State special‑education agency outlines training, caseloads and demand for low‑incidence services

Olivia Yancey, executive director of the Special Education Service Agency, told the House Education Committee on April 7 that the agency operates multiple low‑incidence disability programs and is seeing rising demand for training and technical assistance across rural Alaska.

Yancey said the agency’s vision impairment program had served 31 students this school year with 28 active cases and that the deaf and hard of hearing program had served 32 students with 28 active cases. She described the Alaska DeafBlind Project as a federally funded effort that served 18 students this year with 16 active cases.

The agency presented examples of requested trainings and technical assistance: classroom modifications for low vision, braille instruction, orientation and mobility (O&M) training for safe travel, and training on communication modes for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. On deaf and hard of hearing services, Yancey said, “Parents do choose” communication mode in most cases, but school teams sometimes must be educated when families arrive with “limited to no communication.” Don Enoch, state director for special education at the Department of Education and Early Development, nodded in agreement when the committee discussed language and parental choice in pending legislation.

Yancey reported survey results the agency uses to measure impact. For the agency’s technical assistance, 95.91% of respondents said they “gained knowledge” as a result of a training or site visit; 82.41% of site‑visit respondents preferred on‑site service as the preferred delivery mode. The Alaska Autism Resource Center and the Alaska Center for Accessible Materials (CAM) reported 94.48% of training respondents said they had learned from the session.

Yancey described how webinars hosted through the agency reach audiences outside Alaska when national experts are invited, and said recordings are provided to registrants when contract terms allow. She also outlined partnerships with organizations that supply assistive technology, training and mini‑grants, and noted that the agency holds and circulates a special collection of accessible materials and assistive devices for districts and families.

Committee members pressed the agency on waiting lists and caseload limits. Yancey said the autism LID program had three students on a wait list; multiple‑disabilities wait lists had recently cleared because some students moved. She said agency specialists generally cap caseloads at about 40 students per specialist and attempt at least one on‑site visit per student per school year, with a preferred two visits plus distance‑delivery follow‑ups.

Yancey and committee members discussed assistive technology funding. She said remote microphone/assistive listening systems are typically provided by school districts and may be covered by a student’s IEP through federal special education funding; Enoch described such systems as ADA‑related and compatible with hearing aids or classroom speakers.

The agency also described program outcomes and anecdotal success stories: students gaining access to communication or assistive devices and paraprofessionals who, after coaching from specialists, implemented recommendations that improved student independence.

The presentation closed with information on upcoming public events, webinars and how members of the committee and school teams can subscribe to the agency’s newsletter and Facebook pages for updates.