Special Programs
Gifted and Talented
Aimee Dennis
Director of Special Programs & Leadership / GT Coordinator
adennis@uttyler.edu
ESL/Bilingual
Loni Kinsey
ESL/Bilingual Coordinator; Spanish Teacher
lkinsey@uttyler.edu
Special Education
Special Education Notice (Spanish)
Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Process (Spanish)
Notice of Procedural Safeguards (Spanish)
Transition and Employment Guide
Child Find Notice to Families (English)
Child Find Notice to Families (Spanish)
Compensatory Services Due to COVID 19 (English)
Compensatory Services Due to COVID 19 (Spanish)
Sammi Broussard
Special Education Coordinator
sbrousssard@uttyler.edu
The Special Education Information Center (SPEDTex) provides resources and interactive features for increasing family awareness of disabilities and special education processes, with the goal of improving partnerships between schools and families.
Contact information:
Phone: 1-855-773-3839
Email: inquire@spedtex.org
Live Chat: www.spedtex.org
Dyslexia
In compliance with TEA requirements, UT Tyler University Academy will follow guidance for identification in The Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update.
Important Changes for Families to Understand (Spanish)
The Talking Book Program (TBP) provides free library services to qualifying Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. TBP is part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, a program administered by the Library of Congress. The TBP collection consists of more than 100,000 titles, including hundreds of titles in Spanish, and some in French, German, Russian, and other languages.
Sammi Broussard
Special Education Coordinator
sbroussard@uttyler.edu
Section 504
Campus Directors serve as the Section 504 contacts for their campuses.
Tyler – Kelly Dyer (kdyer@uttyler.edu)
Longview – Rachel Hawkins (rhawkins@uttyler.edu)
Palestine – Ummi Bodede (ubodede@uttyler.edu)
Homeless Liaison
Campus Directors serve as the Homeless Liaison for their campuses.
Tyler – Kelly Dyer (kdyer@uttyler.edu)
Longview – Rachel Hawkins (rhawkins@uttyler.edu)
Palestine – Ummi Bodede (ubodede@uttyler.edu)
PARENT RESOURCES
Resources on Special Education in Texas
Region 7 Education Center
https://www.esc7.net/page/specialed.parentresources
Texas Project First
http://www.texasprojectfirst.org/node/11
Online Professional Learning Opportunities
https://autisminternetmodules.org/
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
Community Resources
http://www.andrewscenter.com/smith-county-resources/
Legal Framework for the Child Centered Special Education Process
https://fw.esc18.net/display/Webforms/ESC18-FW-LandingPage.aspx?DT=G&LID=en
Dyslexia Resources
https://www.esc20.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1668843&type=d&pREC_ID=1819425
Understood
www.understood.org
Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity’s Parent Website
http://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/
Dyslexia Helpline:
1-800-232-3030
Transition
Texas Transition and Employment Guide (English and Spanish)
Local Transition Service Contacts
Longview – (Martha) Elaine Thacker – (903)235-4390 email: martha.thacker@twc.state.tx.us
Tyler – Jennifer McCurley – (903) 245-7518 email: jennifer.mccurley@twc.state.tx.us
Palestine – Meagan McAdams – (903) 343-3838 email: Meagan.mcadams@twc.state.tx.us
Blind/Visual Impaired – Jennifer Johnson – (903) 360-1393 email: jennifer.johnson@twc.state.tx.us