Special Education Personnel
Mrs. Robin Blair, Special Education Director
Michael Hopkins, Ph.D., NCSP, School Psychologist
Ms. Ashley Helton, Special Education Diagnostician and Child Find Coordinator
Ms. Rita Coe, Speech-Language Diagnostician
Mrs. Allison Williams, Administrative Assistant
To contact the special education department, please call 423-652-9578
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LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
Children with disabilities must be educated in the school they would normally attend, unless the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) requires otherwise. Children should not be removed from their home or zoned school if needed services can be provided in that location. Any potential harmful effect on the child or on the quality of services must be considered in placement decisions. After determining a child's need for special education services, the IEP team is responsible for developing an IEP designed specifically to meet the identified needs of the child. Least restrictive environment should be the foremost principle in guiding IEP teams in programming services for children. All programs and services must be considered in terms of what is least restrictive for each student. The general education classroom should always be the first consideration.
Special Education Services
Bristol Tennessee City Schools offers a wide range of services to meet each child's need. These services include:
- Academic Services (Consultation, Inclusion, Direct Services, and Comprehensive Development Class)
- Intervention (Basic Reading, Reading Fluency, Reading Comprehension, Math Calculations, Math Problem Solving, Written Expression)
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Speech and Language Therapy
Students ages 3 - 21 could be eligible for these services. For students younger than 3 years of age, contact our local Tennessee Early Intervention Services (TEIS) at 423-434-4401.