Special Services

CHILD FIND SERVICES

Federal regulations provide that child find requirements apply to highly mobile children (e.g., migrant and homeless children), and to children who are suspected of having a disability, even though they are advancing from grade to grade. Child Find is also charged with the responsibility of identifying preschool-aged children who are suspected of having a disability. The Child Find office in Widefield assists parents and others within the community by facilitating and coordinating the process of identifying suspected children and insuring that these children receive evaluations to determine if they are eligible for services under IDEA. The Widefield Child Find Coordinator may be reached by telephone, below, or through the email address provided above.

CHILD FIND COORDINATOR

(719) 391-3378

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Colorado Department of Education - Child Find
• Watching Your Child Grow & Learn Brochure English/Spanish

NURSING SERVICES

Eight full-time Registered Nurses and two Certified Nurses Assistants make up the special services nursing staff. Registered nurses gather health and social histories as part of the evaluation process of all special needs children. They participate in district Child Find screenings and also perform health assessments and screenings as part of the special services evaluation process. Nurses administer the district's medication policy, monitor all medical procedures performed upon children within district schools and provide consultive assistance to district staff on the health-related concerns of individual children. Nurses are responsible for making medical referrals and vision referrals for children who require medical assistance. Registered Nurses are responsible for monitoring the district's immunization requirements.Widefield nurses may be reached individually by their telephone listings below or through the email address provided below.

NURSES:

• Lisa DeFouw (719) 391-3057  defouwl@wsd3.org

• Megan Nellis (719) 391-3082  nellism@wsd3.org

• Katelyn Watson  (719) 391-3382 watsonk@wsd3.org

• Nelda Dettwiler (719) 391-3066  dettwilern@wsd3.org

• Mary Beth Thomas (719) 391-3073  thomasm@wsd3.org

• Lindsey Mellott (719) 391-3060  mellottl@wsd3.org

• Tina Vigil (719) 391-3067 vigilk@wsd3.org

• Danielle Sheffield (719) 391-3068 sheffieldd@wsd3.org

CNA:

• Cydney Kiger (719) 391-3076 kigerc@wsd3.org

• Kendra Waits (719) 391-3076 waitsk@wsd3.org

PHYSICAL MOVEMENT

Physical Movement Services are provided by an Adapted Physical Education Teacher and assistant, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists. Services are available to children who have been evaluated as possessing physical disabilities or orthopedic problems which impair their ability to make progress in the general school environment. Improved access to the school environment and to the use of learning tools is the mission of Motor Services. Members of the Motor Services Department provide both evaluation of children's needs and direct service in adapted physical education and in physical therapy and occupational therapy. Widefield motor therapists and teachers may be reached individually by their telephone listings below or through the email address provided below.

Adaptive Physical Education
Cathy Flores
floresc@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3074

Physical Therapy
Bev Brodie  
brodieb@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3065

Jeanne Johnson  
johnsonj@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3065

Occupational Therapy
Jaimie Hunsicker
hunsickerj@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3070

Jane Scescleifer
scescleiferj@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3070

Megan Paben
pabenm@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3055

PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Six full-time and two part-time school psychologists currently make up the special services psychological staff. All psychologists serve as designees for the Executive Director of Special Education at staffings to determine eligibility and placement for children with suspected disabilities.

Psychologists use ability tests to determine how children process information, and they also provide formal and informal evaluations of how children's emotions and behaviors might affect their school performance. Psychologists evaluate child development and adaptive behavior. They conduct behavioral assessments and assist in the development of behavior plans for children with behavior problems. They provide consultative assistance to other professional staff, parents and school administration.

Widefield school psychologist's participate in group counseling with children who have been placed in many of the district's special programs, and they provide short-term individual counseling, crisis counseling and intervention when needed.

Psychologists may be reached individually through the email address provided below:

Cate Perry
perryc@wsd3.org

Lisa Potter
potterl@wsd3.org

Leilani Keefer
keeferl@wsd3.org

Jolene Tryon
tryonj@wsd3.org

Catherine Black
blackc@wsd3.org

Serena Chan
chans@wsd3.org

Barb Davis
davisb@wsd3.org

Abby Kilgore
kilgorea@wsd3.org

SENSORY & AUGMENTATIVE SERVICES

The Sensory and Augmentative Services department is staffed by teachers of children with vision and hearing handicaps, and by a specialist in augmented and adapted communication systems. In order to receive assistance from vision and hearing handicapped teachers, children must possess vision or hearing sensory impairments which prevent them from making adequate progress in school. The augmentative communication specialist collaborates with members of a team of professionals in the development of augmented and adapted communication systems. These communication systems help children with sensory and motor handicaps to communicate with others within the school environment and within their homes. Members of the Sensory and Augmentative Services department may be reached individually by telephone (below) or through the email address provided above.

VISION TEACHER
Jayme Cusimano
jcusimano@csdb.org

HEARING TEACHER
(719) 391-3151

AUGMENTATIVE SPECIALIST
Jaimie Hunsicker
hunsickerj@wsd3.org
(719) 391-3050

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES

The Office of Special Education employs four full-time social workers. Through their facilitation of group counseling, community and outdoor experiences, and classroom activities, social work staff members provide direct service to children who have been placed in district self-contained programs for emotional problems. They also provide consultative assistance to other professional staff, parents and school administration. Social workers network with outside agencies on behalf of children with disabilities. They facilitate placement in day treatment and in hospitalization when required. They also provide short-term individual counseling, crisis counseling and intervention when needed. Social workers provide backup coverage to the special services teams in each building, assisting with parent contacts and family assistance when requested. Widefield social workers may be reached individually by their telephone listings below or through the email address provided below.

SOCIAL WORKERS

Meredith Faas
faasm@wsd3.org

Katie Gassett
gassettk@wsd3.org

Julie Parker
parkerj@wsd3.org

Eileen Pollack
pollacke@wsd3.org

Lisa Smith
smithl@wsd3.org

Lawton Stephens
stephensl@wsd3.org

Becky Witt
wittb@wsd3.org

HELPFUL WEBSITES

• ADD/ADHD
• Behavior Doctor
• CSEFEL - Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
• Kids Against Bullying
• National Autism Center
• One Place for Special Needs
• PBIS world
• Teaching Pyramid