Exceptional Children
Exceptional Children Director
Empowering McDowell County Families: A FREE Parent Training Series on Special Education!
Are you a parent of a child receiving Special Education services? McDowell County Schools is thrilled to offer a FREE 5-Part Parent Training Series designed just for you! We want to equip you with valuable knowledge, practical strategies, and the confidence you need to truly support your child's success.
This series is a fantastic opportunity to:
- Understand Special Education: Get a comprehensive parent's guide.
- Learn Executive Functioning Strategies: Discover tools for success.
- Empower Your Voice: Learn how to make your input heard in IEP meetings.
- Support Progress: Understand how to support your child's academic progress and related service goals.
- Plan for the Future: Navigate transition planning from preschool all the way to adulthood.
You'll gain valuable insights and practical tools , connect with school leaders and other parents , and truly empower yourself as your child's best advocate!
All sessions start at 5:00 pm, with locations to be determined.
Don't miss out on this empowering opportunity! Please RSVP to join us.

Empowering McDowell County Families: A FREE Parent Training Series on Special Education!
A Message from Jennifer Croymans, Director for Exceptional Children
Hello McDowell County Schools Families,
As the Director for Exceptional Children, I am incredibly passionate about recognizing and nurturing the unique abilities within every single one of our students. Here in McDowell County Schools, we believe that every child possesses extraordinary potential, and it's our privilege to help them discover and grow that potential.
Our commitment goes beyond academics. We are dedicated to supporting your child's holistic development—academically, yes, but also physically, developmentally, and emotionally. We understand that a child's well-being in all these areas is crucial for their success and happiness. From specialized learning strategies to fostering social-emotional growth and ensuring a supportive physical environment, our team is here to champion your child every step of the way.
We know that you, as parents, are your child's first and most important teachers. That's why we are so eager to partner with your family. Your insights, observations, and dreams for your child are invaluable to us. By working together, we can create a powerful network of support that empowers your child to thrive, overcome challenges, and celebrate every achievement, big or small.
This journey is a team effort, and we are thrilled to be on it with you. We are confident that by combining our expertise with your invaluable partnership, we can ensure every McDowell County Schools student feels celebrated, supported, and ready to reach for the stars!
Warmly,
Jennifer Croymans MCS Director for Exceptional Children
The vision of the MCS Exceptional Children's Department is that students with disabilities will graduate prepared to live as independently as possible, attain meaningfulness careers, make appropriate choices and enjoy integration within our society.
Exceptional Children Programs
North Carolina Public Schools adhere to federal, state, and local regulation governing services for students with disabilities. Anyone who suspects a child has a disability may refer that child to school employees for consideration of eligibilty. North Carolina recognizes fourteen (14) disabling conditions as the first prong of the comprehensive eligibility process, which may lead to special education services. These fourteen disabling conditions, along with each common acronym are listed below:
McDowell County Schools provide special education and related services to all children with disabilities from age three through twenty-two inclusive. When children are found eligible for special services, an Individualized Education Plan is developed stating the services to be provided. A specialized staff implements the education plans.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (AU) - a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, which adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotypical movements, restricted interests, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.
- Deaf-Blindness (DB) - hearing and visual impairments that occur together, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs.
- Deafness (DF) - a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification that adversely affects the child's educational performance.
- Developmental Delay (DD) - a child aged three through seven, whose development and/or behavior is delayed or atypical, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development, and who, by reason of the delay, needs special education.
- Emotional Disability (ED) - a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance: (a) an inability to make educational progress that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (b) and inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (c) inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; (d) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; (e) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
- Hearing Impairment (HI) - impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Intellectual Disability - Mild, Moderate, or Severe (ID) - significantly below average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Multiple Disabilities (MU) - two or more disabilities occurring together, the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments.
- Orthopedic Impairment (OI) - a severe physical impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Other Health Impairment (OHI) - having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment and adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD) - a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the impaired ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.
- Speech or Language Impairment (SI) - a communication disorder, such as an impairment in fluency, articulation, language, or voice/resonance that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force or by an internal occurrence resulting in total or partial functional disability and/or psychosocial impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.
- Visual Impairment, including Blindness (VI) - an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance.
For more information regarding the specific definitions of the above disabling conditions, please refer to the North Carolina Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities. https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/policies/nc-policies-governing-services-for-children-with-disabilities
Available related services include but are not limited to: Speech and/or Language, Counseling, Physical Therapy, Adaptive Physical Education, Transportation, and Occupational Therapy.
Resources for Parents of Exceptional Children in North Carolina
Welcome, families! We are committed to supporting every student's unique learning journey. Below you'll find valuable resources from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Office of Exceptional Children (OEC) and their partners, designed to help you navigate special education services and advocate for your child.
I. Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities
Parent Rights and Responsibilities in Special Education (Procedural Safeguards): This is a crucial document outlining the rights of parents of children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It explains your role in the special education process, including evaluations, IEP development, and dispute resolution.
Link to NC Notice of Procedural Safeguards (English)
A Parent's Guide to Special Education in North Carolina: This guide, often provided by organizations like the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) in partnership with NCDPI, offers a comprehensive overview of the special education process.
Link to ECAC's "A Parents' Guide to Special Education in North Carolina"
II. Key Support Organizations & Direct Assistance
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC): ECAC is North Carolina's Parent Training & Information Center (PTI), a federally funded non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives and education of ALL children, with a special emphasis on children with disabilities. They provide:
1:1 Assistance with Parent Educators: Connect with experienced parent educators who can answer questions about navigating the special education process, community resources, parent rights, and self-advocacy.
Workshops and Trainings: ECAC offers engaging and informative trainings on various topics related to special education, available both online and in-person.
Resources Overview: A comprehensive hub for information, tools, financial supports, and links to other relevant organizations.
Link to ECAC Website: For Parents and Families
Link to ECAC's Resources Overview
Family Support Network of NC (FSN-NC): This agency serves parents, families, and professionals statewide, providing information about disabilities, community agencies, and parent-to-parent support programs.
Link to Family Support Network of NC
III. Navigating the Educational Process
IEP Forms & Information: Access official NCDPI special education forms, including Individualized Education Program (IEP) forms, to understand what is covered in IEP meetings and documents.
Communication Tools and Templates: Resources to help parents communicate effectively with their child's school, including tips for letter writing and sample letters.
Link to ECAC's Communication Tools and Templates
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for Families: Understand how schools identify and support students' academic and behavioral needs through a tiered system.
Link to NCDPI's MTSS information for Families (check Parent's Corner)
Transition Services: Information on services and planning for students transitioning from high school to post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.
Look for Transition Services information on NCDPI Exceptional Children Programs and Services page
IV. Early Childhood Resources (Birth to Age 5)
NC Infant-Toddler Program (ITP): For children birth to three with special needs. This program provides supports and services for families and their children.
Link to NC Infant-Toddler Program (beearly.nc.gov)
Preschool Exceptional Children (EC) Services (Ages 3-5): Information on services for preschoolers with identified needs determined by an IEP team.
Look for Early Childhood Exceptional Children (ECEC) on NCDPI Programs and Services page
V. Additional Relevant Information
NCDPI Office of Exceptional Children (OEC) Website: The main hub for all Exceptional Children information from the state.
Link to NC DPI Office of Exceptional Children
Subscription to Parent and Family Updates Newsletter: Stay informed by subscribing to the Exceptional Children Information for Parents listserv.