Special Education & Support Services
Support services for the complex and varying needs of all students.
Student Support Services resources are available below. For assistance, please contact Student Support Services at (209) 331-7080.
Special Education
Lodi Unified School District is committed to meeting the educational needs of the exceptional child. All disabled children between the ages of 3 and 21 are provided appropriate educational opportunities.
In addition, the district provides services to children under the age of three whose sole disability is deafness, blindness, or certain orthopedic conditions. Excellent facilities and dedicated staff members provide for the needs of the child or student who is learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, orthopedically impaired, intellectually disabled, deaf, deaf/blind, visually impaired, autistic, and speech and language impaired. Support services include but are not limited to psychologists, program specialists, and administrative staff.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed at least annually for each of our students to ensure that each child receives a free and appropriate education designed to assist them in reaching their unique potential in the least restrictive educational environment. Those charged with these responsibilities welcome the opportunity to provide a rich and meaningful program to exceptional children, coordinated with the efforts of parents, to the end that lives will be more productive and complete.
For more information on special education services, contact your school or Special Education at (209) 331-7080.
Adaptive Physical Education
The Adapted Physical Education (APE) program evaluate a student's needs and, if eligible, work with the IEP team to develop a specially designed physical education service that is designed to help the student achieve state physical education standards and to make progress in fine and large motor activities, life-long physical health, and recreational skills.
Dorothy Mahin Early Intervention Center
The Dorothy Mahin Early Intervention Center is home to our Early Start program and Preschool Assessment Team.
The Early Start program is California’s early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or at risk for having a developmental disability and their families. We partner with Valley Mountain Regional Center (VMRC) who refers students to our program. Teachers provide services in the home to educate and support the family and child through an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) based on the needs of the child.
Our Preschool Assessment Team (PSAT) assesses students suspected of having a disability recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act (IDEA). Referrals are made by VMRC through a transition meeting held 6 months before a child turns 3. Those who are over 3 can be referred to us in several ways including by their parents, a teacher or daycare provider, a pediatrician.
If a child is assessed, an Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting is held to review the results. For those students found eligible for special education services, the team, which includes the parents, creates an IEP based on the student’s areas of need. A variety of options from speech only services through special day classes are discussed, and a program is created for the student.
If you reside within the Lodi Unified School District and have concerns about your child, please contact the Dorothy Mahin Early Intervention Center at (209) 331-7366.
Private School
The Lodi Special Education Plan Area (SELPA) offers special education services and supports to parentally placed private school students who are found eligible for special education in accordance with the federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) via an Individual Service Plan (ISP).
A private school student is a student whose parents voluntarily choose to enroll their child in a private school for education. When parents choose to place their child with a disability in a private school, they are declining any existing offer of an IEP made by the district. However, under the IDEA children with disabilities enrolled in private schools may receive some limited special education services from public schools through a proportional share of special education funds (34 CFR 300.130). The SELPA determines what services are offered after consulting with their local private schools. The amount of service offered is limited by the proportional share available to the district, which fluctuates yearly based on federal funding and the number of privately placed students who are eligible for special education with Lodi USD attendance boundaries.
Parentally Placed Private School Students Presentation PDF (English)
Program Specialists
Program Specialists provide assistance and support to special education teachers and parents to ensure that students with disabilities are placed in effective programs and classes. Program Specialists have advanced training and experience. They help in problem-solving and in securing the necessary resources to implement students' IEPs. Each Program Specialist is assigned to specific schools and program areas.
Secondary Transition Programs
Lodi Career Connections (LCC) provides career and vocational training for Lodi USD high school and young adult special education students. LCC supports career and vocational curriculum, vocational assessment tools, classroom career and industry speakers, job shadowing opportunities, college and industry tours, school-based businesses, and post-secondary connections. It also provides pre-employment education, paid and unpaid work experience while students complete their educational pathway and follow-up services.
Most students begin to explore the world of work when they are approaching their 16th birthday, but it is never too early to learn about careers, learn how to advocate for yourself and develop employability soft skills.
The following programs operate under the Lodi Career Connections umbrella:
WorkAbility I
WorkAbility I is grant-funded and administered by the California Department of Education.
Lodi USD has held the grant in excellent standing since 1985. Students ages 14-22, in Special Education, are eligible for WorkAbility l.
Transition Partnership Program (TPP)
Transition Partnership Program (TPP) is a three-year renewable contract with the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR).
Lodi USD and DOR formed a partnership in 2008. TPP begins working with students at age 16. Additional paperwork is required for TPP.
Teachers on Special Assignment
Teachers on special assignment provide specially designed instruction and consultation to other educational staff and to parents in the areas of: autism, behavior, evaluation and eligibility, IEP development, and community and continuation schools
Visual Impairment Education
Lodi USD offers several types of special education programs and services to students with visual impairments, both for those students who are blind or those student who have low vision and are eligible under state law. The services include instruction in either a Resource Room or in an itinerant situation. Braille, large print media, special equipment and materials are provided as required by each student. Orientation and mobility services are also provided at the school and in the community.
Young Adult Programs
Lodi USD offers special education services to eligible students with disabilities until the year in which they turn 22 if the student has not graduated with a regular high school diploma. Several programs and classes are available in Lodi and Stockton and provide classroom and community based experiences and instruction.
Student Support Services
Health Services
Lodi USD Health Services provides a variety of health-related programs to students, promoting health and safety at school through various activities, including conducting health screenings and assessments, managing acute and chronic health conditions, performing health education and training, offering community-wide vaccination clinics, and monitoring communicable diseases and immunization programs in collaboration with the San Joaquin County Public Health Department.
School nurses collaborate with families, physicians, counselors, psychologists, and other members of the school team annually to advocate for children and enrich their learning.
For Health Services, please call (209) 331-7075.
Mental Health Services
Lodi USD Mental Health Services provides general education and special education mental health services to help students achieve academic, social, emotional, and behavioral success within the school setting. These services include individual and group counseling, parental consultation, crisis intervention, and case management. Mental health clinicians also consult and collaborate with other school personnel to support the academic achievement of students within the context of each student’s social and emotional well-being.
For Mental Health Services, please call (209) 331-7131.
Psychological Services
Lodi USD School Psychologists provide in-depth psychological services with the goal of helping students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. These services include: psychoeducational assessments, direct student support/interventions, consult with teachers, administrators, families, and other school district personnel to improve support strategies for students. School Psychologists are trained to identify, address, and overcome learning and behavioral needs in school-aged children.
For Psychological Services, please call (209) 331-7085.
Assembly Bill 1466
Assembly Bill 1466 was signed into law on October 8, 2023. This law seeks to increase transparency by allowing members of the public easy access to information relevant to the control of student behavior in school environments. Under AB 1466, all local educational agencies are required to post on their websites the same data related to restraint and seclusion that they are currently required to share with the California Department of Education (CDE).
![Restraint and Seclusion Incident Count 2022-23]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1696868073/lodiusdnet/mytsjdxa6nrf0wycuzhr/cardBanner_thin_46236a.png","width":1700}])
Restraint and seclusion incident counts for the 2022-23 school year.
Contact Us
For more information on the content on this page, please contact Student Support Services at (209) 331-7061.