 
  |
| Placement Options |
Half Day programming in AM |
| Children |
Children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing |
Focus
|
- Total Communication approach (American Sign Language [ASL] used in combination with oral techniques)
- Strong focus on literacy skills through the use of finger spelling, print rich environment, and activities that facilitate all aspects of language
|
Classroom Team
|
- Deaf Educator is the lead teacher
- Speech-Language Pathologist is an integral part of this team and provides the emphasis on connecting speech with the use of sign
- Occupational therapy provided within the classroom
- Physical therapy available
- Classroom Assistants, as needed
|
| Ages |
2-3 year olds (2 classrooms) and 3-5 year olds (2 classrooms) |
| Placement Options |
Half Day and Full Day |
| Children |
Children with multiple and varied disabilities have participated including, but not limited to: down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, stroke, traumatic brain injury, etc. |
Focus
|
- Emphasis on education of children with moderate to severe disabilities
- Focus on the facilitation of communication through verbal productions, sign language, PECS, and alternative communication devices
- Pre-literacy skills addressed at the level of each student
- Sensory needs addressed within the classroom
- Expertise in pediatric feeding issues
|
Classroom Team
|
- Early Childhood Special Education teacher
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical therapy available
- Classroom Assistants, as needed
|
Daily Schedules
- Classroom services are provided Monday through Thursday. The morning session begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 11:30 AM. The afternoon session begins at 12:00 PM and ends at 3:30 PM.
- A school calendar is published each year and includes a two week winter break in December, a spring break in March, and a two week break in August. In addition, closings occur for most recognized holidays.
- Eat meal(s) - feeding intervention and therapeutic
feeds, communication needs and wants through a variety of communication
techniques
- Center time - eleven learning centers set up with theme related activities where therapies can take place
- Circle
time - songs, theme related topics, name and picture identification, sit
in different seating devices and position, use communication devices
- Gross motor- in gym or on playground, set up obstacle course, skating, scooters
- Art or table time activities
Quality
- The program is licensed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a childcare program.
- In addition, it is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and by CARF International.
- The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognizes the program as a private school.
- In 2010, the program became a partner site to provide Early Head Start and Head Start services and meets all performance standards for those programs.
Transdiciplinary
- A child may be here for part of the day and receive only
1-2 hours of therapy, but they actually receive more. All staff teach
one another to carry out therapy activities; therefore, children are doing
therapy activities the entire time they are here. For example: A speech therapist might teach a teaching assistant how to do a Kaufman
card with a child, the teaching assistant then does it with the
child daily in the classroom which allows the child to make even faster progress.
Curriculum
- All the classrooms use the Emerging Language and Literacy
curriculum in their classrooms
- It is adapted to meet each classrooms need
- It
is a curriculum based on 22 story book themes that have a main book,
related and rhyming book with letters/sounds, vocabulary and
prepositions
- Has circle, phonological groups, and 11
learning centers (art, tactile, math and science, construction,
dramatic play, technology, listening, language and literacy, reading,
writing, and create-a-book, and special snacks
- Field trips related to the themes
Parent Communication
- Notes are sent home on a daily basis
- Parent teacher conferences 2 times a year
- Parent meetings
- Teachers talk with parents before and after school discussing activity ideas to do at home
- Staff attend doctor appointments with the family
- Staff attend IFSP, IEP, and transition meetings
Peer Models
- There are 1-4 typically developing peer models in each classroom
Interventions
- Aquatic therapy
- Feeding
- Sensory Integration
- Seating
- Bi-lingual
- Sign Language
- Augmentative Communication
- PECS
|
