Welcome to Special Education at Farnsworth Aerospace Special Education and Support Services are available to Farnsworth Aerospace students who qualify in the areas of learning disabilities, speech and language, emotional/behavioral disorders and other health disabilities. To gain access to Special Education Programs and Support Services, students must first be evaluated by the special education staff.  Teachers and parents can initiate an evaluation.  Appropriate interventions within the classroom setting must be completed before testing can be considered.  Parents are invited to all special education meetings and are considered an integral part of the team. Special Education and Support Services include: Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Teacher Amy Sparks Phone:  651.293.8675  ext. 2009 Email: amy.sparks@spps.org Heather Hara Email:  heather.hara@spps.org Phone: 651.293-8675 ext.1109 1.  Student is not achieving as expected in areas of reading, listening, mathematics, written expression, or oral expression. 2.  Student might not seem to understand written or oral information. 3.  Student might seem to have trouble organizing his/her thoughts and ideas, or materials and space. 4.  Student might not seem to remember information learned. 5.  Student might not be able to adequately express information learned, thoughts, or ideas. 6.  Student seems to have average general knowledge, and adequate intellectual abilities. Communication Disorders-Speech or Language Disabilites Linda Pruden, M.S. CCC/SLP  Email: linda.pruden@spps.org Phone: 651.293.8675 ext. 1119 1.  You have trouble understanding your child's speech. 2.  Student has trouble pronouncing age appropriate sounds. 3.  Student can't seem to remember or understand directions, details, or classroom rules. 4.  Student might have problems describing things or retelling stories with adequate detail. 5.  Student can't seem to follow a conversation or maintain a topic of conversation. 6.  Student seems to have a limited vocabulary (including synonyms, antonyms, & etc.) or does not have an age-appropriate vocabulary. 7.  Student's voice quality is excessively rough, hoarse, or breathy; volume and pitch might be too high, low, loud, or soft. 8.  Student repeats certain sounds, syllables, or words, stops sounds, or prolongs sounds.  These students might not talk much at all as a way to protect themselves fom embarrassment. Hearing Impairment Kim Allgor   1. Students have a history of failed hearing screenings. 2. Difficulty hearing is impacting their education. Emotional and Behaviroal Disorders Bridget Hayes   Email: bridget.hayes@spps.org Phone: 651.293.8675 ext. 1159 1.  Student might have a difficult time making and keeping friends, isolates him/herself from peers or is isolated by peers. 2.  Student might be physically or verbally aggressive toward peers or adults. 3.  Student seems to have trouble sitting still, 'fidgets' or seems restless more often than not. 4.  Student seems to act without thinking, interrupts others, moves without permission, seems distracted by things unrelated to the task at hand. 5.  Student might be obsessed with certain thoughts, fears, worries, or objects. 6.  Student might seem disconnected from what is happening around them, to be in his or her 'own world' more often than not. 7.  These behaviors have a significant negative effect on the student's learning, work completion, or that of his/her classmates. Support Services: Motor and Physical (Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Adapted Physical Education) Sarah E Johnson, Occupational Therapist Email: sarahejohnson@spps.org Janet Squires, Physical Therapist Email: janetsquires@spps.org 1.  Students might have difficulty manipulating classroom objects (scissors, pencils, etc.) 2.  Student seems to have difficulty with coordination stability, and organization skills. 3.  Students might seem especially sensitive to sound, light, temperature, touch, or tast, might seem to 'hide out' or easily get over-stimulated. 4.  Student might have poor posture or contol of posture. 5.  Student might have difficulty moving from place to place. Terri Smith, R.N. , Nurse Email: theresa.smith@spps.org Phone: 651.293.8675 ext. 1179 Bonita Byers, Psychologist Email: bonita.byers@spps.org Kim Allgor, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired Mary Garrison, District Representative Email: mary.garrison@spps.org Special Education Staff Wendy Tevlin, Special Education Teacher Heather Hara, Special Education Teacher Linda Pruden, Speech/Language Pathologist Bridget Hayes, Social Worker Terri Smith, Nurse Janet Squires, Physical Therapist Sarah E. Johnson, Occupation Therapist Bonita Byers, Psychologist Kim Allgor, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired Joan Filmore, EA Mary Garrison, District Representative SPPS Special Education Website