Special Services

  • Phone: 405.533.6322     Fax: 405.533.1156     314 S Lewis St, Stillwater, OK 74074

About Special Services

  • Policy EHBC - Policy EHA-R3 

    Special programs are designed to serve those who are handicapped in any of the following categories: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness or hearing impairment, developmental delays, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment.

    If you have any questions about the programs offered by Stillwater Public Schools, please call Special Services Director, at 405-533-6300.

    Parents of children who are currently receiving special education services through an IEP or a 504 plan should follow the communication chain below.

    • Questions about the IEP or 504 are directed to the “teacher of record” who manages the IEP or 504 plan for your child.
    • Concerns or complaints related to your child’s IEP or 504 that are not satisfactorily resolved should be directed to the building principal.
    • Questions about general education classes or building-related activities are directed to the school principal or assistant principal.

      FERPA

      • FERPA - Directory Information Notice

        The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that the district, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, the district may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the district to the contrary in accordance with district procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the district to include this type of information from your child’s education records in certain school publications. Examples include:

        • A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;

        • The annual yearbook;

        • Honor roll or other recognition lists;

        • Graduation programs; and

        • Sports activity sheets, such as wrestling, show the weight and height of team members.

        Two federal laws require local educational agencies (LEAs) receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide military recruiters, upon request, with the following information – names, addresses, and telephone listings – unless parents have advised the LEA that they do not want their student’s information disclosed without their prior written consent. Directory information will not be released to outside organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

        If you do not want the district to disclose directory information from your child’s education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the superintendent in writing. The district has designated the following information as “directory information”, and it will disclose that information without prior written consent:

        • Student’s name

        • Grade level (i.e., first grade, tenth grade, etc.)

        • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports

        • Degrees, honors, and awards received

        • Weight and height of members of athletic teams

        • Photograph

        No parent or eligible student can opt out of the requirement that a student wears his or her ID badge which shows the student’s school ID number.

      Child Find Notice

      • Child Find Notice

        This notice is to inform parents that Stillwater Public Schools is dedicated to locating, evaluating, and identifying all children ages 3 through 21 with an established or suspected disability. Child find efforts include those not enrolled in school, as well as those attending public or private schools, Head Start, and other child care or treatment facilities. Children, not school age, must reside in the boundaries of Stillwater Public Schools to be included in the Child Find efforts.

        Stillwater Public Schools offers a comprehensive screening and multidisciplinary referral, evaluation and eligibility process for the identification of children with suspected disabilities. Referrals are confidential and services are provided at no cost to the parent. The parent, legal guardian, or surrogate parent retains the right to refuse services and are provided other procedural safeguards under federal and state law.

        As mandated by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Stillwater Public Schools is required to fully inform parents that personally identifiable information is maintained on all children who are referred and evaluated under the provisions of Child Find.

        The types of information sought may include but are not limited to: parent concerns, developmental, adaptive behavior, social-cultural, health/medical, vision, hearing, motor, perceptual/processing, behavior, psychological, vocational and information gained through observations in the classroom or other environments.

        It is the responsibility of Stillwater Public Schools to inform parents/guardians of their rights under the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
         
        Stillwater Public Schools provides a broad continuum of services available in order to ensure a free, appropriate, public education to qualified students. For more information concerning eligibility criteria and referral procedures, contact:
         
         
        Office of Special Services 
        314 S. Lewis
        Stillwater, OK 74074
        (405)533-6300

      23-24 Related Service Providers

      Off-Site Activities

      • Students that utilize an alternative educational curriculum also have access to participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Participation requirements in these activities vary by activity, but is ultimately a decision of the student's IEP team. 

         Adaptive Aquatices Programs 

        The Stillwater Public Schools adapted aquatics program is a learn-to-swim program held at the
        Stillwater Family YMCA. Program goals are individualized for each participant and may include:
        increasing comfort in the water, improving motor skills, learning swim strokes, and/or increasing
        physical endurance. Intermediate and advanced level participants have an opportunity to compete on
        our Special Olympics swim team.

        Therapeutic Swim Program 

        The Therapeutic Swim program is an educational component of the OSU Academic Program Recreational Therapy, School
        Kinesiology, Applied Health, & Recreation (Program). This program Is designed for Program Recreational Therapy and Pre-Health students to gain valuable
        Hands-on experience-with preschool through middle school-age students diagnosed with developmental delays, autism, intellectual delays, and/or physical disabilities. This program uses the warm water pool to provide a variety of activities to promote increased stamina, balance, strength, agility, cognition, confidence, interaction, and water skills.

        Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program

        Students who participate in Turning Point Ranch’s therapeutic riding program will work toward a
        horsemanship skill in every session. The program provides for the physical development of core strength,
        balance, coordination as well as skills they can use outside the areana like, self-control, social skills, self-confidence, independence, and teamwork. Their
        goal is to provide a skill progression that peels away support and encourages independence.

        Special Olympics 

        The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

        Some of the sports we participate in are:

        • Fall: Bowling, Basketball Skills, Swimming (select students who attend the Friday adapted aquatics program)

        • Spring: Bocce, Softball Skills, Cornhole

        • Summer Games hosted in Stillwater in May: In order to compete in Bocce at the summer games, students must participate in the Bocce Spring event

         

        Students do not have to participate in every sport.

         

        Paperwork must be fully completed by February 28th each year in order to participate in Spring Sports and the Summer State Games.

        Special Olympics Oklahoma

      Post Secondary Transition

      • Life after a career in public education can be intimidating for anyone!

        Every student, regardless of disability, should have an opportunity to work towards meaningful employment, community engagement, and recreational opportunities. In order to provide assistance in reaching these goals, the state of Oklahoma provides additional resources that can be utilized to achieve these goals. 

        Department of Vocational Rehabilitation 

        Oklahoma DDSD home and community based waivers program 

      2019 - 5 Year File Destruction Letter (2024)

      If you are having trouble viewing the document, you may download the document.

      Executive Director

      Special Education Records Requests

      • Julie Thibodeau
        Special Services Administrative Assistant
        Phone: 405.533.6322
        Fax: 405.533.1156
        [email protected]

      Special Services Links