Welcome to the West Region ASD Website
The western region area of the ASD Network comprises 25,000 square miles. The boundaries of this region cover the entire panhandle area, from the Wyoming border at the west, north to the South Dakota border, then east over to Valentine and south to just west of North Platte. ESU #13, #16 and #17 are included in this region. Dr. Jeff West is the Director of the ESU #13. Marg Dredla is the Special Education Director of ESU #13 and the Director of the Network in the West Region.
Vicki Rutter is the West Region Coordinator. Her office is at ESU #13, located in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Her e-mail address is vrutter@esu13.org. She can also be reached by phone at 308-635-3696.
Philosophy
It is vital that people who work with students on the autism spectrum be aware of the characteristics of each student’s specific disorder. Therefore, it is the goal of the West Region that anyone who knows or works with a student on the autism spectrum have training in basic awareness and interventions to help the student reach his/her potential and become a more productive person in the school and in the community. It is also important that all agencies understand the autism spectrum so they are able to help the student move into the community from a school setting.
As in the other five regions, the West Region has an advisory board made up primarily of special education directors from school districts and ESU’s in the region. The West Region also has an ASD Regional Team made up of many of the following:
Parents
Speech/Language Pathologists
School Psychologists
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Early Childhood Educators
Primary Educators
Secondary Educators
Transition Specialists
Meetings are held quarterly.