IT STARTS WITH A
PROMISE
THERAPY IN THE
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
A Snapshot of our Demographics
•Student body – 22% White,
15% African American, 62%
Hispanic
•F/R lunch 85% and climbing
• 10% Migrant students
•16% ELL
The Birth of a Vision
• Understanding the Challenge
& Indicator Six
• The Role of Leaders
• Debbie, at TATs
• Monica, at AMM
The Beginning
• Summer of 2013- no inclusion PreK
classrooms in the District.
• 1 small PreK inclusion project with one
RCMA site – had greater need.
• PreK SWD in the District had almost no
time with non-disabled peers.
• Many parents unhappy
A Journey
• Began with Data
• Looked for Help! - (Resources
are Great!)
• TATs – FND – FDLRS – Early
Steps – RCMA & other centers
– any ideas.
Assemble A Great Team
• Hire a PreK Specialist with a great
work ethic! – began in March,
2014
• Hire the very best teachers and
therapists and give them
resources. (4 inclusion units)
• Spread the word about the
Inclusion Program (Waiting list for
gen ed!!)
Use Your Secret Weapons
Teaching and Measuring
• The Letter People
• Teachtown – (For Everyone!)
• Brigance – Screens III (PK School
sites only)
• Integrated Therapy at all sites
starting in January 2015
Where We Started…
Brigance Results - Hendry
September, 2014 – Inclusion PREK
Where We Are Now…
Brigance Results – Hendry
January, 2015- Inclusion PreK
What We Do For Speech…
• At RCMA sites Speech Therapy started out
pulling ESE and Gen Ed kids in a small group
with Read It Again Curriculum
• Curriculum was carried over between Therapists
and Teachers
• Students started to realize it was during play time
and interest level dropped.
• Therapy style changed from curriculum based to
Integrated Therapy in each play center focusing
on individual student goals through play.
What We Do For Speech…
• At school sites Speech Therapy is pushed in
during Centers.
• ESE students and Gen Ed students in all
language groups.
• Four 15 minute centers where therapist follows
students throughout the centers based around
The Letter People Curriculum.
• Therapy style changed from curriculum based to
Integrated Therapy in each play center focusing
on individual student goals through play.
What We Do For OT…
• Sit in circle time with students for attending tasks
and upper extremity skills
• Scissor skills, writing and gluing are all done with
students during table top activities
• Sensory integration is incorporated in Circle time,
playground or wherever is convenient for
students and teachers
Challenges We Face For Speech…
• Group sizes are getting larger
• Push In times and activities in the classroom
• Planning time with teachers
• Follow up activities when Speech therapist isn’t
there
• Not all students are ready for Integrated Therapy
• When something doesn’t work, we fix it and have
conversations about it.
Challenges We Face For OT…
• Scheduling
Goals For Next Year…
• Plan activities during the summer to go along with
•
•
•
•
curriculum
Smaller group sizes
Meeting prior to school with Centers and PK Sites to
coordinate schedules
Goals written more specifically for Integrated Therapy in
their Natural Environment (naming objects in the Kitchen
Center, using plurals to request objects, etc.)
Specific Language based center during centers for all
students
Promises To Parents
• We will meet you where you are.
• We will be present and considerate of your perspective.
• We will consider you as a partner and remember that it
takes all of us, working together, for a child to experience
school success.
• We will explain all of your choices so you may develop an
understanding about educational decisions and your child
and we will be respectful of your decisions.
• We will communicate with you about your child’s progress
regularly and in a positive manner in the language you are
most comfortable with.
Promises To Parents
• We will be available when you need us.
• We will help you if you ask or we will assist you in
finding a resource.
• We will remind ourselves that if you are angry it still
means you care and want what’s best for your child.
• We will make the children we serve the most important
focus of every decision we make.
• We will continue to improve what we do every day.