Special Education

Lakota’s Special Services Department is committed to meeting the unique needs of students with disabilities by offering a continuum of services as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA). Lakota offers a free and appropriate public education to children ages 3 through 21 that meet special education eligibility requirements in one of thirteen disability categories in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

Child Find

Lakota is in an ongoing effort to identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities in the district who are in need of special education and/or related services in accordance with Rule 3301-51-03 of the Operating Standards for Ohio’s Schools Serving Children with Disabilities.

If you know of a child up to 21 years of age who you suspect may have a disability, but is not currently receiving services through our school district, please contact one of Lakota’s Directors of Special Education by calling the Special Services department at 513-644-1212.

Special Education Process

A child’s eligibility for special education services is based on whether or not a qualified team of professionals determines the presence of a disability, the need for specially designed instruction and/or related services, and an adverse affect on the child’s education as part of an Evaluation Team Report (i.e., ETR). An evaluation team consists of parents/guardians, general education teachers, an intervention specialist, district representative, and school psychologist. Evaluation teams may also include support staff, such as a speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or adaptive physical education teacher.

An Individualized Education Plan (i.e., IEP) will be developed by a team of trained professionals that outlines the child’s special education services in the event that a child is identified with a disability.

Additional Resources

Special education supervisors are available to provide specialized information and guidance regarding assessment, specially designed instruction, related services support, or any other questions or concerns regarding a child’s educational placement.

Lakota’s parent mentor also provides information and support to families of children with disabilities. The mentor is a district employee and also the parent of a child with a disability. The parent mentor works to support the relationship between the school and the family of a child with a disability. All parent mentor services are free of charge to families; the Ohio Department of Education provides the funds for Ohio Parent Mentor projects.

Note: The Ohio Department of Education has requested that all Ohio public school districts provide parents with a copy of the Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement in Doe v. State of Ohio; click here to view the notice. Please direct questions to the ODE's Office of Chief Legal Counsel at (614) 752-5807.