TABLE OF CONTENTS
School Hours…………………………………
Arrival and Dismissal……………………………..
School Closings…………………………..............
Transportation……………………………………….
New Student School Orientation ……………….
First Day of School ………………………………….
Communication with Staff ………………………..
Open Door Policy …………………………………….
School Lunch Policy………………………………….
Field Trips/Community Outings …………………..
Holidays/Parties………………………………………
Medical Information/Immunizations………….
Illness and School Attendance…………………
Illness and Accidents at School……................
Page 2
2
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
7
8
9
10
12
EASTER SEALS SCHOOL SERVICES
Special Education……………………………………
Speech/Language Therapy…………………..……...
Occupational Therapy…………………………………
Physical Therapy………………………………………...
Behavior…………………………………………………..
Social Services…………………………………………...
Nursing…………………………………………………….
Page 12
13
14
14
15
15
16
EASTER SEALS SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Individualized Education Program (IEP)…..
Creative Curriculum……………………………………
TEACCH…………………………………………………..
Extended School Year…………………………………
Adaptive Physical Education………………………...
Therapeutic Feeding.…………………………………
Food Group……………………………………………..
Augmentative Communication……………………..
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)..
Hearing Screening……………………………………..
Courageous Pacers.…………………………………..
Healthy Snack…………………………………………….
Parent Group…………………………………………….
Sibling Group……..…………………………................
Integration Program……………………………………
Preschool Integration…………………………………..
Reverse Integration……………………………………..
Disability Awareness Program…………………………
1
Page 16
16
17
17
18
18
19
19
20
21
21
22
23
23
24
24
24
25
SCHOOL HOURS
The children’s school day runs from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. Staff is in the building during the hours of 9:00
a.m. through 3:00 p.m. Due to Department of Education licensing
regulations and liability issues our staff cannot care for the children outside
of the hours of 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Please do not ask staff to allow you to
drop off children early or pick them up late, it is prohibited by school
policy as the hours of operation must be strictly adhered to for liability
purposes.
ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL
Staff will be available at 9:25 a.m. for morning drop off, and will
meet the child at their car/bus and take them into the school building.
Staff will begin dismissal procedures at 2:30 p.m., and will walk your child
out of the building directly to you or their bus driver. Specific car/bus line
up procedures vary from site to site due to space and safety
requirements.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
When weather conditions or other emergencies require the closing
of school, Easter Seals will follow the following procedures.
If severe weather occurs parents should listen either to the radio
(KDKA-1020 or KQV-1410) or television (WTAE channel 4 or WPXI channel
11). Our school is listed as Easter Seals School. Every effort is made to
make the school closing decision by 6:30 a.m. but sometimes this is
impossible, given the current trend of school districts calling 2 hour delays,
and then making the decision to close school later in the morning. Easter
Seals School does not delay, however your school district my run a
delayed schedule, therefore your child’s bus transportation would most
likely be delayed. If your school district is closed, your child’s
transportation may also be cancelled.
In the case of last minute closings due to emergency parents will be
notified by phone. If your child is already on their way to school when you
receive the call, your bus company will be instructed to return your child
home. However, if you are unable to be reached your child will not be
returned home on the bus and we will make every effort to contact
individuals listed on your emergency contact form. This procedure will
also be followed in the event of an early dismissal due to emergency or
weather.
2
TRANSPORTATION
If your child utilizes bus/van transportation please keep in mind that
this is arranged and provided through your Intermediate Unit (early
intervention children) or your school district (school age children).
Transportation concerns/problems should be addressed with the bus
company directly. Families should also contact their IU or school district to
make them aware of the situation and assist in resolving any
transportation issues.
Depending on the type of bus/van and its features, you may have
to provide an appropriate car seat or other safety restraint system for your
child. You may want to orient your driver to the appropriate operation of
your child’s safety system, as well as any emergency procedures that you
would like the driver to follow in the event of an emergency during the
trips between home and school. Due to transportation and liability issues
Easter Seals staff are not permitted to secure your child in their safety seat
on their bus or van. It is the responsibility of the bus driver to secure the
children on their vehicle.
Pennsylvania law requires that all children under the age of 4 be in
an approved car seat while being transported in a vehicle. Children ages
4 through 8 years must be secured in a seat belt system incorporating a
car seat, booster seat, easy on vest, or wheel chair. If you have concerns
or need advice you can call the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention
Project at 1-800-car-belt (1-800-227-2358).
Parents/guardians are responsible for notifying their child’s bus
company if their child is going to be absent from school, or if other
transportation arrangements have been made for a specific day.
Regardless of your child’s means of transportation, if anyone other than
yourself or an authorized family member will be picking your child up,
Easter Seals staff must be notified in advanced either by written note or
phone call. If we have not been notified in advance we will attempt to
reach you by phone to verify the arrangements, however if we are unable
to verify the change in transportation with you we will not release your
child. Please make sure that anyone you designate to pick up your child
is aware that staff will ask for photo ID before releasing your child. This will
be strictly adhered to for the safety and well being of your child.
