Special Education Adapts to a New Name: Specialized Services

Bonita Unified School District has renamed the Special Education department, now calling it Specialized Services, and is using first person language when speaking about students who receive specialized services in order to promote equality in education.

“The goal of Specialized Services is to integrate services into a singular education system with equal access and support for all students,” Director of Specialized Services Carl Coles wrote in a recent memo to the Superintendent. “‘Special education’ implies there are two systems of education, ‘regular education’ and ‘special education.’ This mindset has led to two very different tracks of education throughout the state. We would like to change this mindset.”

Specialized Services will continue to serve students ages 3-22 with Specialized Academic Instruction and related services such as speech and language, occupational/physical therapy, mental health, and adaptive physical education. The language shift is in line with Superintendent Dr. Christy Goennier’s focus on personalized learning.

“Personalized learning accommodates individualized unique learning needs so all students have equal access and appropriate support in all components of school,” Coles’ memo continues. The use of first person language also supports this cultural direction. For example, instead of using “Special Education Student,” the faculty and staff are encouraged to say, “Student with an IEP.”

Specific changes in line with the department name change include the addition of five co-teaching sections, which include both a core content instructor and a specialized academic instructor, social groups that include students of all abilities, and 21st Century learning furniture that promote movement and collaboration.