Services

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is a comprehensive continuum of services for children, ages 3-5 who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with identified delays in one or more of the five developmental areas (i.e., cognition, communication, self-help, fine/gross motor, social/emotional).  Services begin on the child’s 3rd birthday.  ECSE service options may include “drop-in” speech therapy, in-class support, or specialized instruction. Decisions about the child’s program are made by the ARD committee and are based on the child’s assessment information.

In-class support is an instructional arrangement in which a special education teacher or paraprofessional provides special education services in the general education setting.

Resource services are provided by a special education teacher that include specialized, IEP-directed instruction to students with disabilities in a special education setting for part of the day.

The Autism Intervention and Management (AIM) program is designed to address the needs of students who are identified as exhibiting a disability condition such as autism which negatively impacts their educational progress in the areas of social communication, social problem solving, sensory sensitivity and emotional/ behavioral regulation.  The AIM program utilizes a cognitive-behavioral problem-solving approach that is most effective for students with average cognitive reasoning abilities and functional communication skills.   The AIM program supports students through in-class monitoring, coaching and/or direct, targeted instruction to teach replacement behaviors that facilitate participation in the general education setting.   Placement in the AIM program is determined by the student’s ARD committee. (K-12)

Structured Behavior Supports are a continuum of interventions designed for students with the most intense emotional and behavioral difficulties. Supports range from highly structured self-contained classrooms to monitoring supports in the mainstream setting. The purpose of these supports are to reshape appropriate social/behavioral skills that will enable students to be successful in a less restrictive classroom setting. Interventions focus on individualized strategies to address targeted areas of concern through behavior monitoring and coaching. Instruction is individualized according to student’s behavioral and academic functioning levels, in accordance with their Individual Education Plans (IEP’s), as determined by the ARD Committee. Structured Behavior Supports are located on various campuses throughout the District. Placement in the SBS program is determined by the student’s ARD committee. (K-12)

Life Skills classes are designed for students who exhibit disability conditions significantly impacting cognitive and adaptive functioning and who require an alternate curriculum targeting pre-requisite skills.  Life skills provides an educational program focused on functional academics, personal care, pre-vocational and/or community based experiences, communication and social skills in a structured classroom setting with reduced staff-to-student ratios.

The Autism Program Preparing Learners for Excellence (APPLE) program is designed to support students who exhibit deficits in the areas of cognitive reasoning, academic performance, adaptive functioning, social communication and behavioral regulation due to features of Autism or other related disability conditions. The APPLE program supports learners who require a highly structured setting, reduced staff- to-student ratios and specialized instruction through an alternative curriculum targeting pre-requisite skills.   Teaching strategies in the APPLE program are based on principles of applied behavior analysis to address the unique learning styles of students with features of autism including but not limited to: visual structure, visual supports, individualized schedules, errorless learning, discrete trial teaching, data collection and analysis and positive behavior supports.  APPLE classrooms are located on various campuses throughout the District. Placement in the APPLE program is determined by the student’s ARD committee. (K-12)

The Medically Fragile Classroom provides a developmentally appropriate program for students 3-22 years of age who exhibit profound cognitive and communication impairments and/or multiple impairments in conjunction with significant health issues. These students receive special education instruction and related services in a self-contained setting for the majority of the regular school day. The students’ IEP goals/objectives are addressed in an environment that stimulates their senses and provides for continuous monitoring of student health and well-being.

Homebound provides instruction to eligible students with disabilities who are medically unable to attend school at the campus site.  The student is expected to be confined at home or hospital bedside for a minimum of 4 weeks, and the weeks need not be consecutive.

Work-Based Learning – On Campus will provide high school special education students with significant disabilities intensive job skills and vocational training. Teachers will design and deliver job related training in work expectations, workplace behavior, compliance to workplace safety standards, production and task completion. It is recommended that Work-Based Learning-On Campus instruction begin as early as possible, preferably in 9th grade, to prepare students for work-related training in the community.

High School Work-Based Learning is employment preparation for students with disabilities and delivers career and technical education and training in workplace settings. Students ages 14 years and older engage in non-paid career exploration, career assessment and work related training experiences in the community at business job sites to identify their career interests, assess their employability skills and training needs and develop the skills and attitudes needed for paid employment.

T.O.P.S. is a work-based learning program for students with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 21. The focus of the program is to support students’ postsecondary transition goals in becoming productive members of the community by developing the skill sets necessary for employment.  Work-related training is provided in the community at business job sites.

A.P.T. is a specialized work program for students with significant disabilities between the ages of 18 and 21. The focus of the program is to intensify efforts and provide a supportive environment in developing career awareness, work-skills preparation, work behaviors, and job acquisition as part of the continuum of services offered at the Work-Based Learning Center in addition to independent living skills.  This program also includes community based instruction such as training at nonprofit organizations to support the development of vocational, social, and other skills in the community.