3
NEW STUDENT SCHOOL ORIENTATION
Starting school can be an exciting yet difficult experience for a
young child and parents too. Easter Seals School will take every
appropriate step possible to help you and your child transition to school.
We feel that it is very important to introduce the child to school in a way
that will make the separation from their parents as easy as possible.
We have found that the following orientation procedure works well and
ask that you follow this schedule your child’s first few days of school.
Day 1:
Parent/guardian may stay with their child in the classroom from 9:30 a.m.
until 11:00 a.m. We ask that you remain available by phone throughout
the rest of day.
Day 2:
Parent/guardian may stay in the classroom from 9:30 a.m. until 10:00 a.m.,
and remain available by phone throughout the rest of the day.
Day 3:
Parent/guardian may walk their child to the classroom door and say
goodbye. We ask that you leave your child with the classroom staff and
not enter the room. The goal is for the child to spend the entire day with
the classroom staff without a parent/guardian present.
Day 4:
Parent/guardian may walk their child to the school building door, say
goodbye and allow school staff to take their child to the classroom.
Easter Seals staff recognizes that this can be a difficult separation
not only for the children but parents as well. Although it may be extremely
hard to leave your child especially if they are upset, be assured that most
children calm very quickly. We are privileged that you have chosen
Easter Seals as your child’s educational placement, and honored that you
have entrusted us with your special little one.
4
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Your child will need the following items/information for the first day of
school.
 Car seat/safety restraint system to be used on the bus/van.
 Medications or dietary supplements that have to be given at
school. Medications need to be sent in prescription labeled
bottles with the child’s name, medication name, and dosage
instructions. Dietary supplements also need to be labeled with
your child’s name. Easter Seals School will only administer
medications (prescribed or over the counter) if a doctor’s
prescription is on file.
 Diapers, pull-ups, or training pants.
 Change of clothing to be kept at school in case of accidents.
This should include shirt, pants, and underwear. Remember to
update this extra set of clothes as the weather changes and as
your child grows.
 Daily nutritious lunch with all necessary supplies and equipment
for special feeding procedures. Refrigeration and microwaves
are available for lunch preparation. (see pg. 7) Staff are able to
heat lunches to temperature, but are unable to cook food items
for lunch. Milk may be purchased through school for a small fee,
or you may send in a drink on a daily basis with lunch.
 Morning snack if your child is on a restricted diet, however a
healthy snack is provided each day by the school.
 Backpack for transporting papers, school items, and lunch on a
daily basis.
 Any routine supplies/equipment that are therapeutic for your
child (i.e. braces, glasses, splints, etc.)
 Please provide us with current and accurate day time phone
numbers for you and individuals listed on your emergency
contact form.
5
COMMUNICATION WITH STAFF
Easter Seals School recognizes that children succeed when parents
and teachers share information. The key to this success is open, frequent
communication between staff and family. With today’s busy lifestyles,
and time constraints this is not always an easy, requiring the commitment
and coordination of both staff and family. We have identified three ways
to insure ongoing communication between staff and families.
1. All children at Easter Seals have a communication notebook which
will travel in their backpack between home and school. This
notebook is intended for back and forth exchanges between Easter
Seals Staff and family. Please be assured that if something were to
arise during the day that was of an emergency nature, or requires in
depth communication our staff will call you to discuss the situation.
However ongoing progress, classroom routine changes and non
emergency information are things you should expect to read about
in the communication notebook.
Teaching staff will complete the daily info sheets in the
notebook. Therapy staff will provide written feedback in the
communication notebook two times per month. However, should
your child do something out of the ordinary, acquire an emerging
skill, etc. our staff will not wait until Friday to share the information. It
is extremely important that staff are informed about how and what
your child is doing at home. It is highly encouraged that
parents/guardians provide written communication in the notebook
as well including progress at home, health updates, emerging skills
and family changes or events.
2. Parents/guardians are always welcome to call our staff. Please
remember that staff are only available to take calls between 9:009:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:00 p.m. During the school day it is expected
that staff are interacting with the students and will only take phone
calls in emergency situations. Feel free to leave a message on the
voicemail and staff will return your call.
3. Team meetings are weekly meetings that all staff attend. Each
meeting agenda has a particular child identified for discussion and
planning. When your child is identified on the rotation schedule you
will be invited to attend in person or by conference call. This is an
easy way to have a collaborative conference with your child’s
educational team. This year we have a true conference calling
option available. Parents who indicate that they would like to take
6
part in their child’s team meeting via conference call on the team
meeting invitation form, will be contacted by the social worker
before the meeting and given the conference call dial in number
and conference code.
OPEN DOOR POLICY
Parent visits to the classroom are always welcome. We ask that
you contact your school social worker in advance to schedule your visit or
observation, because visitors can sometimes be disruptive to our students.
