Special Education

Empowering Every Learner, Celebrating Unique Abilities

We are dedicated to supporting every learner through inclusive, individualized services that honor each student’s unique strengths and potential.

We believe every student deserves the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Through personalized instruction, targeted supports, and strong collaboration with families, we work to help each child grow, build confidence, and reach their full potential.

Our team of educators, specialists, and support staff is committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where students feel valued, supported, and have a true sense of belonging.

Together, we prepare students for success in school and in life—empowering them with the skills, confidence, and support they need.

Continuum of Alternative Placement for Services

Students receive special education services based on their individualized needs through the IEP (Individualized Education Program). Services are provided in the least restrictive environment (LRE), meaning students learn alongside their peers as much as possible while receiving appropriate support.

Placement options range from general education classrooms to more specialized settings, depending on the level of support needed.

Instructional & Program Services

Specialized Academic Instruction: Adapting the content, methodology, and delivery of instruction to ensure access to the general education curriculum with appropriate staff and services.

Specialized Academic Instruction-Moderate/Severe: Emphasizes communication, mobility, life skills, and specialized health care on an individualized basis served in a self-contained setting.

Alternative Programs: Emphasizes social/emotional and behavior management systems to assist the student to participate in the core curriculum as an alternative to a non-public school.

Non-public School: Non-public schools are privately operated, publicly funded schools that specialize in providing educational services for students with needs so exceptional that they cannot be met in a public school setting.

Preschool Assessment Center (PAC): Provides required assessments for students transitioning from Inland Regional Center (IRC) prior to their third birthday to the district, school-based specialized academic instruction, and/or related services, if needed.

Adult Transition Program (ATP): includes opportunities in district programs and in addition serves 18-22-year-olds with moderate to severe handicaps, as they transition into adulthood. This includes community-based instruction opportunities.

Related Services

Speech/Language Services: Part-time instruction and services provided to students with disabilities to enhance the development of speech and/or language skills. Services may include assessment, direct individual and/or small group instruction, monitoring of and instruction on the use of assistive communication devices, consultation and collaboration with special education personnel, and communication with parents.

Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS):
Psychological Counseling: Services provided by a credentialed or licensed psychologist pursuant to an IEP.

Behavior Intervention Services: A systematic implementation of procedures designed to promote lasting, positive changes in the student‟s behavior resulting in greater access to a variety of community settings, social contacts, public events, and placement in the LRE.

Adapted Physical Education: A physical education program designed and taught by a credentialed APE specialist to meet the individual developmental and physical needs of students with disabilities. Services may include assessment, direct instruction, and/or consultation/collaboration with special education personnel.

School-based Occupational Therapy: provides children with various needs with positive, fun activities to improve their cognitive, physical, and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment with the school based model.

Low Incidence Services

Deaf/Hard of Hearing: develops effective communication systems for the pupil while developing academic, social, and emotional skills.

Orthopedically Impaired: reflects the core curriculum as presented in the regular classroom with modifications dictated by the individual's physical limitations.

Visually Impaired (VI) Itinerant: Itinerant teaching services may include direct instruction to students who are visually impaired, adaptations to regular and/or individualized curriculum materials into large print or Braille, monitoring of low-incidence materials and equipment, consultation, and collaboration with regular and special education personnel.

Assistive Technology: Assistive technology is the technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals that help people with disabilities access computers or other information technologies. For example, people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer, people who are blind may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice, people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content, people who are deaf may use a TTY (text telephone), or people with speech impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard.

Orientation and Mobility: Individualized instruction in basic travel techniques, which may include pre-cane skills and use of the long cane for students who are visually impaired. These services are provided in a variety of environments, including the classroom, school site, residential, and commercial areas.

Nursing Services: May include assessment; consultation with parents, teachers, and other staff members; training of support personnel (e.g., instructional aides) and certificated staff in specialized physical health care needs and procedures; monitoring medications and health status of individual students; consultation regarding adaptations/modifications to the regular or special education program; and/or direct services to students with disabilities; consultation with physicians.

Other Services

Job Coaching: provides work experience and employment skills for secondary students with disabilities.

Extended School Year (ESY): serves eligible students, as determined by the IEP team, to maintain critical skills during the summer.

Community-Based Instruction: provided at every comprehensive high school campus and at our Adult Transition Program (ATP).

Intensive Individual Services: a support aide is used when students have severe medical/safety concerns.

Transportation: Busing for students who require access to their special education services.

Inclusion in Action

Learn how inclusive practices support student success, strengthen school communities, and ensure access for all learners.

