Leigh Sanders, Supervisor of Special Education Programs

Areas of Disabilities
Child Find
Placement Procedures

Special Education-What We Do

Each school in the Jackson-Madison County School System provides Special Education services to eligible students. These services are specially designed instructions determined by the unique needs of students who meet state criteria for one or more of the 17 recognized disabilities in Tennessee.

Jackson-Madison County currently serves between 3,000 and 3,200 special needs students annually with 150 teachers (including speech, gifted, vision, and homebound), 109 educational assistants, and 11 school psychologists.

The majority of our students are involved in the general curriculum with support from the special education staff in the form of inclusion, resource, or consultation services. In our efforts to meet the individual needs of each child, we offer a continuum of options of services ranging from the least to most restrictive.


Areas Of Exceptionalities

  • Learning Disabled
  • Deaf
  • Mentally Retarded
  • Hearing Impaired
  • Blind
  • Speech
  • Visually Impaired
  • Language
  • Gifted Education
  • Deaf-Blind
  • Emotionally Disturbed
  • Autism
  • Functional Delay
  • Health Impaired
  • Developmental Delay
  • Physically Impaired
  • Traumatic Brain Injury

Do You Know A Child With Special Needs?

The Jackson-Madison County School System is conducting a "Child Find" for children ages 3-21 who have special educational needs. Child Find is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and the state of Tennessee. Children who have, or are suspected of having special needs may be eligible to receive free services. The services will include an evaluation of the child's suspected needs and special services based on the identified needs which could include speech/language therapy, vision services, services for the hearing impaired or deaf child, services for gifted students, and for those with learning disabilities.

If you know of a child that may need special services call the Special Education Department at 664-2553, or contact the principal of a school in your area. Anyone can refer a child.

Placement Procedures

In order to be eligible for special services, a series of procedural safeguards must be followed in sequence and must be documented by the school's student achievement team (SATeam). The SATeam process requires a broad range of competencies and shared responsibilities for educational planning so that all persons who have an interest in the students' success can cooperate and coordinate their efforts.