This gives staff the opportunity to coordinate times and schedules to
maximize your observation of the classroom and your child.
SCHOOL LUNCH POLICY
We understand the feeding issues and restricted diets of our
students and strive to work with our families in this regard. However, meal
preparation at school can take an increasing long amount of time,
resulting in missed classroom time for our students and staff.
Easter Seals lunch policy is that your child is expected to come to
school daily with a nutritious lunch, provided by the family along with any
necessary supplies or equipment for special feeding procedures.
Refrigeration and microwaves are available for lunch preparation and
staff can heat lunches to temperature, but are unable to cook food items
for lunch. Therefore, staff have been directed that they are not to cook
frozen meals, or foods that require anything other than warming. You
may still send in prepared meals etc., however you will need to cook
them at home first and then staff will warm them at lunch time. We also
ask that you provide your child’s lunch already cut in bite size pieces.
FIELD TRIPS/COMMUNITY OUTINGS
Field Trips, In House Educational Programs, and Community Outings
are provided to support and expand the educational programming of our
students. All activities are planned with objectives that are directly related
to the goals and objectives in a child’s IEP. We take careful consideration
in planning field trips, programs, and community outings.
All field trips and community outings are considered Easter Seals
School sponsored functions. Therefore students and parent volunteers
attending any off site school events must depart from the school site on
the bus and return to the school site on the bus with staff.
7
Parents will be given the opportunity to volunteer for school field
trips. Two parents are permitted to attend each field trip. Parents will be
chosen in a rotating fashion, or by a lottery system if needed, depending
on the number of parents who show interest.
The following requirements will be expected of all parents for school field
trips:





All parents are expected to arrive at school at the designated time
for field trip departure.
All parents are expected to ride the provided bus transportation
along with students and staff to and from the field trip.
While volunteering parents are not permitted to lift or feed any child
other than their own.
Siblings or additional family members are not permitted to attend
the field trip.
All parents are expected to follow the same guidelines as Easter
Seals volunteers in the classroom.
HOLIDAYS/PARTIES
Easter Seals School recognizes that holidays and special occasions
can be educational opportunities that allow us to learn about and
celebrate different holidays, cultures, and traditions in an age appropriate
manner. Our goal is to create meaningful experiences within an
educational context. We do limit celebrations to a brief span of time so
that we can maintain consistency in our school routine.
Some celebrations and parties are open to families. You will be
informed in advance of school parties/functions in which the family is
invited to participate. We recognize the importance of sharing special
times with family, not only for the students but our staff as well.
We celebrate the birthdays of our students at school, unless
instructed otherwise by the family. We are happy to have
parents/guardians send in a special birthday snack if they choose to do
so. We prefer that you do not send in foods with large amounts of sugar,
fat, or additives. We encourage families to be creative and differ from
the norm of sending in cakes, cookies, and cupcakes which can be very
attractive to eye and tempting to the tummy, but simply tend to be
wasted with only the icing being licked off of the top. Please feel free to
contact your child’s teacher to discuss birthday snack options or you can
refer to our Healthy Snack List on page 22.
8
MEDICAL INFORMATION/IMMUNIZATIONS
Easter Seals requires that every child receive a yearly physical. The
physicals can be done anytime during the year but they cannot exceed 1
year and 30 days from the last physical. In the event that the physical is
not completed within this time frame, your child will not be allowed to
come to school. The school nurse/staff will try to assist you with reminders
etc. as it is everyone’s goal to have the children in school. Many doctor’s
offices can take 6-8 weeks for an appointment, so it is a good idea to start
early.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires that all children in
any public, private, or parochial school in the Commonwealth must
receive the immunizations listed below according to their age.
REQUIREMENTS FOR 3 YEAR OLDS ENTERING SCHOOL:
 3 doses of Tetanus*
 3 doses of Diphtheria*
 3 doses of Polio
 1 dose of Measles**
 1 does of Mumps**
 1 dose of Rubella**
 3 doses of Hepatitis B
 1 dose of Varicella vaccine or history of the disease
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILD 5 YEARS OLD
 4TH dose of Tetanus
 4th dose of Diphtheria
 2nd dose of Measles
 2nd dose of Varicella
*
**
Usually given as DTP or DTaP or DT or Td
Usually given as MMR
If a child is exempt from immunizations due to medical reasons the
physicians’ initials on the yearly physical form, or a written statement by
the physician must be submitted to the school. If it is based on
religious/strong belief a written statement by the parents must be
submitted to the school. If a child is exempt from immunizations for either
reason, he/she may be removed from school during an outbreak of a
contagious disease.
9
ILLNESS AND SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Students who have been diagnosed by a physician as having a
communicable disease should be excluded from school for the indicated
period of time. We follow the guidelines provided by the Allegheny
County Health Department. If your physician’s opinion differs from these
guidelines, your child must have a prescription from your physician stating
why and when your child can return to school. Our goal is to do what is in
the best interest of the whole student body and diminish our students’
exposure to infection, which is why we ask you to follow the protocol if
your child has been diagnosed with the following:









Chicken Pox- Exclude from the time first pox appears until all lesions
are crusted over (approximately 8-10 days).
