Eligibility for special education 

Eligibility for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education (IDEA) Act is considered when it is determined that the student’s needs are outside the realm of general education and more specialization is required for a student to make progress toward proficiency. 

CCSD 89 actively seeks out and attempts to identify all students in the district who have disabilities that significantly impact academic achievement and functional performance. When a concern is expressed either by school staff, student, or a parent, the student’s academic and social/emotional status is reviewed through a problem-solving process. Teachers and support staff, along with the student and parents, may develop and implement interventions and strategies to address needs. When interventions/strategies adequately meet the needs of a student, no further action is necessary.

When strategies and intervention plans are not successful in appropriately supporting a student, an individual assessment, referred to as a case-study evaluation, is initiated to determine eligibility for special education services. Eligibility for special education services requires a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of current and past interventions by a multidisciplinary team in order to determine the adverse effect of a student’s disability on their educational performance.

Continuum of services

Glen Ellyn Community Consolidated District 89 offers a full continuum of special-education services for students with disabilities. Special education is instruction and related services provided by special-education personnel or by a general-education program that has been modified through the use of special-education support services, supplementary aids, or other special programming.

CCSD 89 follows the state and federal laws that establish criteria for special-education eligibility. The federal government recognizes 14 categories under which children may qualify for special education. These disabilities include: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, or other health impairment.

CCSD 89 is a member of CASE, the Cooperative Association for Special Education in DuPage County. CASE professionals work closely with CCSD 89 staff in order to meet the needs of our students with disabilities. To learn more about CASE visit their website:  www.casedupage.com 

If you have concerns about your child

If you have concerns regarding your student’s progress either academically or socially, the first person to contact is your child’s teacher. Do not hesitate to ask the teacher to involve other professionals if it seems warranted. All schools have a social worker, psychologist, special-education teachers, and reading interventionists. Members of this team will collaborate with you to identify the next steps to address concerns.

If your child is a preschool-aged student and you have concerns about his or her development, please contact the Student Services office at (630) 469-8900. The district hosts regular Developmental Screenings to identify preschool students who may need further evaluation.

Interpreter services

Public school districts are required to take whatever action is necessary to facilitate a parent or guardian’s understanding of, and participation in, IEP and Section 504 meetings. This includes the provision of interpreter services for parents/guardians whose native language is not English or a sign language interpreter for parents/guardians who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In the absence of qualified interpreters on staff, school districts may use outside vendors, including telephonic interpreters. Parents/guardians have the right to request that an interpreter provided by the school district serve no other role during an IEP or Section 504 meeting, and the school district must make reasonable efforts to comply with that request.

To request an interpreter, or if you have any questions or complaints about interpretation services, contact Wendy Nadeau at (630) 545-3514 or by email at wnadeau@ccsd89.org. 

PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) eligibility

PUNS is a database of Illinois children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities who want or need services through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Developmental Disabilities. For your child with a documented intellectual disability to be added to the database, a guardian must complete registration for the “PUNS List” with their local Independent Service Coordination (ISC) agency.  Residents of CCSD 89 should follow the directions online or connect with: 

Service Inc. of Illinois (Area E)
Developmental Disability Services
1919 South Highland Ave., Suite A #230
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: (630) 425-2350

Once registered, ISC will conduct an annual update with the child's parent to plan for future service needs. It is important to register your child with a documented intellectual disability as early as possible as a person in the category of “planning for services” so there is no delay in acquiring the necessary services when the person turns 18 years of age.  CCSD 89's PUNS Liaison is Katie Kreller, Director of Student Services. Kreller can be reached at (630) 545-3515 or kkreller@ccsd89.org.