The New Haven Community Schools is part of 21 school districts serviced by the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) which provides special education support.

Because the needs of the handicapped students are so different and frequently require special attention, students are tested to see if they meet state and federal qualifications guidelines.  If students qualify, a meeting is held with teachers and parents to determine support and an Independent Educational Plan (IEP) is written.  New Haven Community Schools provides opportunities for students with special education needs to participate in both general education and appropriate alternatives such as resource room and teacher consultant services. Our local programs include the following:

Speech and Language Services: We offer speech and language services to grades preschool through 12.  These services are government mandated and are part of the special education program.  A child must meet specific guidelines to qualify.  Communication disorders treated include those involving language, articulation, voice and fluency.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) children are students age three to seven who have not progressed in speech and language, social skills, or learning as most children do.  State and federal laws for special education set out guidelines for evaluation of these students and after proper evaluation a meeting is held to determine eligibility and an Individual Education Plan is written and the student can attend and receive any and all services that are deemed necessary by the IEP team. If the student needs further speech or other services, these services can continue into the elementary grades until the IEP team determines the student can either go into the general education without support or with whatever support he/she may need.

Learning Disabled (LD) students are identified after the Response to Intervention model, part of federal and state law, is applied and the student is not making the progress that might be expected. After a child study meeting is held, a referral may be made to the special education director. Most LD students receive their education in general education with the support of a resource room teacher or teacher consultant. In secondary buildings, most special education teachers are co-teachers along with the general education teachers. This allows the students to receive the same curriculum as the general education students. 

Process for the Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities: Technical Assistance Paper

Other areas of special education are Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotional Impairment, Cognitive Impairment and Physically Impaired or Otherwise Health Impaired, to name a few.  Each of these are treated individually to determine the needs of the student and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written.