Streptococcal Infections (Scarlet Fever/Strep Throat) - If you suspect
strep throat, do not send your child to school until they have had a
throat culture with negative results. If you child tests positive for
strep, please exclude until a full 24 hours after antibiotic treatment
has begun.
Impetigo- Exclude from the time your child is noticed to have the
rash until a full 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has begun.
Scabies- Exclude from school from the time your child is noted to
have the infestation until 24 hours after the treatment is completed.
Ring Worm- Excluded from the time your child is noted to have the
rash until a full 24 hours after the start of treatment (ringworm of the
body), or after medication has been started and a physicians
excuse is provided stating child can return to school (ringworm of
the scalp).
Flu- Exclude from school until child has been free of symptoms for 24
hours.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) - Exclude from school until all discharge is
gone and eyes are dry. A physicians release stating that child is not
infectious is needed for your child to return to school.
Head Lice- Exclude from school from the time infestation is noted,
until treatment has been utilized and all nits are removed.
Common Cold- Exclude from school if child is unable to perform
normal activities.
We ask you to consider the following when determining whether your
child should attend school.
10







Children with fevers of 101 degrees or higher should remain out of
school until they have been fever free for 24 hours.
Diarrhea is considered as having three or more watery stools in a 24
hour period. Three or more episodes within 24 hours are usually
indicative of intestinal illness and the child should remain home for
24 hours after the final episode of diarrhea to be sure that the illness
is resolved.
Vomiting can occur for several different reasons ranging from illness
to gastric reflux. Since we are unable to determine the reason, the
child should remain home.
If your child has a suspicious rash, please have the child evaluated
by their physician prior to returning to school.
Enlarged lymph nodes are usually a symptom of an infection.
Please have your child checked by a physician prior to returning to
school.
A persistent cough can be exhausting for many students. Please
assess the energy level and frequency of your child’s cough before
sending your child to school. Exhaustion can leave your child
susceptible to more infection.
If your child has an upper respiratory infection with excessive nasal
drainage you should keep your child at home. Most of our children
are unable to wipe their own noses. Our staff does a great job with
keeping little noses clean, however excessive drainage increases
the possibility of transmitting infection to other students and staff.
If your child is sick and will be staying home, please call the school
in the morning so that staff will know not to expect him/her that day.
State law requires that a written excuse be presented when a child returns
to school following an absence. A hand written note stating the dates
and reason for absence are acceptable. If you do not send in a written
excuse, your child’s classroom staff will send home an “absentee excuse”
form for you to complete. Also, if your child is absent from school for 3 or
more consecutive days with an illness, Easter Seals School reserves the
right to require a physician release before your child can return to school.
EXCUSABLE ABSENCES: illness, death, family emergency situations,
educational family outings or vacations, medical evaluations or testing,
and doctor or dentist appointments.
11
ILLNESS AND ACCIDENTS AT SCHOOL
If it is determined by the school nurse or staff that your child is
unable to complete the school day due to illness, we will contact you to
pick your child up from school. In the event that you cannot be reached
we will contact the individuals you provided as emergency contacts to
pick your child up at school. For this reason it is imperative that you keep
the school informed with any changes to the emergency contact
information. Remember, anyone listed as an emergency contact should
have access to transportation in the event of an emergency.
Should a minor accident occur, staff will tend to your child and
notify you either by phone or a note. The staff will complete an Incident
Report Form and send a copy home in your child’s backpack; a copy will
also be placed in your child’s school file and sent to the Director of
Education.
If an EMERGENCY occurs, which requires transferring your child for
treatment to a local hospital, the following emergency procedures will be
implemented:
1. Our school will contact 911 for transportation to the hospital.
2. Staff will contact you or an individual on your child’s Emergency
Contact Form if you are unable to be reached.
3. A staff member will accompany your child to the hospital to meet
you or your Emergency Contact.
4. Staff will take the signed Medical Release Form and Emergency
Information Form to the hospital to provide medical information and
consent for your child to receive appropriate treatment by the
hospital.
5. Staff will contact the Director of Education and complete and
Incident Report describing the emergency.
EASTER SEALS SCHOOL
Easter Seals School is licensed as an Approved Private School under
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The School Program provides
individualized educational services to children age two to eight with a
diagnosis of neurological impairment, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy,
or any diagnosis on the autism spectrum. Children enrolled in the
program have a range of services available to them depending on their
needs as determined by their Evaluation Report (ER) and Individualized
12
Education Program (IEP). Services provided through Easter Seals are as
follows: special education classroom programming, adaptive physical
education, speech/language therapy, therapeutic feeding,
occupational therapy, physical therapy, school nursing, social work
services, augmentative communication, and behavior programming. The
Easter Seals School also provides a variety of programs to support the
children, their families, and the community. The services and programs
available are described throughout the next few pages of the handbook.
