District outlines special‑education supports: inclusion model, IEPs and targeted programs

At the Framingham Public Schools Spanish-language orientation the presenter introduced Lori Bruce, identified in the transcript as the district's director of special education, who described how the district delivers services to students with individualized education plans (IEPs).

The presentation emphasized an inclusion model: "en la mayor parte de los casos, su hijo va a estar en un aula de educación general," the presenter said, adding that specialists — speech-language therapists, physical therapists, behavior specialists and reading specialists — enter classrooms to support students. The district also uses partial inclusion and separate-classroom placements when a child’s needs require a more specialized setting.

Staff explained the IEP process as the tool the district uses to set individualized goals and determine supports and services to help students meet learning objectives. The presenter said the special-education team collaborates with pre‑K schools and clinical providers to serve students who have autism or other developmental needs and that specific specialized programs are located at McCarthy and Barbieri (as named in the session) and that students with emotional disabilities typically attend the program at Stapleton.

The presenter invited families to meet specialists during the initial days of school and explained that families should share relevant medical or evaluation information during registration so the district can plan appropriate supports. The session closed with the district reiterating its aim to set high expectations while providing individualized help through the special-education team.