By Sara McCarthy
Signal Staff Writer
Many have heard the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child,” and with that philosophy in mind, the Santa Clarita Valley SELPA special education organization supports children with known or suspected disabilities throughout their time in school.
SELPA stands for Special Education Local Plan Area, and it serves families with children who have mental, sensory, or learning disabilities. Created in 1977, SELPA is a government-funded organization that requires all school districts and county offices to provide for all special education services for children within the district and county’s regional boundaries, at no cost to the families.
“[SELPA] ensures that the needs of special education students will be met within their region, because sometimes the needs of a student are specific, that the school district may not have the staffing or the resources available to meet those needs,” Lisa Nakutin, SCV SELPA’s secretary, said in a phone interview.
The schools in which SELPA provides services within the SCV are in five local school districts along with a program for younger children, including:
- Castaic Union School District, 28131 Livingston Ave., Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Nadia Villapudua, director of student support services; 661-257-4500, www.castaicusd.com.
- Newhall School District, 25375 Orchard Village Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Gina Ramallo, executive director of student support services; 661-291-4182, www.newhallschooldistrict.com.
- Saugus Union School District, 24930 Avenue Stanford, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Darcie Quinn, director of student support services; 661-294-5309, www.saugususd.org.
- Sulphur Springs Union School District, 27000 Weyerhaeuser Way, Santa Clarita, CA 91351. Paul Frisina, executive director, special education and student support services; 661-252-5131, www.sssd.k12.ca.us.
- William S. Hart Union High School District, 21380 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91350; Joanna White, director of special education; 661-259-0033, www.hartdistrict.org.
- Early Start Program (ages 0-3 years), 20417 Cedarcreek St., Canyon Country, CA 91351; Jennifer Corugedo, coordinator of Early Start; 661-294-5332, scvselpa.org/apps/pages/EarlyStart.
SELPA aids youth with disabilities from birth up to the age of 22, with programs that adapt based on each student’s individual needs and their development over time. To receive services, children must be known to have at least one of the 13 primary disabilities. If parents suspect that their child may have a disability, they can contact SELPA at 661-259-0033 or their local school district to receive an assessment.
The thirteen primary disabilities are as follows: blindness, deaf blindness, hearing impairment, orthopedic impairment, multiple disabilities, autism, specific learning disability, health impairment, speech and/or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance and developmental delay.
“When a student is identified as having a disability, they will have an Individual Education Plan, or IEP,” said Nakutin. “It is an Individual Education Plan built for their specific needs and disability, and that’s renewed every year.”
Opportunities provided by SELPA are almost entirely developed to fit within the school year, with different programs given to each student based on their needs.
“The goal is always to provide students access to an education within the least restrictive environment,” said Nakutin. “When writing an IEP, the goal is to provide the services that are needed for the student to access the general education program.”
SELPA is dedicated to creating an effective learning environment for special education students, said Nakutin, and she advises any families who believe they could be assisted to contact SELPA or their local school district.
For more information on SELPA, visit scvselpa.org and/or call SCV SELPA at 661-259-0033.
