Adapted or specially designed physical education (APE) is about meeting the unique needs of individual students with disabilities. In APE, the instructor provides planning and assessment, consultation for general physical education teachers, specially designed instruction, and adapts or modifies the curriculum, task, equipment, and/ or environment so a child can participate in all aspects of physical education. APE and general physical education teachers work together to design meaningful and beneficial instruction for all students.
Audiology includes the identification of children with hearing loss; determination of the range, nature, and degree of hearing loss, including referral for medical or other professional attention for the habilitation of hearing; provision of habilitative activities, such as language habilitation, auditory training, speech reading (lip-reading), hearing evaluation , and speech conservation ; creation and administration of programs for prevention of hearing loss; counseling and guidance of children, parents, and teachers regarding hearing loss; and determination of children's needs for group and individual amplification , selecting and fitting an appropriate aid, and evaluating the effectiveness of amplification.
The International Dyslexia Association defines "dyslexia" as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (Adopted by the International Dyslexia Association Board of Directors, November 12, 2002)
Occupational therapy means services provided by a qualified occupational therapist or COTA; and includes improving, developing, or restoring functions impaired or lost through illness, injury, or deprivation; improving ability to perform tasks for independent functioning if functions are impaired or lost; and preventing, through early intervention, initial or further impairment or loss of function.
Physical therapy, as a related service, includes gross motor development; mobility; use of adaptive equipment; and consultation and training in handling, positioning, and transferring students with physical impairments.
Speech-language pathology services include:
Visually impaired services are provided to individuals within the district who have been identified as having a visual impairment that impedes their ability to gather information in their educational setting. Services are provided to individuals from birth through their high school graduation.
Teachers of the visually impaired work with outside agencies (TSBVI / DARS/ Easter Seals), families, and students to reduce the barriers to learning associated with vision loss.