Benefits of Inclusion

Social-Emotional Development: Builds empathy, peer relationships, and stronger classroom communities.

Equity & Access: Ensures all students have the opportunity to learn in the least restrictive environment (IDEA; California Education Code §56040).

College & Career Readiness: Inclusion develops collaboration, independence, and real-world skills valued beyond K–12.

Student Success

Family & Community

Family and Community Engagement: Strengthens partnerships through shared responsibility, collaboration, and a culture of acceptance.

Educational Environment: Inclusion promotes diversity, collaboration, and equitable learning opportunities for all students.

Empowering Staff: Educators are supported through collaboration, professional growth, and innovative practices to meet the needs of all learners.

Governance & Student Access

California Education Code §56040: Ensures every student with exceptional needs receives a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

IDEA (20 U.S.C. §1412): Requires that students with disabilities are educated with peers to the greatest extent appropriate.

Section 504 & ADA: Protect access to educational programs, services, and activities.

Participation: All grade-level extracurricular activities—including performances, dances, and field trips—must provide opportunities for participation, with parent/guardian awareness and consent.

Search & Serve

Legal Notices & Resources

Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS)

The Lake Elsinore Unified School District is pleased to offer a variety of Educationally Related Mental Services (ERMHS) to students being served through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Services include Individual Counseling, Group Counseling, Case Management, and Behavioral Support. Our staff includes three Mental Health Counselors, three Behaviorists, a Job Coach, and a Linkage Specialist who are regionally assigned to support schools throughout the district.

Community Advisory Council (CAC)

The RC SELPA Community Advisory Committee for special education parents is an organization or group that works in collaboration with a school district or educational institution to ensure the effective delivery of special education services to students with disabilities. The committee typically consists of parents or guardians of children with special needs, along with educators, administrators, and other community members.

The primary purpose of the Community Advisory Committee is to provide a platform for parents to voice their concerns, share their experiences, and advocate for the needs of their children within the special education system. The committee serves as a bridge between parents and the school district, facilitating communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Additionally, the Community Advisory Committee often organizes workshops, training sessions, and informational events to empower parents with knowledge about special education laws, rights, and resources. These initiatives aim to enhance parent engagement and equip them with the tools necessary to actively participate in their child's education and decision-making process.

LEUSD has 5 parent representative positions who participate in the RC SELPA.

2025/2026 Parent Representatives

Athena Bond
Amanda Hawkins
Vacant
Vacant
Vacant

LEUSD is a member of the Riverside County SELPA CAC

RCSELPA CAC Website

FERPA Disclosure Notice

FERPA Requirement for Disclosure of Student Records Pursuant to Litigation

Update: View information about California Department of Education, the Morgan Hill Case, and Student Privacy.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) sets out requirements for protecting the privacy of parents and students, including student records. Generally, parents and/or students must provide written consent before an educational agency may disclose PII. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. Specifically, an educational agency must provide PII upon a court order.

The CDE is obligated to inform the parent or student that the court has ordered it to produce documents and/or data that includes those individuals’ PII, and that such persons may object directly to the court regarding this disclosure. To that end, and to comply with FERPA, we have provided a link to CDE’s website for parents or guardians to use in obtaining and filing a Notice and Objection Form required by FERPA.

This link http://www.cde.ca.gov/morganhillcase will be posted from February 1, 2016, through April 1, 2016. The link provides the Notice and Objection Form required by FERPA.

Requisito de FERPA para revelación de los registros estudiantiles de acuerdo a litigación

La ley de privacidad y derechos educacionales familiares (por sus siglas FERPA) fija los requisitos para la protección y privacidad de padres y estudiantes, inclusive la privacidad de registros estudiantiles. Generalmente, los padres y/o estudiantes deben proporcionar permiso escrito antes de que una agencia educacional pueda revelar información personalmente identificable (PII). Sin embargo, existen excepciones a esta norma general. Específicamente, una agencia educacional debe proporcionar PII cuando lo pide un tribunal.

El CDE tiene la obligación de informarle al padre o al estudiante que es orden del tribunal que produzca documentos y/o datos que incluye PII de esa persona y que dichas personas pueden objetar directamente al tribunal referente esta revelación. A ese fin y para cumplir con FERPA, hemos proporcionado un enlace al sitio web del CDE para que los padres o tutores puedan obtener y registrar un formulario de aviso y objeción requerido por FERPA.

Este enlace link http://www.cde.ca.gov/morganhillcase será mostrado desde el 1 de febrero, 2016 hasta el 1 de abril, 2016. El enlace proporciona el aviso y el formulario de objeción requerido por FERPA.

Search & Serve Notice (2026-2027)

Staff Directory