Special Services Q&A
Thank you for partnering with us during this difficult time. As we continue to work together, we will update this document as we receive new questions. If you have additional questions, please send them to Catherine McNulty, Ph.D., Director of Special Services, Katonah-Lewisboro School District, at cmcnulty@klschools.org
support for students who struggle with executive functioning
We understand that these times are challenging for all our families for a variety of reasons. Many students who struggle with executive functioning may find aspects of distance learning to be daunting. While our special education teachers and related service providers have been individually assisting families in this regard for specific students, we understand all families may benefit from some suggestions from our educators.
Please see Supporting Executive Functioning Skills at Home developed for parents by Dr. Deanna Spoto, KLSD school psychologist. Dr. Spoto recently presented to staff on the topic of executive functioning and her presentation is also shared on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are we holding Annual Review meetings while schools are closed?
A. We are doing our best to hold meetings and are prepared to continue to hold them virtually if the governor does not reopen schools. We are in the process of scheduling more meetings for the months of May and June. Please know that it takes our office staff longer to process the invitations for these meetings as each invitation has to be generated and sent via email individually, which is different from the typical process. To date, over two hundred meetings have been held using Zoom and the teams have found this to be easy to navigate. If you prefer to have your meeting conducted via conference call with the committee, please contact the Office of Special Services.
Q. Will we have our Extended School Year (ESY) program this year?
A. We plan to hold our ESY program in person this summer if the governor opens schools. If the schools do not reopen before the fall, we are preparing to offer ESY services virtually, to the extent practicable. We will continue to update families on the guidance we receive from NYSED regarding ESY programming as we receive it. Eligibility decisions for ESY programming will continue to be made by the CSE based on several factors, including a student’s present levels of performance, and whether the period of review or reteaching required for the student to recoup the skill or knowledge level attained by the end of the prior school year is beyond the time ordinarily reserved for that purpose at the beginning of the school year.
Q. How are we supporting students during this time?
A. Our special education teachers and related service providers have been actively working to find the most appropriate ways to meet our student’s individual needs while schools are closed. With the District’s shift last week to new instruction, our special education teachers have been solidifying their schedules to provide more direct support for their students. Special education teachers are collaborating with general education teachers to provide accommodations and modifications to support students in accessing the general curriculum. Related service providers are implementing related services virtually and will continue to do so to the greatest extent practicable. This practice, known under the broader term of telepractice, has been approved by NYSED for services for students with disabilities.
Q. Are we working with Westchester County to support our CPSE students?
A. Yes. We continue to review all guidance we receive from Westchester County, which is responsible for contracting with approved special education providers to furnish special education and related services to preschool children with disabilities. We also contact them directly to ask questions and obtain necessary information for our families. We have also been in communication with preschool programs and agencies as they implement telepractice services. We will continue to hold as many CPSE meetings virtually as possible.
Q. Are we conducting initial evaluations while schools are closed?
A. While we are processing all initial referrals received by the Office of Special Services, we are adhering to the guidance from the Department of Education which stated that evaluations of students with disabilities requiring face-to-face assessment or observation must be delayed until schools reopen. We are keeping track of all initial evaluations that have been conducted, and will conduct all outstanding evaluations that will be required by the committee when we are able to do so. Parents do not need to re-refer their children in the fall in order for the testing to be conducted.