Special Education

Following the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Tohono O’odham High School’s special education program offers IDEA information, services and resources to serve our students, parents, guardians and the school community.

TOHS recognizes that some students require specialized instruction and/or services to achieve success in school. To provide appropriate educational opportunities designed to meet each student’s unique learning needs, Tohono O’odham has a continuum of special programs and a multidisciplinary education team. Our special education multidisciplinary team comprised of members of various specialties who identify and meet the needs of students, including encouraging student leadership and a commitment to parent/guardian participatory input.

Goals

Our goal is to make general education accessible for all students, which prepares them to be productive and well-rounded citizens. Our primary goal is high school completion and graduation for all our scholars. We strongly support all special education students individually to pursue school leadership, athletics, activities, and community events. To maintain eligibility, all TOHS students must meet schoolwide academic, behavioral and school community standards.

Confidentiality

Tohono O’odham High School Special Education Program personnel adhere to ethical principles and comply with laws and regulations that protect children and their family’s right to privacy and control the use of confidential information regarding children.

Notice of Procedural Safeguards

Tohono O’odham High School Special Education Program personnel conduct school business according to policy requirements as outlined in the Bureau of Indian Education Notice of Procedural Safeguards.

Identification

Tohono O’odham High School and local schools within the TOBIES school district provide Child Find services to identify and evaluate potential disabilities in children ages birth to 21. Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening, and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible all young children with disabilities and their families who need Early Intervention Program (Part C) or preschool special education (Part B/619) services.

We offer screening that informs families about their child’s academic, vision, hearing, language, cognitive and motor skill development. Special Education staff are committed to helping you identify the services your child may need. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please get in touch with us at 520-362-2400.

Eligibility

Students with disabilities are those students evaluated and found eligible as having:

Autism Developmental Delay (until age 10)
Emotional Disability
Hearing Impairment
Mild/Moderate Intellectual Disability
Multiple Disabilities
Multiple Disabilities with Severe Sensory Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Preschool Severe Delay
Specific Learning Disability
Speech/Language Impairment (including preschool age)
Severe Intellectual Disability
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment

Placement

Tohono O’odham High School provides education placements to meet the needs of our students and help them remain on track to graduate with a Certificate of Completion or earned High School Diploma.

Instructional Services

Special education at Tohono O’odham High School is defined by instruction developed by the Multidisciplinary Education and Individualized Education Program Teams to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability so they may obtain educational benefits and earn credits toward high school graduation that culminate in the Certificate of Completion or earned High School Diploma.

Related Services

Special education students may require additional supports as determined by the Multidisciplinary Education and Individualized Education Program Teams developed for each student individually. Typical services are speech language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and education counseling.

Contact Information – Special Education Program

School Office
520-362-2400

Special Education Teacher

Dr. Paul A. Fulginiti
520-431-2070 cell phone (talk/text)
520-362-2400 School Clerk
Paul.Fulginiti@bie.edu

Mailing Address:

Tohono O'odham High School
c/o Special Education Dept
HC01 Box 8513
Sells, Arizona 85634

Physical Address:

Hwy. 86 Mile Marker 74.5

Resources

United States Department of Education – sites.ed.gov/idea/

US Bureau of Indian Education – bie.edu/landing-page/special-education

Arizona Department of Education – azed.gov/specialeducation/schools