Classrooms are arranged by student chronological age (4-year age range & academic/social ability levels).
• Mild, moderate, high needs
Instructional design within each classroom is determined by ability level.
• Mild needs: 75% whole group/25% small group.
• Moderate needs: 50% whole group & 50% small group.
• High needs: 25% whole group, 25% small group, 50% 1:1 instruction.
Shortened instructional periods.
• 15, 20, or 30 minute instructional periods.
Lessons are designed to address student strengths in learning modalities such as visual and tactile.
• Unique Learning Systems curriculum
• News2You
Standard practice of proactive strategies and techniques built into daily routines and procedures.
• Frequent structured breaks
• Scheduled sensory breaks
• Personal visual schedules
• Token economies
• Praise to reinforce positive and appropriate behaviors.
• Routines, procedures, and expectations that are consistently taught to provide predictability.
Token economies teach students basic concepts of earning incentives.
• Incentives/reinforcers are tiered.
• More points/tokens earned, higher the reinforcer available.
• Students learn to choose whether to spend or save.
Adaptive Physical Education
• 3x per week, 30 minutes each
Speech & Occupational Therapy
• Pull-out to work intensively on skill development.
• Push-in to generalize individual skills in natural environment.
Vocational Training
• Routines developed and implemented by OT for basic job skills.
• Lunches involve student preparation, social skills, and student clean-up to reinforce independence.