Kentucky is bound by IDEA regulations. As per these regulations, Jefferson County school and district staff will meet with parents to develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) tailored to the child's specific special education needs. This plan includes goals, expectations for the student and designation of resources to reach educational goals, such as transportation and therapy. Parents may expect their children to spend part of their time in special education and part in regular instruction, depending on the child's abilities.
With a history stretching back to 1839, the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky has long served the special education needs of visually-impaired students from kindergarten to graduation. Students may opt to live on campus during the week. Older students living on campus supplement their academics with independent living skills. Modern computers partnered with traditional Braille assist in the students' learning experience. Vocational classes prepare students for a self-sufficient life. Students also attend classes not offered by the Kentucky School at local Jefferson County schools.
Formerly known as the Louisville Deaf Oral School, the Heuser Hearing and Language Academy works with younger children who have hearing and speech impairments. Special education at this Louisville, Kentucky school starts at birth and extends until kindergarten, with a pilot program working with grades 1 through 3. Stressing speech, language and communication, this academy prepares its students to interact with the hearing world. Services are free to those within the Louisville Public School System while those outside pay a fee based on a sliding income scale.
For parents preferring to place their children with learning disabilities in private schools, Louisville, Kentucky offers several options, including Meredith-Dunn School, Pitt Academy and the dePaul School. Meredith-Dunn provides special education for students with Attention Deficit Disorder, dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Students may attend from grades 1 through 8. Pitt Academy, a Catholic school open to all students, admits students with a wide range of learning disabilities, including autism and Downs Syndrome. Children may start in kindergarten and attend Pitt Academy through graduation. The dePaul School works with children in grades 1 through 8 with reading disabilities.