Special Education/Section 504 Services

Interpreters

Qualified interpreters are available at IEP meetings upon request for parents/guardians whose native language is other than English. If a qualified interpreter is not available, District 90 may use outside vendors, including telephonic interpreters. Parents and guardians, including those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, may request an interpreter at IEP meetings by contacting the Director of Student Services. Requests for an interpreter at IEP meetings should be made at least 7 days before such meetings whenever possible.

Parents/guardians have the right to request that the bilingual interpreter provided at an IEP meeting serve no other role in the IEP meeting than as the interpreter. District 90 will make reasonable efforts to fulfill this request. Parents/guardians may contact Debbie Lubeck at [email protected] or 708-435-8287.

Special Services Staff

• Debbie Lubeck, Director of Special Education
• Kacie Bair, School Psychologist/Team Leader - Willard School
• Tiffanie Torrisi, Special Education Team Facilitator - Private and Parochial Schools
• Yolanda (Jolie) Feliciano, Special Education/Accounts Payable Clerk
• Courtney Orcholski, School Psychologist/Team Leader - Roosevelt Middle School (Grades 6, 7, and 8)
• Kara Orlando,  School Psychologist/Team Leader - Lincoln School and Roosevelt Middle School (Grade 5 only)

Inclusion Preschool 

The process to apply for the 2022-23 Inclusion Preschool is below.

Inclusion Preschool Lottery for 2022-23 Opens Tuesday, October 26, 2021

The District 90 Inclusion Preschool lottery for the 2022-2023 school year will be available online from October 26th at 9:00 a.m. until December 3rd at
11:59 p.m.  Students will be selected randomly through an electronic lottery process, with the results emailed to applicants by January 19, 2022. Students selected by the lottery will be invited to attend D90's Inclusion Preschool Program located at Willard Elementary School for the 2022-2023 school year. If you know a family with a preschool child, please share this information with them.

Applicants can access our online lottery application by visiting the 2022 – 2023 ONLINE LOTTERY APPLICATION from October 26 – December 3, 2021. The application takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. Lottery applications will NOT be accepted after December 3 at 11:59 p.m. for any reason. If your child is accepted, you will receive an email with an invitation to enroll and a list of documentation that you are required to submit. If your child is not accepted, you will be informed that they will be placed on the waiting list.

The District 90 Inclusion Preschool provides students with a positive, nurturing environment that fosters social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development. This program allows preschool students to access an environment, materials, and curriculum that help prepare them for Kindergarten. The classroom is comprised of 3, 4, and 5-year-old students who work and play with students of all abilities. The students' diverse learning needs are met by having a low student-to-teacher ratio, which provides individual and small group attention opportunities.

Below is important information about the lottery process:

• Child must be 3 years old on or before September 1, 2022
• Child must live within the River Forest School District 90 residency boundaries
• A separate application must be submitted for each child in a family
• The number of students who will be selected for the lottery will vary from year to year based on the number of available spots
• We are unable to reserve spaces in the Inclusion Preschool for siblings of students who are selected in the lottery or for siblings of students who are already attending the program.

Please see the materials below for additional information about the District 90 Inclusion Preschool.

• Inclusion Preschool Program Frequently Asked Questions
• Preschool Vision and Mission

Helpful Resources

• Inclusion Advocacy
• Test Preparation Suggestions
• Illinois State Board of Education Special Education Parent Training and Information Centers
• Community Support Services:Provides services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and for their families, including respite care. 
• IllinoisParents.org: A clearinghouse of resources for families and schools, aimed at strengthening school communities
• Illinois State Board of Education: Provides legal information and resources.
• Oak Park and River Forest High School: To go directly to the OPRF High School special education page, please click here.
• Understanding PUNS: Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services
• Suburban Access: Offers case management and service coordination to individuals with developmental disabilities throughout the south and west suburbs of Cook County.
• State of Illinois Developmental Disabilities and PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) resources. The PUNS information can be found in FAQs.
• West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA): Provides year-round recreation programs for children and adults who have a physical impairment, a mental disability, or any other type of disability. 
  • WSSR Fall 2021 Program Guide 
• National Pediatric Developmental Differences Forum: Provides information and resources to support children with developmental differences.

Disclaimer

The Special Education Department provides links to other websites only as a convenience for persons who visit our website. Our agency does not guarantee the accuracy or propriety of any information, offered services, or products contained in any website linked directly or indirectly to ours. Therefore, reasonable efforts should be made to verify information and services or product offerings contained in any website.

Homebound Tutoring

• An "ongoing intermittent basis" means the student's medical condition is of such nature or severity that it is anticipated that the student will be absent from school due to the medical condition at least two consecutive days multiple times during the school year, totaling at least 10 days of absences.

• Student's name and date of birth
• Physician's name and contact information
• Be completed by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches
• Specify the student's current medical condition
• Describe the impact of the student's medical condition on his/her ability to participate in education (including the physical and mental level of tolerance for school)
• State anticipated duration or nature of the student's absence from school
• State whether there is any reason the student cannot receive five or more hours of home instruction per week, and if so, why
• Physician's signature and date

Please contact Debbie Lubeck at [email protected] or call 708-771-8282 for more information regarding Homebound Tutoring.

Private, Parochial, & Home-Schooled Students

In accordance with the requirements of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (“IDEA 2004”), public school districts are required to spend a portion of their Federal Part B special education funds to provide identified students with disabilities who attend private schools with the opportunity to equitably participate in special education services offered by their district. As part of that process, we must conduct a public meeting in order to discuss our plans to fulfill that responsibility for the upcoming school year. In addition, we wish to hear your feedback and views in order to ensure that your voices are heard during this process. Finally, we also want to share information about how students with suspected disabilities can access the process offered by our district to screen and evaluate those suspected disabling conditions.

More information about the Timely & Meaningful Consultation can be shared by emailing Debbie Lubeck at L[email protected] or call 708-771-8282.