Here's what Dublin schools do differently to support students with special needs

DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- When parents of students with disabilities or special needs ask online forums which central Ohio public school district would work for them, the comments are frequently flooded with the same recommendation: Dublin City Schools.

Chris Ondrus, Dublin's executive director of Student Services, said the district knows its special education system comes highly recommended, and they work to keep up with the demand.

“We have a lot of families of children with more significant disabilities or with autism that move to Dublin for those services, and in return, we have to have great services, and we have to be able to have people with specialized training,” Ondrus said.

Ondrus said part of accommodating families is allowing them to receive the same care no matter where in the district -- which spans three counties -- they live. While many districts consolidate students with special needs in the same building, Dublin schools enroll students with special needs at the same location they would be assigned if they did not need additional support. Ondrus said Dublin's model is more costly, but the district feels it's a worthwhile investment.

Dublin also makes sure parents have someone in the room who understands their situation. Dee Marks is Dublin’s parent mentor, a position that engages with parents of students with disabilities to help them understand and collaborate on their child’s Individualized Education Program plan. Marks has a child with special needs, helping her connect with families in similar positions.

“When we have issues where the school and the parents aren't communicating effectively, or a parent just wants to talk to somebody who's been there, done that -- that's where Dee (Marks) comes in," Ondrus said. "She's fantastic.”

Marks also organizes the Special Education Advancement Council, a collection of parents with Dublin students with disabilities who work to build productive partnerships between parents and educators.

Parents at other districts have previously told NBC4 they've had difficulties getting their students' paraprofessional support, and Ondrus said every child in Dublin who needs a support professional has access to one. However, he emphasized Dublin's approach toward paraprofessional support prioritizes what could benefit students in the long run.

“If you attach one adult to one child over the course of many years, that child becomes very dependent on that adult," Ondrus said. "And ultimately what we want here are for all of our kids to be as independent as possible.”

Instead, Ondrus said the district tries to have groups of students supported by paraprofessionals to ensure someone is there for safety or medical needs without creating an overly reliant relationship. He said this also helps students who may eventually move into support spaces for adults, which rarely -- if ever -- have one-on-one support options.

Ondrus said being a paraprofessional is a hard job, and the district is not immune to the higher turnover rates that often accompany the position in public schools. However, he said many of Dublin's paraprofessionals leave because they are going back to school, or go on to be an intervention specialist or general education teacher, often still in the district.

As the ninth largest district in Ohio, the district's paraprofessionals are just part of the special education staff. Ondrus said Dublin has 222 paraprofessionals, and according to the district website, it also staffs 46 counselors, 23 psychologists, 17 social workers and seven contracted mental health professionals. Ondrus said there are also intervention specialists and five special education coordinators who work with educators to help them understand complex special education issues.

Ondrus said another part of their team works to assist students with disabilities transitioning out of school. He pointed to Dublin's PATHS program, which supports students with disabilities who complete their academic requirements but still need assistance in areas like employment, education and independent living. Students with disabilities can continue with Dublin schools through PATHS until they are 22, the state-required age limit for high school support.

Ondrus said Dublin also supports students with disabilities before they reach schooling age with their specialized preschool program, which caters to students who may need individualized education plans going forward.

“When you get here in Dublin, if you have a child with a disability and you experience our preschool, you start in an amazing place. If your child progresses all the way through Dublin and needs additional support between the ages of 18 and 22 you've got that and everywhere in between," Ondrus said. "We're just really good because we know that every kid's different, and we try very hard to specialize and meet the needs of each unique kid.”