San Benito County Office of Education and Selpa
Our mission is to develop and provide quality instruction to students with disabilities. Our goal is for our students to be engaged, encouraged, empowered, and educated.
SBCOE offers special education programs in partnership with the school districts. Together the COE and LEAs provide students with disabilities between the ages of birth to 22 with a full continuum of options with the emphasis on serving students in the least restrictive environment. The program and services for all students served are determined by an IEP team.
We operate the following regional special education programs and services:
Early Start Infant Program (ES) for children with special needs from ages 0-3 years. SBCOE in partnership with San Andreas Regional Center (SARC) provides Initial Intake Evaluations to determine eligibility
SBCOE also provides developmentally appropriate educational intervention and parent/care giver training to families & infants and toddlers ages 0 – 3 who are: blind or visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, orthopedically impaired and/or have global developmental delays.
Our skilled interdisciplinary team, in conjunction with the family, completes an appropriate assessment and builds an individual family service plan (IFSP) that best reflects the child’s needs. The intent of the program is to support families to acquire developmentally appropriate skills necessary to promote the child’s development.
Early Childhood Special Education Program (ECSE) for children with special needs from ages 3-5 years.
A pre-school age child may be eligible for special education if he or she meets the criteria of one of the disabling conditions recognized by the IDEA.
The program provides screening and assessment services. The program offers an integrated, non-categorical special education program with a variety of support services. Using neuro-developmental methods and research based instructional practices; the educational focus is on early learning needs.
Itinerant Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program (DHH)
The DHH staff serve students who are deaf or have hearing loss in a variety of settings throughout the twelve San Benito County school districts. The DHH teachers provide unique information about the impact of hearing loss on language development, communication, academic and functional skills.
Itinerant Orthopedically Impaired Program (OI)
The OI staff serve students with physical disabilities in a variety of settings throughout the twelve San Benito County school districts. The OI teacher provides unique information and services to enable students with physical disabilities to function effectively and develop skills necessary for independence.
Itinerant Visually Impaired Program (VI)
The VI staff serves partially sighted, low vision, legally blind, and blind students in home-based, early childhood, general education, special education, and transition settings throughout many of the twelve San Benito County school districts. The VI teachers provide unique information and services (e.g. curriculum adapted to Braille, large print, tactile or audio and assistive technology ranging from simple stand magnifiers to complex electronic Braille to print devices.
The Orientation & Mobility Specialist provides services to students whose visual impairment interferes with their ability to move safely through the environment (e.g. cane walking, street crossing, use of public transportation, etc.).
Braille Services: The Braille Transcriber performs daily braille translation and transcription of printed material and oral instructions, prepares copies of tests, study materials, textbooks, charts, and other tactile graphics.
Itinerant Special Education Programs/Services:
To South County Rural School Districts – Bitterwater -Tully School District, Cienega School District, Jefferson School District, Panoche School District, Southside School District, Tres Pinos School District, and Willow Grove School District
To SBCOE Alternative Schools – San Andreas Continuation High, Santa Ana Opportunity, and Pinnacles Community & Court Schools
The special education team provides direct instruction, and serves that may include: Specialized Academic Service provided by Resource Specialist Program (RSP), Speech and Language Specialist (SLP), Educationally Related Occupational Therapy (OT), Educationally Related Mental Health Services, and Case Management & Consultation (e.g. IEP development, implementation, and review) and Administration Services.
Keith Thompson Non-Public School (KTNPs)
KTNPs, located on the Chamberlains Children’s Center campus (CCC) is a school for children who are unable to sustain a public-school placement due to severe disruptive behavior related to a severe emotional disability. SBCOE in partnership with CCC provides special education administrative oversight, school psychologist, SLP, and OT services.
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