Jackson board approves special ed compliance plan

The Jackson School Board on Tuesday approved the district's Special Education Compliance Plan, a course of action that spells out the rights of disabled students and the programs they are entitled to under state and federal law.

The compliance plan includes procedures for identifying and evaluating disabilities, defines eligibility requirements for programs, and outlines disciplinary policies.

The plan provides flexibility in identifying disabilities in early childhood. An evaluation may determine a specific disability -- such as autism -- in children ages 3 to 5, or, in cases where disabilities are not easily identified, the district may apply the label "Young Child with Developmental Delay." The district then may decide to leave the "delay" tag through kindergarten.

"For some kids we're not sure; we don't have a good clear picture," said Dr. Beth Emmendorfer, director of Special Services for the Jackson School District, adding that the options are a tool to help determine the best way to meet the needs of the child.