Special Education
Traverse City Area Public Schools offers a full continuum of programs and services to eligible students. Eligibility is based on meeting specific criteria for one or more disabilities and a determination of whether or not special education is necessary for the child to benefit from the educational program. Despite the law requiring a student to have a disability label, the label does not determine the individual programs, services or placement for the student. Programs and services are offered for students with the following eleven (11) handicapping conditions:
- Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Physically or Otherwise Health Impaired (OHI)
- Pre-Primary Impairment (ECDD)
- Speech and Language Impaired (SLI)
- Hearing Impaired (HI)
- Visually Impaired (VI)
- Emotionally Impaired (EI)
- Severely Multiply Impaired (SXI)
- Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI)
- Educable Mentally Impaired (EMI)
- Learning Disabled (LD)
Traverse City Area Public Schools provide services in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Whenever possible the student will attend their neighborhood school and be educated in the general education classroom with his or her peers. Special education services are provided through various programs such as categorical, resource room and teacher consultant programs throughout the district. Only when necessary to meet a student’s unique educational needs and goals will consideration be given to providing services in other locations.
Following a comprehensive evaluation, a student’s individual education planning team will recommend how and where to best meet the student’s special needs. These recommendations may include one or more specialized instruction programs or related services.
In cooperation with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (TBAISD) programs for Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Autistic, Trainable and Severely Mentally Impaired, Severely Mentally Impaired and other disabilities are available for our students.