Special Education / Student Support Services

DEPARTMENT STAFF

Vacant, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources/Special Education, Ext. 3012
Romeo Diacosta, Special Education Technician, Ext. 3089
Juan Murillo, Resource TOSA, Ext. 3088
Gilbert Araiza, Assistive Technology Aide, Ext. 3032

The San Ysidro School District is dedicated to identifying, locating and assessing all students within the district who may have disabilities, and providing appropriate support and/or related services to those students determined by an educational evaluation.

The District is committed to providing eligible students with disabilities a free and appropriate public 
education consistent with federal and state laws, including those students enrolled in private schools, 
wards of the state, highly mobile students with exceptional needs, etc.

These services are provided based on the individual needs of the student. After a team , comprised of 
educational professionals and the parent(s) determine a students’ unique needs and consider a variety of 
factors an Individual Education Program (IEP) is created. An IEP is a legal document that describes how 
the San Ysidro School District provides services to a student with exceptional needs. Student Support 
Services are provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)

If you have any questions regarding a specific disability or service we provide, please contact us at
(619) 428-4476 Ext.3089

Individual Education Plan

Each student that is determined to have a disability has a yearly plan called an Individual Education Plan or IEP. An IEP is developed by a team of individuals that are familiar with the student’s needs.

The IEP team, of which the parent is an important member, determines a student’s eligibility and identifies any needed program, aids, services, and instruction considered necessary for the student to progress in school. The needed program, aids, and services must be provided in the LRE (Least Restrictive Environment).

Special Education Defined by the California Education Code

The California Education Code (Section 56031) defines special education as:

  • Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of individuals with exceptional needs, whose educational needs cannot be met with modification of the general instruction program
  • Related services that help individuals with special needs to benefit from specially designed instruction. Special education is an integral part of the total public education system. Other features of special education are:
    • It is provided in a way that promotes maximum interaction between students with and without disabilities in a manner which is appropriate to the needs of both;
    • Services are provided at no cost to parents;
    • It provides a full range of program options to meet the educational and service requirements of individuals with exceptional needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The LRE is generally the setting that is most similar to those attended by general education students.

SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS

Assistive Technology (AT) :

help individuals with disabilities acquire and use appropriate Assistive Technology (AT) to help them participate in activities of daily living, employment and education.

    • iPads
    • Computer Software

Ipad

School-Based Occupational Therapy (OT) :

Is designed to enhance the student’s ability to fully access and be successful in the learning environment.

This might include:

  • Handwriting
  • Fine Motor Skills
  • Sensory Processing:
    • Problems can result from difficulties in how the nervous system receives, organizes, and uses sensory information from the body and the physical environment for self regulation, motor planning, and skill development.
  • Sensory Diet:
    • Programs involving a daily schedule/plan with a menu of individualized, supportive sensory strategies and materials. These are used throughout the day to help manage sensory processing problems and related emotions and behaviors.

Sensory Rooms:

are special rooms designed to develop a child’s sense, usually through special lighting, music, and objects. It can be used as a therapy for children with limited communication skills.

Photo Camp:

Photo Camp inspires children to explore their communities through a camera’s lens and to share their vision through public presentations and exhibitions.

Photo Camp introduces students to principles of art; such as unity & variety, balance, focal point, proportion & scale, rhythm, observation and criticism. Students were asked to capture images in three specific areas; portraits, community, and culture.

Social Skills Groups

VIVA LA GIRL

Program Coordinators:

Nitza Corrales Romero, School Psychologist
Lizcett Porras, School Psychologist

Mission:

Viva La Girl’s mission is to improve academic achievement, attendance, and social-emotional well-being, by fostering female role models.

VIVA LA GIRL and RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI):

Viva La Girl has also become a valuable resource as part of Response to Intervention. Since the focus of RtI is to provide early interventions within the general education setting to foster academic and behavioral success within a three-tiered model, It seemed appropriate to add Viva La Girl to the behavior component of Response to Intervention. Viva La Girl includes general education and special education students.

R.O.C.K. BOYS (Respect, Ownership, Citizenship, Knowledge)

Program Coordinator:

Manolo Paul, School Psychologist

Focuses on improving behavior and academic success while building relationships, promoting self-esteem, creating a positive self-image, building relationships, becoming a positive role model, promote health and fitness and build resiliency. Boys involved in the group have one or more of the following risk-factors.

  • Have negative/disruptive behavior in school settings
  • Have high truancy rate and absenteeism
  • Have low academic success
  • May appear to have low self-esteem
  • Unable to handle pressure and anxiety

The goals of the R.O.C.K. Boys’ Group is to outreach and build positive mentoring relationships with peers, to utilize boys’ “real life” experiences by teaching them alternatives for positive results, to affect personal change, to positively connect with school and recognize academic achievement as a key to success and happiness.