Westland School and the Special Education department provides a continuum of programs and services for students who have learning needs that lie outside the usual range of instructional differentiation provided in general education classrooms.

Special Education, Section 504, Assistive Technology, and Structured English Immersion, are all a part of the Special Education department.

Special Education

Westland School offers students a special education program based upon a partnership between regular education and special education. Student programming, based upon needs and not eligibility categories, ensures that all children can learn and all educators share the responsibility to make learning happen. Services include Specific Learning Disabilities in Reading, Writing, and Math, Speech and Language Therapy, Extended School Year and more..

Section 504

For a student to qualify for Section 504 protection, the student must meet three criteria: (1) a mental or physical impairment, (2) which substantially limits (3) one or more major life activities. If the student has an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, the impairment is a qualifying disability if it creates a significant barrier to the student’s ability to access the same educational opportunities afforded to non-disabled students. It is important to understand that all three criteria must be met before the student is eligible for Section 504 protection.

The 504 Team at your child’s school will consider the nature and severity of the disability, as well as how long, the disability is expected to last. Simply having a condition or disability does not automatically qualify a student for Section 504 protection. The condition must present a barrier to the student’s ability to access the same educational opportunities as that afforded a non-disabled student, or a substantial limitation does not exist. The 504 Team will also examine what mitigating measures have been taken to overcome the impairment. Mitigating measures are devices or practices that a person uses to correct for or reduce the effects of that person’s mental or physical impairment.

Contact Mrs. Ruiz at rruiz@westlandschool.net for more information.