Special Education: LeBlanc Special Services Center
Our Location
QUICK FACTS
ADDRESS: 611 N. Burnside Avenue, Gonzales, LA 70737
CONTACT: 225-391-7211; 225-621-2534 fax
DIRECTOR: Lynn Hathaway
Special Education
Ascension Public Schools (APS) provides ongoing support to Students with Disabilities (SWD) across the district. The Special Education Department, LeBlanc Special Services Center (LSSC), provides a continuum of direct, related and support services. LeBlanc Special Services Center staff support schools to ensure that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is available to all students with disabilities residing within the jurisdiction of Ascension Parish, between the ages of 3 and 21. APS assures that all procedures for the development and implementation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process are followed.
Services offered may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Physical Therapy (PT)
- Special Needs Counseling (SNC)
- Adaptive Physical Education (APE)
- Speech Therapy
- Visual Impairment (VI)
- Hard of Hearing (HOH)
- Audiology
- Early Intervention
- Assistive Technology (AT)
- Community Based Instruction
- Talented (Art, Theater, & Music) and Academically Gifted (TAG)
Inclusion is the service model philosophy in Ascension Public Schools. Co-Teaching models are implemented by special education and regular classroom teachers who collaborate to provide the most effective instruction for all students.
The inclusion approach enables students with disabilities to remain in the general education classroom via the IEP process. Inclusion provides opportunities for all students to address curriculum in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities receive the expertise of the content teacher AND the expertise of the special education teacher and/or trained paraprofessional. Educators work together to provide high-quality instructional resources that support each student’s individual needs. The teachers work collaboratively to provide all accommodations as appropriate for each student as indicated in the student’s IEP.
The Director of Special Education is responsible for the general supervision of identification, location and evaluation activities/services for students who are suspected of being disabled and for the provision of FAPE to students with disabilities within Ascension Parish Public Schools jurisdiction.
Parental and Family Support:
LSSC employs two parent facilitators to support families across the district. The facilitators provide families with access to information, services, and advocate proactively to support students and/or parents’ needs. This support is available for parents/families of students who already qualify for special education services or have already been identified as a student with a disability.
A Letter from the Lynn Hathaway, director of special education!
Dear Family,
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the Director of Special Education for the Ascension Parish School System. Whether your student is beginning to receive special education services in our district for the first time or they are already receiving services in our district, I want you to know that we are excited to have the honor of partnering with you and serving your child.
The special education department is committed to supporting parents and working together to help your child be successful. There are several ways that our department engages with families: through email communication, IEP check-ins, as well as through our Special Education Advisory Council. Information about these and other programs can be found here on our website.
Welcome again. We look forward to working with you and your child.
Sincerely,
