Michelle Dohar, Supervisor
330-856-8200
ext. 68215

Provisions for Identification and Evaluation of Children with Disabilities

     The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that assures children and youth with disabilities a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The Howland Local Schools District provides a continuum of special education programs and services for preschool and school-age students with disabilities.

     Child Find: “A Search for All Children with Disabilities” Child find is the process of identifying, locating and evaluating all children from age three to twenty-one who may have a disability and be in need of special education and related services, regardless of severity of the disability. The district seeks to identify, through child find, all children in the Howland Local Schools District who attend a public or non-public school in the district or who are homeless or wards of the state who may be in need of special education and related services.

     A child with a disability is a child having a Cognitive Disability (e.g. Mental Retardation), Hearing Impairment (including Deafness), Visual Impairment (including Blindness), a Speech or Language Impairment, an Emotional Disturbance, and Orthopedic Impairment, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Deaf-Blindness, or Multiple Disabilities.

Parents, relatives, public and private agency employees, and concerned citizens are asked to help the Howland Local Schools District find any child who may have a disability and need special education and related services. If you are aware of a child who may have special needs, please notify Michelle Dohar, Special Education Supervisor at 330-856-8200 Ext. 68215.

Gifted Education

     According to HB 282, the Howland Local Schools district routinely screens students for gifted learner identification in the areas of superior cognitive ability, specific academic achievement ability, creative thinking ability and visual and performing arts ability. All qualifying students are considered for available services in the district.