Special Education Services
Easter Seals School Program has four individual school locations
where special education programming services are provided. These
locations are in the North Hills, South Hills, Murrysville and Downtown areas
of Pittsburgh.
To best meet the needs of our children enrolled at Easter Seals, our
classroom programs are enhanced with learning activities and
instructional strategies that are designed to facilitate the development of
functional skills, independent living skills, adaptive behavior skills, social
interaction skills, language skills, and motor skills. The education staff
employs a combination of nationally recognized, research based
techniques including applied behavior analysis, individualized, structured,
educational environments, and programming designed to facilitate the
instructional needs of each student. Therapy services provided for
students are also integrated within the classroom setting in order to
provide a continuum of services.
Speech/Language Therapy
The primary goal of the speech-language pathologists providing
services to children in the school program is to establish an effective,
individualized communication system for each student in order to allow
full participation in the educational program. Therapy services are
provided within the classroom, therapy room and are encouraged
throughout the school day in all environments. This is accomplished within
a “total communication” philosophy. That means that the student is
provided with a variety of skills and materials necessary to communicate
feelings, ideas, wants, and needs, in different ways, with different people,
and in different places.
Adults talk, use gestures, point to items, look in the direction of
things talked about, write and email, and use tone of voice and other
body language to communicate. The same opportunities are made
13
available to our students. Picture communication, eye gaze systems,
devices that generate speech, sign language, gestural communication,
as well as traditional speech are provided. Students are encouraged to
use any means available to them, and often will use a combination of
systems, as do most adults. The easiest, most portable, most universally
understood way to communicate is through speaking. However, this is not
always an immediately obtainable goal for our students. In these cases,
the recommendation may be made to supplement the student’s speech
for the purpose of allowing successful communication.
Secondary goals include increasing understanding and use of
language skills using a developmental continuum. Vocabulary and
concept development and direction-following skills are often the focus of
school speech therapy. When indicated, goals may be established to
work on improving specific oral motor movements, voice quality, correct
use of grammar, speech sound production, and fluency of expression.
Speech-language pathologists also play an integral role in the
assessment and development of therapeutic feeding skills. For further
description of that program, please refer to section titled, “Therapeutic
Feeding Services” on page 18.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy services are available to address a child’s
feeding, dressing, fine motor, visual perception, and sensory needs. Each
child who is referred for Occupational Therapy services will receive an
evaluation to determine the child’s needs within the educational
program. If therapy services are indicated, specific goals will be
developed and included in the child’s Individual Education Program.
Intervention will be provided or directed by a licensed Occupational
Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant. Your child’s therapy session
may be integrated in the classroom in a group or individual session or in
the therapy room. The therapist will provide home suggestions and
additional communication to families regarding therapy progress.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy services are available to address a child’s mobility,
gross motor and therapeutic equipment needs. Each child who is referred
for physical therapy services will receive an evaluation to determine the
child’s needs within the educational program. If therapy services are
14
indicated, specific goals will be developed and included in the child’s
Individual Education Program. Intervention will be provided or directed
by a licensed Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant. The
therapist will provide home suggestions and additional communication to
families regarding therapy progress.
Behavior
Children enrolled at Easter Seals have a variety of skills and needs.
One area in which children may require additional support is behavior.
There are numerous approaches designed to reduce problematic
behaviors with children. We have a Behavior Specialist and the
consultative services of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst that work with
children who may require an individualized behavior approach to meet
their needs. Through observations, assessments, data collection and
analysis, a behavior plan may be developed which will address the
specific needs of a child. Some of the behavior approaches used at
Easter Seals may be Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), positive
reinforcement strategies, proactive, and prevention strategies. The IEP
team determines the best approaches to use with a child and a behavior
plan is developed as a part of the child’s IEP.
Social Services
The School Social Worker provides supportive services to students
and families in the Easter Seals school program. The goal of the social
worker is to provide social services that assist in the improvement of the
social, educational, medical, and psychological functioning of children
and families to maximize overall progress and wellbeing. Your social
worker is the link between school, home, and community, encouraging
collaboration and understanding, focusing on the best interest of the
child. The social worker is responsible for obtaining the family’s priorities for
their child’s educational programming, and sharing the information with
staff for planning and implementation.
Upon enrollment at Easter Seals, the social worker will contact you
to set up an initial home visit, to get to know your family. Your social
worker is also responsible for keeping current on all private therapies,
programs, or medical treatments that your child is receiving. The social
worker is responsible for gathering the reports and information, so that it
may be shared with your child’s team for appropriate planning. It is very
helpful if you let the social worker know if your child is initiating new
15
services outside of Easter Seals so that they may send of Release of
Information home for your signature and acquire the information.
