Special Education

Please visit our Adaptive Programs site

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive Technology (AT) is any tool that helps people function more effectively at home, school, work or play. For some students, AT is the lifeline that provides them with equal access to information and learning in the class room and the world.

How do I access my assistive technology team?

Any member of an Individual Education Plan team may initiate a referral to the Assistive Technology team. A referral form that documents the concerns of the team must be completed. Please contact your special education team for copies of this form. An evaluation will be scheduled by the Assistive Technology team, including some or all of the following: students, parents, special educators, general educators, speech/language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, and/or school nurse. There is no specific test for evaluating the need for AT. The assessment will be tailored to the unique needs of each student.

Assistive Technology Team:

AAC TEAM - Augmentative and Alternative Communication Team

• Tracy Little - SWAAAC Team Leader, Speech Language Pathologist, Meadow Point Elementary:
  720-886-8644
• Katie Price - Speech Language Pathologist
• Jenny Lippold - Speech Language Pathologist
• Jess Borysiewicz - Occupational Therapist

AAT TEAM - Academic Support Team

• Jennifer Goodson - Special Education Teacher
• Jess Borysiewicz - Occupational Therapist

The Cherry Creek School District will identify students with hearing loss or an auditory processing disorder, and then provide the opportunity for these students to pursue and develop to their full educational and emotional potential. Each child with an educationally significant hearing loss or auditory processing disorder is unique and receives an individual educational plan annually to determine needs and subsequent programming.

Educational Programs (Preschool to High School)

• Consultative services.
• Itinerant direct services at home school.
• Resource center-based classrooms.
• Self-contained classrooms.
• Oral, American Sign Language, and total communication available.
• Counseling for transition to college, trade school, etc.

Rachel Wormer, Speech Language Pathology Liaison
720-554-4338 | rwormer@cherrycreekschools.org

Jenn Shroyer, Speech Language Pathology Liaison
720-886-7021 | jshroyer@cherrycreekschools.org

TEAM

Audiology Department at Eastridge Elementary
11777 E. Wesley Ave. Aurora, CO 80014
720-554-4068

• Dr. Alina Peisley, Audiologist
• Dr. Holly Rice, Audiologist
• Staci Wilson, Assistant

Audiology Department at Eastridge Elementary
11777 E. Wesley Ave. Aurora, CO 80014
720-554-4068

• Dr. Shelly Miller, Audiologist
• Dr. Heather Guy, Audiologist
• Dr. Annelise Gerardi, Audiologist
• Stephanie Carter, Assistant

Approach to Programming for Students with Autism

In Cherry Creek, programs designed to meet the educational needs of children with autism provide a structured teaching approach to learning. As with any student qualifying for special education services, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) will direct the program. Long term goals for our students with autism include the development of functional skills, communication and independence. Special attention is paid to skills in the following domains: communication, social, academic, daily living, independence, sensory motor and vocational.

Services are provided in a continuum of environments ranging from self-contained to full inclusion settings, based upon the needs of each student.

Intensive early intervention is a priority. Programming for preschool age children reflects the research regarding the need for intensity at this age. School staff and parents combine efforts to deliver increased hours of service consistent with recommended practices.

Continued staff development is necessary to provide staff with the skills needed to provide quality programming for children with autism. Cherry Creek will continue to examine all in-service opportunities that focus on autism and keep staff trained in methodologies and/or strategies found successful for children with autism.

Autism Team

The Cherry Creek Schools Autism and Severe Needs Support Team is a group of professionals, employed by the school district, who have special training and expertise in assessments and programming for children with autism and severe needs.

The team acts as an internal consultant to special education teams within the district. The team provides a range of services to home school staff, including team intake, record review, play based assessment or interview if appropriate of students suspected of having an autism-spectrum disorder, development of teaching plans to meet the child's IEP goals and objectives, and collaborative problem solving of difficult behavioral and instructional issues.

Lead Members of the Autism and Severe Needs Support Team are: 

Andrea Ketterlin, Elementary Integrated Learning Center/Significant Needs Program Liaison
720 554-4256 | aketterlin@cherrycreekschools.org

Kyle Summers, Secondary Integrated Learning Center/Significant Support Needs Program Liaision
720-886-7026 | ksummers@cherrycreekschools.org

Julia Cooper, Severe Affective Needs Support Liaision
720 886-7024 | jcooper28@cherrycreekschools.org

Jenn Shroyer, Speech Language Pathology Liaision
720-886-7025 | jshroyer@cherrycreekschools.org

Dawn Mcbratnie, Assessment and Affective Needs Liaison
720-886-7052 | mcbratnie@cherrycreekschools.org

Xiomara Lee, Behavior Analytics Program Liaison
720 886-7065 | xlee@cherrycreekschools.org

Please visit our Child Find webpage

In the Cherry Creek School District, students with significant support needs are served through Integrated Learning Center (ILC) programs and attend their neighborhood school as much as possible. Out of 45 elementary schools, we have 40 ILC programs with specialized staff; and all of our middle and high schools have a severe needs (ILC) program.  Long-term goals for our students supported through ILC include the development of functional skills, communication and independence.   Special attention is paid to skills in the following domains: communication, social, academic, daily living, independence, sensory motor, and vocational. 

