Santa Clarita Valley Special Education Local Plan Area, or SELPA, officials are encouraging parents with children who may have special needs to contact their local school district office.

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“SELPA is a support system for neighboring districts to provide special education services,” said Tracy Peyton-Perry, director of the Santa Clarita Special Education Local Plan Area.

The Santa Clarita Valley SELPA, includes the Castaic Union, Newhall, Saugus Union, Sulphur Springs and William S. Hart Union High school districts.

The districts collaborate to provide special education services to students with identified disabilities from birth to age 22, officials said.

Once referred to as special education, students are assessed to determine the disability and its impact on school performance.

Students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, partially sighted or who have autism, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, an orthopedic handicap, learning disability, traumatic brain injury, speech and language disorder or other health impairment are eligible for special education services.

“We develop an individual education plan based off the student’s assessment and use it to place them in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment,” Peyton-Perry said.

The individual education plan is determined at a team meeting where parents, teachers and staff determine eligibility, specific goals, placement and services.

The Special Education Location Plan Area’s services include community outreach, child find activities, training and staff development, information and referral, funding and compliance, interagency compliance and family support.

The organization offers several services including an early intervention program for infants and toddlers from birth to three years old with vision impairments, orthopedic impairments or hearing loss.

SELPA is also involved with the Transitional Learning Charter, which provides students 18 to 22 years old with Life Centered Career Education.

More information can be found at the organization’s website.

To make a referral, contact your local school district.

Here’s a listing of Santa Clarita Valley school districts’ District Special Education Offices and their contact information:

Castaic Union School District
28131 Livingston Ave
Valencia, CA 91355
661-257-4500

Sulphur Springs Union School District
27000 Weyerhaeuser Way
Santa Clarita, CA 91351
661-252-5131

Newhall School District
25375 Orchard Village Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
661-291-4182

William S. Hart Union High School District
21380 Centre Pointe Parkway
Santa Clarita, CA 91350
661-259-0033

Saugus Union School District
24930 Avenue Stanford
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
661-294-5309

Santa Clarita Valley SELPA
24930 Avenue Stanford
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
661-294-5398

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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