Special Education and related services are provided to all Wauwatosa schools, including services at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, the Child and Adolescent Treatment Center and the Milwaukee County Detention Center. Over 95 percent of children with disabilities attend school at the neighborhood school. Special education teachers, para-educators, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists work closely with general education teachers as services are provided to children.

Special Education:

• Not as a separate entity but in collaboration and cooperation with all staff members,
• Includes a continuum of services offered to ensure student success,
• Serves students in the least restrictive environment in which they can be successful (LRE),
• Uses a variety of techniques, strategies and methods to address the different styles and rates of learning that students with disabilities exhibit,
• Uses technology to assist students to reach their potential,
• Assists classroom teachers in providing necessary modifications for students to be successful,
• Is provided in the neighborhood whenever possible,
• Is driven by student need not categorical label,
• Involves parents and partners in decision making about their child's educational program, and
• Is a service not a place 

Special Education Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What special education services are available in Wauwatosa?

The Wauwatosa School District provides services to students who are identified as students with a disability in the following areas:

•Autism

•Learning Disability

•Speech/Language Disability

•Cognitive Disability

•Orthopedically Impaired

•Visually Impaired

•Emotional Disability

•Other Health Impaired

•Traumatic Brain Injury

•Hearing Impaired

•Significant Developmental Delay

Q: How does my child qualify for special education services?

A referral for a special education evaluation can be made by a parent, teacher, principal, or another individual who suspects the child may be a child with a disability.  Each school in the Wauwatosa School District uses Multi-Level Sytem of Support (MLSS) as a framework formeeting the needs of struggling learners. MLSS teams meet on a regular basis throughout the school year to review student progress, plan interventions, and monitor student progress.  When a child is referred for a special education evaluation, an Individualized educational Program (IEP) team is convened to determine if there is a need for special education due to a disability.  Parents are members of the IEP team.

Q: What happens if my child is found to have a disability?

If the IEP team determines a student has a disability and needs special education, parents have to consent for their child to receive special education services.  Upon parent consent, an IEP team, that includes a parent, develops an initial Individualized Educational Program (IEP).

Q: What is an IEP?

An IEP identifies a student’s strengths and describes their overall academic performance as well as functional performance (social, emotional, organization).  A student IEP will include annual goals that target the area of disability.  Finally, an IEP will describe the special education services and accommodations that your child will receive due to their disability.  Your child may or may not receive other services through a school; however, the IEP is specific services and accommodations that are related to his or her disability.     

Q: What Schools in Wauwatosa provide Special Education Services?

Special Education Services are available in every school in Wauwatosa.  Over 95% of students in Wauwatosa receive their special education services in their neighborhood school.