The Social Services department provides monthly parent support
groups as well as sibling support groups during the school year.
Educational and resource materials are sent home regularly, and our
lending library has books and information on a variety of different topics
and issues. The social service department also organizes educational
speakers and presentations for staff and families.
Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s social worker with any
questions or issues that may arise. They are your link to the educational
team and always happy to share or relay information.
Nursing
Easter Seals School provides nursing services and support to the
children in the school program. These staff members are certified by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, and follow its guidelines and
regulations as well as those recommended by the Allegheny Department
of Health. Our nurses split their time between sites and may not be at your
child’s school site each day. However, they are available by phone at all
times and can travel to a specific site when needed.
EASTER SEALS SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Each student’s educational program is developed, documented,
and implemented in an annual Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Several months before the completion date of the current IEP, the social
worker contacts the family to review and revise the family’s perceived
priorities and needs for their child, and to seek permission for any
additional testing which may be indicated. The classroom interdisciplinary
team then assesses the student in the skill areas of: cognition, behavior,
personal/social, self help and personal care, communication, therapeutic
feeding, fine motor, gross motor, and sensory. Health care issues are
reviewed. Goals for the next IEP year are then developed by integrating
parent priorities and developmental needs of the child in all areas.
A meeting date is established with the parents, school district (or IU),
school staff, and any additional persons or agencies designated by the
16
family. Prior to the actual meeting date, a draft of the IEP is sent home for
parent review.
At the IEP meeting, the student’s team reviews current test results,
present levels of performance, and goals for the upcoming year. Special
accommodations, support services, and specially designed instructional
tools are reviewed. Extended School Year (ESY) is discussed. Upon
agreement that an appropriate program has been developed, the IEP is
implemented beginning the following day. There are special
circumstances under which the IEP can be modified before the next
completion year.
Creative Curriculum
Creative curriculum is one of the programs available for use by the
educational staff for the assessment, planning, and progress monitoring of
student skills in the areas of social, emotional, physical, and cognitive and
language development. Developed on evidence-based research,
Creative curriculum identifies the knowledge, skills, and concepts
important for children to acquire from birth to five years of age. This
comprehensive curriculum also defines the physical classroom space to
be organized into interest areas that offer multiple opportunities for
children to explore, discover, and learn.
TEACCH
(Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children)
The TEACCH program is an approach to the education of children
with autism, Easter Seals staff are trained in this approach to use with
those children who could benefit by a highly structured program. The
TEACCH curriculum strives to develop communication and social skills in
children. The program focuses on the child and the development of a
program based on their individual interests, skills, and needs. The use of
visual materials, the organization of the classroom environment, and the
use of visual schedules and work systems all help to develop skills for
children who require this type of structured educational approach.
Extended School Year
Half-day (mornings) programming is available during the month of
July for students requiring an extended school year. This includes
educational and therapeutic interventions on a reduced schedule.
17
Eligibility for extended school year services is discussed during the
IEP conference and determined based on the consideration of several
factors. Student performance factors considered may include: temporary
or permanent loss of skills, difficulty regaining skills to previous levels, and
critical periods of development. Additionally, certain disability diagnoses
are considered to be more indicative of the need for ongoing program
without prolonged break periods.
Adaptive Physical Education
Adapted physical education is physical education that may be
adapted or modified to address the individualized needs of children and
youth who have gross motor developmental delays. School age children
enrolled in Easter Seals School Programs (ages 5-8) are provided an
adapted physical education program. This program is developed to meet
each child’s individualized needs based on a thorough assessment of skills
and the recommendations of the IEP team. The adapted physical
education teacher then modifies the curriculum, task, equipment, and /or
environment so that the child can fully participate in a physical education
program.
Therapeutic Feeding Program
The goal of the Therapeutic Feeding Program is to insure adequate
nutrition and hydration while simultaneously developing sensory and oral
motor skills related to eating.
All students in the school program receive an annual Therapeutic
Feeding Evaluation at the beginning of each school year. This evaluation
is completed by the Speech-Language Pathologist and Occupational
Therapist at lunch or Healthy Snack. This functional assessment of eating
and drinking skills includes evaluation of oral-motor skills, sensory issues,
seating, utensil and cup use, and food preferences and range. The
evaluation results and information provided on the Parental Feeding
Information Form are then combined to develop an annual feeding
program for each student, which is documented as the Functional
Feeding Protocol. The feeding protocol serves as a guideline for school
staff as to how to best meet the feeding needs of each child in order to
develop age appropriate eating and drinking skills. The feeding needs of
students may be met in daily individual or small group settings, using the
most appropriate therapeutic intervention.
18
Feeding needs and skills are reevaluated and revised on an
ongoing basis. In some cases, additional information, such as a swallow
study, may be indicated to insure safe feeding practices. Throughout the
school year, coordination of feeding assessment results and therapeutic
goals with the family remains a priority.
