FARMINGTON—The Davis School District (DSD) special education program serves 10-11% of the district’s population and provides opportunities for children with all types of disabilities. The department is staffed with physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, counselors, teachers for the deaf and visually impaired and many more specialists who help children thrive.

“We’re careful to provide the least restrictive environment for them,” said Special Education Director Tiffany Midgley as part of a presentation to the school board. “We try to engage students and meet them wherever they are. Our expectation is to provide them an education that meets their goals so they can eventually leave DSD like every child, ready to perform.”

Resource is a pullout program, said Lisa Wall, Mild/Moderate K-12 & School Support Director. “Students walk down to the resource room from their general education class which is where they receive core instruction.”

Secondary schools have different periods so there might be co-teachers, she said. “One would be for special education and the other a regular teacher. When they turn 14 we develop a transition plan that is updated every year with the student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program).”

In 11 to 18 schools there are School Support Facilitators, said Wall. “They work with curriculum, student behavior, inclusion, autism and brain injury. They also talk to parents if needed. They’re invaluable to us with all their experience and training. Any child currently residing or going to school in our district can be referred to us.”

Special programs include A.S.C. (Academic Social Communication), Wall said. “We might go out to the classrooms with a peer tutor or a teacher assistant. Students might also need behavior support. Some students require intensive instruction and academic needs into adulthood.”

Other students can’t be sustainable in a classroom, she said. “We have five classrooms that are supervised by our behavioral team.”

The department has 90 speech and language specialists and 51 school psychologists, said Taya Johnson, Director of Related Services. “They’re impacting 2,500 students a week. We have six teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing and 11 teachers for the visually impaired. There are four physical therapists who work with over 60 students a month.”

Vista is for students ages 18 – 22 with an IEP who haven’t graduated yet, said Vista Principal Jeff Williams. “We teach them adaptive skills like making change, ordering a meal, learning to read a bus schedule, etc. It’s not based on a regular curriculum.”

They use UTA to go out on job sites, he said. “We have a foods classroom where they make food. They also learn how to iron clothes, make a bed, how to dress correctly for a job, etc. We have a soda fountain shop and kids can order drinks from that. Students work there if they’re not community ready.”

The goal is for students to be as independent as possible, said Williams. “Some learn to tie their shoes and others get a job or go to DTC. Come see our students – you’ll fall in love with them.”