At the elementary level, students are included in general education with support as needed and as appropriate based on the student's strengths and needs.  General education curriculum is adapted and used as the foundation for these programs.  As with any student qualifying for special education services, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) will direct the program. 

Para-educator support is present at all elementary levels and fades as the students gain more independence.  There are transition plans created for students transitioning to the next level. 

At the secondary level, inclusion focuses on electives, after-school activities, and the general school community. Core subjects are often taught in the resource room and applied within the community as the students move into their high school and transition years. Community-based instruction is gradually increased during the student's secondary school years. 

Purposeful Inclusion is our district philosophy from preschool to age 21. Special education is a service, not a location, so individual needs should be carefully considered when determining the amount of inclusion for each student.

Kyle Summers, Secondary Integrated Learning Center/Significant Support Needs Program Liaison
720-886-7026 | ksummers@cherrycreekschools.org

Andrea Ketterlin, Elementary Integrated Learning Center/Significant Support Needs Program Liaison
720-554-4256  | aketterlin@cherrycreekschools.org

Rachel Wormer, Speech Language Pathology Liaison
720-554-4338 | rwormer@cherrycreekschools.org

Jenn Shroyer, Speech Language Pathology Liaison
720-886-7021 | jshroyer@cherrycreekschools.org

Please visit our Early Childhood Education website

ESY - Extended School Year 2025

Monday-Thursday (no class on Fridays)
8:30 am - 12:00 pm

Session 1:

June 2nd - 5th
June 9th - 12th

Session 2:

July 7th - 10th
July 14th - 17th

Locations: 

Aspen Crossing Elementary School - Elementary ESY
4655 S. Himalaya St., Aurora, CO 80015 

Endeavor School - Secondary ESY
14076 E. Briarwood Ave, Centennial, CO 80112 

The Journey - Preschool ESY
4360 S Pitkin St, Aurora, CO 80015 
 

Colorado state law defines the eligibility criteria for Specific Learning Disability. Current law uses a response to intervention model for identification. This model contains two major criteria a child must meet in order to be identified:

1. The child does not achieve adequately for the child’s age or to meet state-approved grade-level standards … when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child’s age or state-approved grade-level standards, and
2. The child does not make sufficient progress to meet age or state-approved grade-level standards … when using a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention as determined by a body of evidence
3. These criteria can apply to each of the eight areas of SLD identification:
   • Oral Expression
   • Listening Comprehension
   • Written Expression
   • Basic Reading Skill
   • Reading Fluency Skills
   • Reading Comprehension
   • Mathematical Computation
   • Mathematical Problem Solving  

Adriel Fullwood, Elementary, Moderate Needs Support Liaison
720-886-7047 | afullwood@cherrycreekschools.org

Stephanie Wise, Secondary, Moderate Needs Support Liaison
720 886-7025 | swise@cherrycreekschools.org

Occupational and Physical Therapies in Cherry Creek Schools

Both occupational and physical therapy are legally considered a “related service” to special education and are governed by federal laws and state and local mandates.  Occupational and physical therapists provide specialized services and supports to students with motor issues that significantly limit the student’s ability to access or participate in typical school activities and routines.  Services are focused on helping the student benefit from their specific educational plan. Occupational and physical therapists are part of student teams that include parents or guardians, classroom teachers, and special education professionals.  These teams make decisions about assessment and services based on the specific needs of each student.    

Occupational and physical therapists work in every school in the district. Assessment services are provided to infants and toddlers up to age three. For children age 3-5 both evaluation and intervention services through early childhood education programs. Information about services for children from birth to age 5 is available through Cherry Creek's Child Find office. 

Occupational and Physical therapy staff includes occupational therapists, physical therapists, and occupational and physical therapist assistants.  Therapists and assistants are fully credentialed in their fields and are licensed through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE).