Food Group
One specific therapeutic feeding intervention strategy used with
students may be participation in “Food Group.” As part of their school
day, students identified as candidates for this approach will attend small
groups focused on particular therapeutic feeding goals, run jointly by a
speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist.
Food Group is based on principals of the SOS Approach to feeding,
which is a developmental, multidisciplinary approach to feeding
intervention, using a systematic desensitization philosophy. This approach,
which is child-directed at all times, has been shown to be effective in
increasing the variety, range, volume, food groups and textures of foods
children will eat as well as decreasing maladaptive behaviors around
eating. Parental participation is a key element to the success of this
approach.
Augmentative Communication Program
The Augmentative Communication program provides support to
students in the school program who require additional services to make
them effective communicators throughout all educational environments.
This program falls under the domain of the Speech Department. A full
time Augmentative Communication Specialist provides support and
resources to the students, families, and staff during the evaluation,
selection, implementation and training phases.
As a portion of a complete speech/language evaluation, the
speech-language pathologist determines if the student needs additional
supports to most fully participate in the educational program. Many
factors are considered when designing a system of communication,
including the child’s current abilities to use their vision and hearing,
cognitive readiness for language learning, ability to use a hand or finger
or other body part to activate a switch or give a picture, or to form a
gesture or sign that can be consistently understood, overall attention to
tasks, motivation, intent, and need to communicate. Within a philosophy
19
of “Total Communication”, a variety of systems are evaluated to
supplement the child’s speech. These may include picture
communication systems, Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS), eye gaze systems, speech generating devices, sign language
and/or gestural communication. The classroom team, including the
family, help determine the format and scope of any additional
technology which may be indicated. Physical and occupational
therapists assist in optimizing seating, placement, and modes of access.
A detailed “Individualized Augmentative Plan” is developed and
written, then implemented during individual and group speech sessions
and throughout the school day in all educational, therapeutic, and social
environments.
The Augmentative Communication Specialist assists the staff and
team in obtaining individual student devices for loan periods or personal
purchase as appropriate. She also acts as a liaison between vendors,
school districts, and the school team.
Augmentative needs may change over time, so the
communication needs of the student are reevaluated and revised on an
ongoing basis.
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a
specialized picture-based communication system which allows individuals
to initiate and respond to a wide variety of communicative partners in a
wide variety of environments. It is different from choice-making using
pictures and different from using picture schedules. All Easter Seals school
staff have received specialized training in the implementation of PECS.
Following a complete speech and language assessment and
evaluation of a wide variety of augmentative communication strategies,
a determination is made that a student could benefit from PECS. The
family participates in the development of a bank of reinforcers which are
used in the initial stages of PECS training. The student will then have
multiple opportunities each day throughout all school environments to
learn and practice skills as specifically described in the six phases of PECS
acquisition. These include learning to hand off a picture for a desired
object, learning to use the PECS book no matter where it is located,
remembering to take the book to all school environments, learning picture
and attribute discrimination, and development of a wide variety of
20
sentences used to comment. Throughout all phases of PECS, oral speech
is encouraged, modeled, and practiced.
Statistics have shown that PECS facilitates development of
speech. Approximately 70% of children introduced to PECS develop
some speech. Also, there is often a drop in maladaptive behaviors in
children who are given this system to communicate their wants and
needs. We have seen clear and significant progress in both areas among
our PECS users.
Hearing Screening
All students in the school program are eligible to receive an annual
hearing screening, provided by speech-language pathologists from the
Speech Department. A variety of tones, calibrated by loudness and
pitch, and representing the range of speech sounds, are presented to
each student under controlled conditions, and the responses recorded.
Pure tones may be presented using an audiometer and headphones.
Oftentimes, sound producing toys which have been measured for
loudness and pitch are used. Observation of results suggests the student’s
capacity to benefit from oral language learning, for example, the ability
to imitate words or follow directions.
The second portion of the hearing screening involves a middle ear
screening. An instrument called an acoustic otoscope, decorated to look
like a puppy, generates a quiet, whistling sound into the student’s outer
ear canal. The amount of sound that bounces back is measured by the
otoscope, and gives a good indication of the child’s middle ear health
(for example, the presence of fluid, infection). The procedure takes
several seconds and is completely painless.
Written results, including any recommendations for further
evaluation or treatment, are developed and shared with the staff and
family.
Children’s hearing skills change and develop over time, and directly
impact the child’s ability to most fully benefit from educational
opportunities. Therefore, an annual hearing screening is strongly
recommended for each student.
Courageous Pacers
All students will have the opportunity to participate in Easter Seals
Courageous Pacers program, during their school day. This program is
designed to provide a structured exercise program that can be adapted
to meet the needs of all the children who attend Easter Seals School
21
Program. A Physical Therapist and Adapted PE Teacher are responsible
for coordinating this program at each school site. Your child will
participate in stretching and strengthening exercises, as well as, a
cardiovascular workout. The activities are targeted to improve
endurance, strength, and flexibility.
