Special Education

     Ionia Public Schools, in cooperation with the Intermediate School District, offers special education programs for school district residents who qualify for services from birth to age 26.  Our district serves as a center for several county special education programs. 

       A continuum of specialized programs is offered for learning disabled, speech and language impaired, emotionally impaired, educable mentally impaired, physically and otherwise health impaired, trainable mentally impaired, and pre-primary impaired students. The continuum includes consultant services, resource room programs, categorical classrooms, and departmentalized programs.  At the Middle School and High School, services focus on Transition needs that will enable students to move toward adult life. 

     The special needs of every student are considered when developing an individual education plan (IEP).  Parents are actively involved in the planning and implementation of their child's program. 

      A major emphasis of all Ionia special education programs is to provide the maximum involvement appropriate in regular education, while at the same time servicing the unique learning needs of each disabled student.  Innovative programs involving team teaching, community based instruction, pre-vocational exploration and vocational programming at Heartlands have been implemented.

     Professionals who support special needs students include the instructional staff, school psychologist, social worker, physical therapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, teacher consultant, and director of special education.