Amy Barr, PT, DPT, Physical Therapy Program Liaision
abarr2@cherrycreekschools.org

Karin Jordan, M.Ed., OTR/L (she/her), Occupational Therapy Program Liaison
720-886-7029 | kjordan12@cherrycreekschools.org

Kara Peterson, Severe Affective Needs Liaision  (Elementary)
720-554-4463 | kpeterson2@cherrycreekschools.org

Julia Cooper, Severe Affective Needs Liaison  (Secondary)
720-886-7024 | jcooper28@cherrycreekschools.org

Christina "CJ" Minich, Severe Affective Needs Support Liaison
cminich@cherrycreekschools.org

Speech-Language Pathologists provide a wide variety of services to students (Pre-K through 12th grade).  The full spectrum of speech-language services might include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide speech-language screenings and evaluations to determine an educational identification of disabilities, including a Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
• Provide community awareness about communication disorders
• Provide assistance with and consultation of augmentative communication devices
• Assist in planning appropriate programming for students with various language-based disabilities
• Provide research based intervention in the areas of: literacy, articulation, receptive language, expressive language, pragmatic social language, voice, and fluency
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and IEP meetings

Rachel Wormer, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathology Liaison. Early Childhood
720-554-4338 | rwormer@cherrycreekschools.org

Jenn Shroyer, ED.D, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathology Liaison
720-886-7021 | jshroyer@cherrycreekschools.org

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Definition:

A child with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a child with an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment or both, which impairment adversely affects the child's ability to receive reasonable educational benefit from general education.  A qualifying Traumatic Brain Injury is an open or closed head injury resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech.  The term "traumatic brain injury" under this rule does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

What is the CCSD's Brain Injury Team?

The CCSD BI Team was formed as a support to students, staff and parents. The team can provide consultation and information to building teams who support students who have a brain injury, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries (e.g., strokes, brain tumors, brain infections, and anoxia), and Congenital Brain Injuries.  The CCSD BI Team is a trained BrainSTEPS CO Team affiliated with the Colorado Department of Education. BrainSTEPS Teams have been designed to consult with school teams and families in the development and delivery of educational services for students who have experienced a brain injury.​

The CCSD BI Team consists of professionals in the following school-based disciplines: Special Education Teachers, Nurses, Speech/Language Pathologists,  Psychologists, Vision Service Providers, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and various Student Achievement Services liaisons.

• Jenn Shroyer, Speech Language Pathology Liaison, TBI Team Lead
  720-886-7021 | shroyer@cherrycreekschools.org

• Dawn McBratnie, Assessment and Affective Needs Liaison
  720-886-7052 | dmcbratnie@cherrycreekschools.org

• a learning disability, emotional disorder, communication disorder, and/or physical disability
  AND
• is also formally identified as gifted in one or more areas including intellectual ability, specific academic ability, or is recognized for extraordinary talent in creative and/or artistic areas or leadership

How are they recognized?

GT Identified First

• Achievement noticed first
• Strengths or "gifts" often fostered through GT programs
• Often passed over for special ed. support because they may be achieving at grade level (Baum, 1991)

Disability Identified First

• Often failing in school
• First noticed for what they cannot do
• Most "at risk" because the special ed. label tends to have a focus on deficits
• Often difficult for them to give themselves credit for abilities
• Acquisition of basic skills emphasized over creative productive behavior (Baum, 1991)

Neither GT nor Disability Identified

• Disability masks "gifts"
• "Gifts" mask disability
• Intellectual ability masks disability
• Often gifts emerge in specific content areas or particular learning environments where nontraditional methods are used (Baum, 1991)

Teachers of Visually Impaired and Blind students provide specially designed special education services to students ages 3-21 with visual impairments as addressed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These services include direct instruction, as well as consultation with students, their families, and school teams. Students with visual impairments may also be eligible for Orientation and Mobility training from a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). The Cherry Creek team for students with visual impairments works with children who are blind and visually impaired as per the Colorado Department of Education and federal guidelines. Listed below are the types of services provided based on individual needs as determined by the Individualized Education Program team.

• Consultation services and training for parents and staff
• Collaboration with the multi-disciplinary team at each school
• Functional Vision Assessments and Learning Media Assessments
• Instruction in the use of low vision aids
• Braille instruction
• Orientation and Mobility assessment and training
• Daily living skill assessments and instruction
• Compensatory skill evaluations and instruction
• Assistive technology evaluations and training
• Adaptation of instructional materials
• Participation is Child Find arena assessments
• Procurement of special equipment, aids and modified textbooks, tests, and educational materials

Nory Marsh, Elementary Special Education Director
720-554-4478 | lmarsh@cherrycreekschools.org