 standard deviations or more below the mean. The instrument must be individually administered by appropriately licensed teachers.
   • The pupil's development or achievement and independence in school, home, and community settings is inadequate to allow the pupil to succeed in the regular physical education program as supported by written documentation from two or more sources of data: motor and skill checklists, informal tests, criterion-referenced measures, deficits in achievement related to the defined curriculum, medical history or reports, parent and staff interviews, systematic observations; and social, emotional, and behavioral assessments.

*For complete information regarding eligibility requirements, refer to Minnesota Rule 3525.1352

Service Delivery

With specialized DAPE instruction and necessary modifications, the majority of Anoka-Hennepin students can have their needs met within the least restrictive physical education setting.  A small percentage of students require DAPE instruction within the special ed. setting rather than physical education class. They require this setting due to intolerance of the gym environment or safety concerns to self or others.  This decision will be made on an individual basis according to the needs of the student.

• Instruction in a Least Restricted Environment (LRE) refers to adapting or modifying the physical education curriculum and/or instruction to address the individualized abilities of each child. Adaptations are made to ensure that each student will experience safe and successful participation. Placement is outlined in the IEP and may include one or more of the following options:
• The regular physical ed. setting with peers and indirect DAPE consultation with physical ed. teacher
• The regular physical ed. setting with specialized DAPE instruction and/or para educator support
• DAPE instruction within the special ed. small group setting
  
  
  

Adapted athletics

Contact Peter Kutches at 763-506-8550 or peter.kutches@ahschools.us with any questions about 7th-12th grade cognitive impaired or physically impaired teams for the following sports; soccer, floor hockey, bowling, and softball.

Additional community activities

• Miracle League MN/Metro North:http://miracleleaguemn.com/
• Special Olympics: http://www.specialolympics.org/sports.aspx
• Ham Lake Lanes: http://www.hamlakelanes.com
• Professional Karate Studios: http://www.professionalkaratestudios.com
• Swim America: http://www.swimatfred.com/
  
  

Research has shown that students with an optimal level of wellness are more receptive to the learning process. Therefore, Anoka-Hennepin health service staff strive to promote the health of students and promote a healthy school environment.

The primary goal of health services is to eliminate/minimize health related barriers to learning. To accomplish this, health service staff, as part of the school team, strives to:

• Promote student and staff wellness.
• Provide skilled nursing.
• Protect students' well being.
• Enhance healthy behaviors.
• Encourage self-care.
• Assess and communicate student health concerns through referral to parents/guardians.

The model of health services in Anoka Hennepin Schools uses a combination of school nurses (RNs) and health para educators, some of which are licensed practical nurses.

Health paras perform health office/clerical functions, care for ill and injured students, and carry out delegated nursing activities performed under the RN's supervision.

The school nurse is responsible for coordinating and managing the health needs of individual students during the school day as well as promoting health and safety for all students at a given site. They also provide training, delegation and supervision of the health para.

The health service coordinator supervises the health service department. She is responsible for school nursing program planning, quality assurance, staffing, and responding to crises.

Does your child have health insurance? If not, help may be available:  http://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/health-care/

Service determination
To receive OT in schools, students must first qualify for special education and then secondly demonstrate needs that impact their ability to function in their educational environment as determined by the educational team.

Scope of practice
Occupational therapy (OT) as an educational support service can be quite different from OT in a medical setting. School-based therapists focus on assisting students to acquire the functional abilities necessary to access educational materials and adapt to their educational environment. The focus is to build skills, adapt tasks, expectations, and environments in order to facilitate the student’s success within their educational setting.

Resources

The role of the physical therapist in the educational setting is to help students access the educational environment and participate in educationally related activities as part of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Physical therapy is a related service provided as part of an IEP as determined by the student’s team.

Role of a School Psychologist:

• Administer psychological and educational tests, and other assessment procedures as part of comprehensive special education evaluations;
• Interpret assessment results;
• Obtain, integrate, and interpret information about student behavior and conditions related to learning;
• Provide individual or small group counseling to help students overcome emotional, behavioral, or emerging mental health problems;
• Support Special Education Staff through working with the student on identified social and emotional goals and objectives on the ESR/ IEP;
• Consult and collaborate with staff and families to support student’s emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs in the classroom setting; 
• Participate as a member of the Intervention Team (I-Team) to provide support in developing appropriate interventions to support emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs in the classroom setting.

Student Population Served:

School Psychologists provide service to students who have qualified for special education services and have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). School Psychologists may also see general education students who are experiencing a crisis or in a crisis situation for a limited amount of time.

Resources:

• Childhood Apraxia of Speech
• Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonological Processes
• Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
• Stuttering
• Voice Disorders
• Language Based Learning Disability
• Selective Mutism
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Minnesota Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• PACER Center
• The Stuttering Foundation
• Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America
• Learning Disabilities Association of America