SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

Each school district in New York State is required by law to establish a Committee on Special Education (CSE), comprised of parents and professional school personnel, which reviews the needs of each student referred and determines if she/he is determined as student with an educational disability. A continuum of services is available for any student identified by the Committee as student with an educational disability.

The school district is also responsible for the placement of preschool students (ages 3 and 4), who have been identified by the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) as preschool student with an educational disability. This Committee is comprised of parents, a representative of Erie County, a representative of a preschool education agency, and other professional personnel, which review the needs of each student, referred and will determine if she/he is determined as student with an educational disability.

If you suspect your child may have a disability, please contact the Office of Special Education & Student Services at 716-891- 6429, your child's teacher, or your child’s building principal. You may also locate information on the following link to the New York state website, http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/parentsguide.pdf, related to a parent’s guide to special education in New York State for children ages three through twenty-one.

CHILD FIND

The Cheektowaga Sloan Union Free School District is committed to providing all students with a free and appropriate public education. Our goal is to provide all students with the necessary and appropriate support to be successful. In order to meet our students’ needs, we engage in a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible, young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of an Early Intervention Program (EI) or Preschool Special Education services (CPSE) and Committee on Special Education (CSE) services through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

To receive special education programming and services, children must meet eligibility guidelines according to IDEA. IDEA requires all states to have a "Comprehensive Child Find System" to assure that all children who are in need of special education services are located, identified, and referred. The District is committed to identifying children with disabilities and providing necessary, appropriate services and support within the least restrictive environment. If you believe that your child may be a child with a disability or in need of support services, please contact the Office of Special Education & Student Services at 716-891-6429.