General Classroom Descriptions
*Classroom descriptions listed here are attempts at describing generally what students might look like for each classroom type. It is not meant to exclude.
ECSE Discrete Trial Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Start children with PECS/develop communication skills
 Establish learner behaviors one on one
 Develop appropriate play with toys
 Potty Training/personal care skills
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Needs constant adult support
Limited or no communication
Limited or no play skills
Limited or no social interaction
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Persistent physical aggression
Does not engage in instruction
Excessive self-stimulation
Emotionally immature
 Lack of previous school experience
 Lack of personal care skills
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ECSE Group Skills Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Continue developing higher levels of PECS/communication skills
 Ability to learn in small groups (3-4 children)
 Develop play skills
 Potty training/personal care skills
 Needs frequent adult support
 Beginning awareness of peers
 Minimal ability to initiate communication
 Parallel play is emerging
 Some appropriate responses to an interaction
 Redirected from physical aggression to desired
behavior
 Limited engagement in small group instruction
with frequent adult support
 Limited appropriate play with toys
 Redirected from self-stimulation or receptive to
sensory tools
 Emotionally immature
 Lack of previous school experience
 Beginning personal care skills
ECSE Pre-Kindergarten Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Continue developing higher levels of PECS/communication skills
 Ability to learn in a whole group (7-10 children)
 Develop interactive play skills
 Participate in YMCA preschool large group
 Independent potty training
 Needs intermittent adult support
 Plays appropriately with some toys
 Initiates some communication
 Parallel play is established
 Interacts with peers and adults
 Physical aggression is infrequent or a behavior
plan is in place
 Engages in small and large group instruction with  Developing ability to follow personal care routines
intermittent adult support
with supports
 Interactive play is emerging
Updated: 2/9/2016
 Redirected from self-stimulation or receptive to
sensory tools
 Developing Pre-K emotional maturity
 Some previous school experience
General Classroom Descriptions
ECSE Severely Cognitively Impaired Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Improve mobility/motor skills
 Develop communication
 Improve feeding skills and oral motor skills
 Increase environmental responsiveness
 Improve fine motor skills
 Functions as if there is a severe cognitive
impairment
 Has multiple impairments
 Limited or no personal care skills
 Limited mobility/physical disability
 Limited or no communication
 Limited or no ability to feed self
 Need for multiple therapies
 Needs nursing support
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ASD Classroom (Offsite)
Primary Goals:
 Continue developing higher levels of PECS/communication skills
 Promote independence (self-care, mobility, work)
 Academic progress
 Participation in general education
 Appropriate behavior/social skills
 MI-ACCESS Participation or Supported
Independence Level
 Limited to strong communication
 Emerging to developing social awareness
 Need for constant adult supervision, but can follow
routines or simple directions without help
 Can occupy their time with play or leisure activity
with minimal to no support
 Functioning as if they have a mild to moderate
cognitive impairment
 Follows personal care routines with limited to no  Ability to engage in small or large group
adult support
instruction/activity with supervision, visual supports
and/or prompting
 Participate in the extended general ed. and AUEN  Learner behaviors enable student to participate in
curriculum
the general education setting for a minimum of 30
minutes per week
Updated: 2/9/2016
 Self-stimulation can be redirected or
self-managed
 Aggressive behavior may occur but is
infrequent and not often dangerous with a
PBSP in place (after initial adjustment)
 Problem behaviors can be managed through a
PBSP or positive behavior supports
 Require some sensory breaks throughout the
day
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General Classroom Descriptions
ASD Classroom (Onsite)
Primary Goals:
 Continue developing higher levels of PECS/communication skills
 Promote independence (self-care, mobility, work)
 Academic progress
 Appropriate behavior/social skills
 MI-ACCESS Participation Level
 Need for constant adult supervision
 Limited or no communication
 Little to no appropriate play with toys or leisure
activities
 Extreme lack of social awareness
 Functioning as if they are severely cognitively
impaired
 Limited or no ability to engage in small group
instruction
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 Constant adult support for personal care skills
 Participates in academics at a very basic pre-k,
early el. level
 Continual or excessive self-stimulation, not
always responsive to redirection
 Frequent problem behaviors,
 often dangerous to self or others, with PBSP in
place
 Require numerous sensory breaks throughout
the day
 Participates in work systems to develop
independent skills
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Severely Cognitively Impaired Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Develop a communication system (might include limited speech, voice output, PECS, eye gaze, etc.)
 Promote independence (self-care, mobility, work, leisure skills)
 Academic progress
 Appropriate behavior/social skills
 Has a severe cognitive impairment
 Participation level MI-ACCESS
 Limited or no communication
 Limited mobility/physical disability
 Needs physical therapy
 Has disruptive behavior
 Needs assistance with some/all personal care
 Needs assistance with some/all feeding
 Requires adult supervision at all times
Moderately Cognitively Impaired Classroom
Primary Goals:
 Continue developing PECS/communication skills
 Promote independence (self-care, mobility, work)
 Academic progress
 Appropriate behavior/social skills
 MI-ACCESS Supported Independence Level
 Limited to strong communication
 Need for constant adult supervision due to
behavior
 Can follow routines or simple directions without
help
Updated: 2/9/2016
 Follows personal care routines with limited to no
adult support
 Participate in the extended general ed. and AUEN
curriculum
 Functioning as if they have a moderate cognitive
impairment
 Ability to engage in small or large group
instruction/activity with supervision, visual supports
and/or prompting
 Participates in work systems to develop
independent skills
 Frequent problem behaviors, often dangerous
to self or others, with PBSP in place
 Require numerous sensory breaks throughout
the day
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Updated: 2/9/2016