The Los Lunas Schools offer a full range of school placement options to serve all district students with disabilities ages three to 21. The district's philosophy is to provide an individualized program for each student in the least restrictive environment. Every school in the district has at least one special education teacher. Programs cover the full continuum of option including support in the regular classroom, resource rooms and self-contained classes for students who need more support

Access to all special education programs is through a formal team assessment process initiated at the student's home school. Once the student is determined eligible as a special education student, the assessment team develops individual goals and makes a placement recommendation. The student's disabling condition does not dictate program placement. Each student's placement is based on the student's individual needs.

A variety of special education programs are designed to meet the needs of individual students. Typical programs may include.

• Resource Rooms in each school with at least one special education-trained teacher
• Self-Contained Programs for the Mildly, Mild/Moderate, Severely and Severely Multiple Disabled with programs based on the assessed individual needs of each student.
• Programs for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders help students learn to manage their behavior and develop appropriate pro-social skills.
• Work Study, Pre-Vocational Programs, and Independent Living Skills at the secondary level are community based and geared to move students toward functional independence.

All documents relating to the eligilibility of the district under Part B of the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are available to parents of children with disabilities and to the general public. For access to these documents, please contact the Special Services Offices at 866-2440.

Preschool Programs for the Developmentally Delayed

This early intervention program provides half-day sessions for developmentally delayed three to five year olds. Individual goals are set for every child in each qualifying area of development. Needed support services are provided by occupational/physical therapists, vision, hearing/audiology, speech and language pathologists, and the school nurse.

Child Find (ages three to five)

In an effort to plan for students with special needs, all preschool children in the Los Lunas Schools District, ages three to five, are offered a screening which provides the school district and parents with information on a child's development. The purpose of the screening is to identify any disability that may affect a child's success in school. This screening will not indicate readiness for kindergarten. The screening, which is offered at a minimum of three times a month, includes vision, hearing, fine, and gross motor skills, language, social, and articulation skills. Child Find Brochure in .pdf

For additional information, call Los Lunas Schools, Special Education Department, at 866-2440.

Child Find (ages five to 21)

Child Find for students ages five to twenty-one is ongoing in consultation with local pediatricians, the state Department of Social and Health Services and parents.

Related Services

Los Lunas Schools provides a wide range of services that allow disabled students to benefit from special programs. These related services include audiology/hearing impaired, vision/orientation, and mobility, physical and occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, psychological/social work services, transportation and school nurse services.

All related services are provided to students as part of an individualized Educational Program (IEP) developed annually by each disabled student's teacher, parent and therapists (IEP Facilitators). The IEP ensures that special services are an integral part of the student's overall school life and properly support the efforts of the classroom teacher. Any parent who feels that their child is in need of a related service in order to make progress toward goals developed as part of the IEP is encouraged to discuss that need as part of an IEP review.

Often, a child's only disability will be in the areas of speech or language. If a parent feels that speech or language therapy is needed for a child to be successful in school, the parent should contact the building principal and discuss the possible need for a referral to the speech and language pathologists.

For additional information, call the building principal or

Deborah Dominguez-Clark , Assistant Superintendent of Special Services
Phone: 505-866-2440