Special Education Home
Special Education
Mission: Kids First
Vision: Empowering all students with exceptionalities to reach their potential in school and the community
KCKPS Special Education 2025-2028 Action Plan
Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative offers a full range of special education services to children and families in the Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs, and Piper School Districts. Special education services are integrated into the district's educational program. Eligibility for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) or eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is determined by the Student Intervention Team (SIT) referral process or screening and evaluation process in the early childhood setting.
Our goal is to provide a free and appropriate education to each child with an exceptionality who is a resident of the Wyandotte Cooperative Special Education districts.
Special education staff work closely with all educators in order to facilitate optimal educational growth for students with special needs from birth through age 21. Contact the principal/building administrator if you have concerns about your child's educational progress.
Public Notice
The Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative seeks to identify every student from birth through age 21 who lives within the boundaries of the school districts of Kansas City, Kansas, and Bonner Springs / Edwardsville who has developmental delays or may be in need of special education.
The Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative provides a free appropriate public education to all exceptional students residing within the two school district boundaries. This includes special education and related services provided in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state laws for all students with exceptionalities (Birth-21 years of age).
The Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative offers developmental screening for children from ages 3 to 5.
- If you live in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School district boundaries and have a child from ages 3 to 5 and you have concerns about his or her development, please call Andrea Richardson, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator at 913-627-2552 to schedule an appointment.
- If you live in the Bonner Springs/Edwardsville or Piper school district boundaries and have a child from ages 3 to 5 and you have concerns about his or her development, please call McDanield Learning Center at 913-422-7970 to schedule an appointment
-
State and federal regulations have been established to define children with exceptionalities. "Exceptional children" means children with disabilities and children identified as gifted.
Exceptionality categories include:
- Autism
- Blindness/Visual Impairment
- Deaf - Blindness
- Developmental Delay
- Emotional Disturbance
- Gifted
- Hearing Impairment/Deafness
- Intellectual Disability
- Learning Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
- Orthopedic impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Speech or Language Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
-
Your child's teacher and building principal should be your first contact regarding questions about Special Education Services. Additionally, your school's SPED Coordinator is a key resource to the building team.
Wyandotte Comprehensive Special Education Cooperative
2010 N 59th St., Kansas City, Kansas 66104913-627-5600 - SPED Main Office
913-627-5674 - Monique Sotelo, Administrative Assistant for Special Education (SPED),
-
Kansas Special Education Process Handbook
The Kansas Special Education Process Handbook was developed to provide guidance, resources and supports necessary for those professionals who work to improve results for exceptional children. The information provided in the Kansas Special Education Process Handbook attempts to clarify and define legal requirements of the law and regulations. Each chapter includes a brief overview specifying requirements that are particular to Kansas. In addition, each chapter includes links to valuable resources, sample forms and references.
- Parents Rights - English
- Parents Rights - Spanish
The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), in 2004, retained important procedures which schools must use when evaluating eligibility for special education services, when developing or changing a child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or when attempting to resolve serious disputes regarding special education issues. These procedures are sometimes referred to as "procedural safeguards" or "parent rights." The procedural safeguards specified in the IDEA were primarily designed to help schools and parents work together to develop effective educational programs for children with disabilities.
SPED Parent Huddles
Connect with Dr. Lawrie
Join our Executive Director of SPED, Dr. Lawrie, during the SPED Parent Huddles to learn more about parent rights, ask questions, and share concerns.Upcoming Dates and Times
- January 29, 2026
- 9:00–10:00 AM
- 1:00–2:00 PM
- 6:00–7:00 PM
- April 30, 2026
- 9:00–10:00 AM
- 1:00–2:00 PM
- 6:00–7:00 PM
-
Each school district must make a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) available to all children with exceptionalities. One of the most important considerations for individualized education program (IEP) teams is the special education, related services, and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child or on behalf of the child. The IEP team must also consider the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided on behalf of the child. All services and supports are provided to enable the child: (1) to advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals; (2) to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum, or appropriate activities for children ages 3 -? 5; (3) to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and (4) to be educated and participate with their nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, in all of these activities.
Related services are developmental, corrective, and supportive services required to assist a child, who has been identified as a child with an exceptionality, to benefit from special education services.
Kansas Regulation, K.A.R 91-40-1(ccc) includes the following as related services:
- Art therapy
- Assistive technology devices and services
- Audiology
- Counseling services
- Dance movement services
- Early identification and assessment of disabilities
- Interpreting services
- Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes
- Music therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Orientation and mobility services
- Parent counseling and training
- Physical therapy
- Recreation, including therapeutic recreation
- Rehabilitation counseling services
- School health services
- School nurse services
- School psychological services
- School social work services
- Speech and language
- Transportation
- Other developmental, corrective or supportive services