Healthy Snack
Healthy Snack is a part of Easter Seals curriculum at which time our
students will be exposed to healthy food choices, and participate in the
preparing, serving, and eating the food items. The consistency and food
type may vary depending on each child’s feeding and oral motor needs.
Special dietary restrictions will also be considered. Parents will be notified
in regards to which food items to send in with your child to school. The
following chart contains the Healthy Snack choices for the current school
year.
Easter Seals School Program
Healthy Snack Choices
Whole Grains
Wheat pretzels
Breads (whole
wheat)
Muffins
Crackers (whole
wheat)
Rice cakes
Cereal bars
Rice crackers
Banana Bread
Zucchini Bread
Bread Sticks
Fruits
Apples
Pears
Kiwi
Banana
Peaches
Strawberries
Melons
Grapes
Cherries
Dried fruits
Fruit popsicles
Vegetables
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans
Yellow Beans
Cucumbers
Peppers
Tomatoes
Hummus
Vegetable chips
Peanut Butter
Fresh Peas
22
Dairy
Yogurt (low
sugar/fat)
Cheese (nonprocessed)
Cottage cheese
Drinks
Milk
Water
Pure fruit juices
Parent Group
The focus of parent group is to provide opportunities to meet other
parents and share experiences related to parenting a child with special
needs. Parent group meetings are organized around the family needs
pertaining to their child with special needs and focus on education and
advocacy through the use of informational speakers. Speakers present
on topics identified by families and Easter Seals staff on topics such as:
Behavior management, educationally relevant toys, total communication
systems, future school placements, and grief, to name a few. Fathers
have been provided with a special day with their child in which they meet
teachers and therapists from Easter Seals School, make crafts, and eat
lunch with their child. Mothers have an opportunity to have a “Mom’s
Day Out” in which they share the day with other moms, meet new friends,
and enjoy a childless day of activities. Parent Group meetings are held
every month during the school year. Dates and times vary by site
location.
Sibling Group
Sibling group is a place to meet other kids who have a brother or
sister with special needs. The goal is to provide siblings with the
opportunity to discuss, share, and problem solve common concerns,
feelings, and situations that are unique to the siblings of children with
special needs. At sibling group, kids have fun engaging in games, crafts,
and food, while sharing their feelings and learning accurate information
about disabilities. The groups are open to children ages 5-12, who may
be siblings of Easter Seals students as well as siblings of a child who may
attend another educational program. Groups are typically held every
other month during the school year, and are approximately two hours
long. Sibling group meetings are held at our school sites after school
hours, and include dinner. Sibling group is run by Licensed Social Workers
in conjunction with Easter Seals School professionals from all disciplines.
23
Integration Program
Research in education indicates that integration has many
advantages for children with disabilities as well as non-disabled children.
Children with special needs are given the chance to make friends and to
socialize with other children. Through this interaction they learn the value
of communication and the give-and-take of conversation. They may also
learn many other important skills necessary in development, but most
importantly they become an integral part of their peer group and of
society. Non-disabled children also benefit from integration programs.
Through interacting with children who have a variety of needs, children
learn to accept differences as well as the ability to focus on the individual
and not the disability. Because of the benefits for children with special
needs, Easter Seals provides an integration program for the children in our
school programs. There are three components to the integration program:
Preschool Integration, Reverse Integration and Disability Awareness.
Preschool Integration
The Preschool Integration Program affords Easter Seals students the
opportunity to attend community preschools on a part time basis with
one-to-one staff support. Preschool integration is provided for a child
based on the recommendations of the IEP team in consideration of the
least restrictive environment needs. A child is enrolled in a preschool
program for a minimum of two half days a week and is accompanied by
an Easter Seals Integration Specialist or Community Facilitator who
provide one-to-one support for the child. Progress is monitored and
reported to parents and Easter Seals staff to determine continued needs,
supports, and success of integration placement.
Reverse Integration
The Reverse Integration program provides an opportunity for
typically developing students from other educational programs to
engage in fun, interactive activities with our Easter Seals children at our
school sites. These activities are designed to develop socialization skills
among peers both with and without disabilities. The Reverse Integration
program occurs three or more times per year.
24
Disability Awareness
As schools move towards inclusive education, it is important to build
a culture of acceptance in the community. The Easter Seals Disability
Awareness Program is an interactive curriculum with hands-on,
experiential learning activities designed to promote awareness,
encourage thoughtful consideration of differences, and suggest the
challenges of disabilities. The curriculum, presented by the Easter Seals
Disability Awareness Staff, is adapted to the needs of a particular school,
classroom, or community group.
This curriculum is also an essential component of the Easter Seals
integration programs. Prior to an Easter Seals student participating in any
integration experience, the Disability Awareness Staff present the disability
awareness program to children in the typical school program that will be
sharing in the integration experience. This program is designed so that
typical children may “experience” a disability, so they may understand
and welcome future interaction with children and adults with disabilities.
25