Special Education

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Speech & Language/Deaf Education Coordinator, (615) 451-6368

Sumner County Schools offers speech and language servicees to eligible student speech, language, or communication needs. Services are available in the areas of speech sound production, language, fluency, and voice. To receive services, the student meet eligibility standards set forth by the Tennessee State Department of Education. Services may include direct therapy, inclusion in the student's classroom, consultation, or collaboration with other educations. An IEP Team at the school will meet on an individual basis to determine what services a student needs. If you have concerns about your school-age child, please contact the Speech Language Pathologist at your child's school.

Sumner County Schools also provides evaluations and therapy to eligible students who have turned 3 years old and are not yet in school. If you have concerns about your child's speech or language development, please call (615) 451-5414 to discuss the need for an evaluation.

Links for Parents

Speech and Language Development

Speech and Language Disorders

Professional Organizations

Therapy Ideas

School Psychologists

School psychologists are experts in psychology and education who serve children in the school setting. School psychologist have three main goals in this environment:

Promote quality education for all children;
Be a child advocate; and
Promote mental health in the school setting.

School psychologists provide a wide array of services to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. These services may include the following:

Providing individual assessment of students to evaluate academic, intellectual, perceptual, social-emotional, and behavioral functioning;
Identifying the special needs of students and helping to plan their educational program;
Making presentations at teacher in-service trainings;
Consulting with parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals in the community to enhance services to students;
Developing behavioral interventions and behavioral management plans for students;
Assisting with the development of crisis management plans; and
Assisting teachers and administrators with compliance and procedural safeguards.

School psychologists in the state of Tennessee hold Masters Degrees (MA, MS, MEd) , Educational Specialist Degrees (EdS), or Doctoral Degrees (PhD, EdD, or PsyD) in Psychology, specializing in Education. School psychologists are licensed by the State of Tennessee, Department of Education or by the State of Tennessee, Board of Healing Arts. Many school psychologists are also certified by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

School psychologists adhere to the Codes of Ethics of NASP and/or the American Psychological Association (APA). The Professional Standards of the Tennessee Association of School Psychologists provides guidelines for the delivery of school psychological services within Tennessee.

If you have questions for a school psychologist, contact your child's school.

Links for Parents

Sumner County Schools Early Learning Department handles Child Find, please call 615-451-6352, if your child is school age please contact the school you are zoned for.

Public Awareness And Child Find For Individuals With Disabilities

Each school system in Tennessee has the responsibility of providing a free and appropriate public education for all certified children with disabilities between the ages of 3 through 21 years of age. This includes students who are gifted, whose needs cannot be met in the regular education program.

Special education services are available in all schools in Sumner County, including the Union Year-Round School and Merrol Hyde Magnet School, for children meeting the enrollment criteria. The Sumner County School System does not discriminate against students with disabilities. An IEP team at the school will meet on an individual basis to determine what services a student needs.

If you know of any individual who may have a disability and is not receiving special education services, please call (615) 451-5420. Someone will be glad to talk with you about possible services. Early detection and intervention are very important.

If you think your child may have a disability, and your child is between birth and thirty-six months (age 0 to 3 years), please call Tennessee's Early Intervention System (TEIS) toll free number, 1-800-852-7157. This system will help families locate services for infants and toddlers with disabilities before the child reaches school age.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Speech & Language/Deaf Education Coordinator, (615) 451-6368

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Assistant to the Audiologist, (615) 451-5414, ext. 1063

Every child who meets the criteria of Hearing Impaired or Deafness may be eligible to receive appropriate audiological services through the Special Education Department. Consultative and direct services including manual and oral interpreters and classes for hearing impaired children with trained Deaf Educators are available and determined by a child's IEP Team. Audiological evaluations are available at the Sumner County Board of Education upon referral from Speech/Language Pathologists, medical professionals, teachers, preschool programs, and parents. As required by law, hearing is screened in the schools in Kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and fifth grades and upon referrals by teachers. Those who fail the screening are then evaluated by the audiologist with appropriate referrals for further treatment as needed.

Sumner County offers a variety of FM assistive listening devices for classroom use, depending upon the child's individual needs and as determined by his/her IEP Team. These systems enable students with mild to severe hearing losses, auditory processing problems, and attention difficulties to participate more fully in the classrooms.

Hearing support staff work closely with the Speech/Language Coordinator, Speech/Language Pathologists, Special Education Coordinators, principals, teachers, and parents to ensure the most appropriate educational environment for the children. Efforts are made to communicate with parents and connect them with agencies that can help financially with the needs of their children if needed. An IEP Team at the school will meet on an individual basis to determine what services a student needs.

Links for Parents

Hearing Loss

Sign Language

Cochlear Implants

Tennessee Resources

National Resources

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., CHOICES Program Teacher, (615) 824-6200, ext. 239

A Community Transition Program

C reating

H ands on

O pportunities for

I ndependence

C ommunication &

E mployment

S kills for success

What is CHOICES?

This program is a joint effort between student, parents, adult service providers and the Sumner County Board of Education. The program uses a person-centered approach for the students. Their wants and needs are identified and an individualized education plan is developed by the student and their team based on the needs identified. Instructional areas include the following:

Independent Living
Vocational/Employment
Social/Leisure/Recreation
Life-long Learning Opportunities

Why CHOICES?

The CHOICES program will allow students to begin experincing adult activities in the community while having the support of the school system. Students will be able to expand work hours and responsibilities, further develop independent living skills, participate in community based recreational/leisure activities of their choice, and begin establishing social relationships in the local community.

CHOICES will allow the student to explore options and begin trying out his/her vison for their life as a young adult. It will also allow the student and their family to further develop linkages with adult service providers and to encourage interagency coordination among the individual's support team.

When can a student enter the CHOICES program?

Students may enter into the CHOICES program after completing the minimum requirements for high school graduation. Upon completion of the requirements for graduation, the student may participate in a social commencement where he/she will receive a certificate of attendance. An IEP Team at the school will meet on an individual basis to determine what services a student needs.

What is the enrollment process?

Students and their families will be asked to decide whether or not they wish to participate in the CHOICES Program during the fall semester of their "senior" year. This will allow the student to participate in the social commencement and allow the school to plan for staffing.

Where is CHOICES located?

The program is currently located at the Beech High School Annex. The long range goal for this program is to be housed at a location in the community.

Assistive Technology

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The Sumner Connect site is the technology information and training hub to support Sumner County educators, students, and parents.