Enduring Excellence in Learning, Leadership, Innovation, and Service

Special Education

The Indian Hill Exempted School District’s Child Find policy requires that all children between birth and twenty-two (22) years of age residing within the district, who have a disability, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services are identified, located, and evaluated in accordance with all federal regulations and state standards. For infants and toddlers, a disability means that a child has a delay in one or more of the following developmental areas: adaptive behavior, cognition, communication, physical development, vision, hearing, and/or social-emotional functioning. For preschoolers and school-age children, a disability means having one or more documented disabilities. These disabilities include: autism, cognitive disability, specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment (including blindness), and developmental delay (preschoolers only).

If you are aware of a child who may have a disability, please contact the Indian Hill Exempted School District’s Director of Pupil Services at (513) 272-4500.

Eligibility for special education services is based on the presence of a disability that results in the child’s need for specially-designed instruction and/or related service such as speech, occupational, and/or physical school-based therapy, not on the possible benefit from the aforementioned instruction or services. During an evaluation (ETR), team members must be able to document the adverse educational impact of a child’s needs on grade level performance. For example, a student may demonstrate communication differences, delays or even impairments, without demonstrating adverse effect on educational performance. IDEA requires that determination of a disability consider how the disability affects the progress and involvement of the student in the general curriculum. Consideration by the ETR team is given to the academic, vocational, and social-emotional aspects of a child’s disability. For more information regarding disability categories and the evaluation process, parents may access Whose IDEA is This, which outlines those processes, as well as a family’s procedural safeguards.

District Special Education Coordinator:
Erica Leppert
(513) 272-4500
[email protected]

Indian Hill Evaluation Chairs are the school psychologists:

Primary/Elementary School Psychologist:                   Middle/High School Psychologist:
Janie Gardner, Ph.D.                                                         Amy VanStrien
(513) 272-4768                                                                  513/272-4564
[email protected]                                 [email protected]

Ohio Enforcement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Ohio Department of Education soon will make changes in the way it monitors, enforces and publicizes Ohio school district’s compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures a free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. The actions result from the partial settlement of a class action lawsuit. For details, read the legal consent order and related public notice.

Parents, relatives, public and private agency employees are asked to help the Indian Hill School District find any child who may have a disability and needs special education services. If you know a child residing in the Indian Hill School District who may have a disability and may need, but is not receiving special education services, please call or send the information to: Director of Pupil Services or Special Education Coordinator, Indian Hill Exempted Village School District, 6855 Drake Road, Cincinnati OH 45243, (513) 272-4500.

Parent Resource

Early Childhood Education

Special Education and related services are provided to those who qualify through a comprehensive evaluation process demonstrating adverse educational impact. Services may include intervention, itinerant services, or preschool placement. Contracted preschool services are provided through Hamilton County Educational Service Center, which is housed at the Indian Hill Primary School. As required by law, a continuum of early childhood services are offered through an IEP when the evaluation team can document an adverse impact a delay/disability has on their ability to participate in appropriate activities (preacademic, social, or emotional).

Some guiding questions parents may ask if they suspect delays within their child’s development include:
  • Can your child verbally express wants/needs/ideas with peers?
  • Can your child initiate and maintain a conversation (exchanges)?
  • Can your child engage in turn-taking while playing with peers?
  • Can your child participate in his/her preschool activities?
  • Can your child understand and follow simple spoken directions?
  • Can your child ask/answer simple questions?

The Indian Hill Early Childhood Center is accepting registrations for the upcoming school year. Parents of children who will be 3-4 years old by August 30 are invited to register their child for our developmentally appropriate, content rich program. The classroom teacher is licensed by the State of Ohio. There are 12 children per session: 6 who are typically developing, 6 with special needs. Indian Hill families are given priority when a slot is available in the program. However, residency in the Indian Hill district is not a requirement for enrollment.

For more information, please contact:
Erica Leppert
(513) 272-4500
[email protected]