Developmental Disabilities Programs
The CASE Developmental Disabilities Program serves students who present with a variety of developmental needs from preschool to post high school. These classes are located in a number of CASE member districts. Students in this program are often delayed approximately one to three years (or more in some classes) in cognitive skills, communication, and academic skills and often have delays in fine and/or gross motor skills as well. Some students may also encounter difficulty with social skills and/or behavior
Classroom sizes typically range from six to ten students with a staff ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, depending on the needs of the students. Classroom instruction varies from small group to entire classroom settings.
As with academic instruction, therapy services for students are delivered individually and/or in small groups, per the student’s IEP. Therapy services are generally provided in the classroom to facilitate carryover by, and consultation with, the instructional staff. Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy are the most common therapies utilized in these programs; physical therapy is provided when needed.
Occupational therapy services address a range of areas, including fine-motor, perceptual-motor, and sensory-motor development. Although many of the students in these classrooms may be verbal, there are also students who communicate with the use of augmentative communication (e.g., pictures, sign, symbols, or speech generating devices). DIR Floortime is offered at the preschool level.
Applied Behavior Analysis is utilized as a methodology and services can be provided on a 1:1 basis as determined by the team. Social skills programming is an important component of this program for the older students. A counselor meets with the students in small groups to help them develop social skills such as making friends, expressing feelings constructively, and cooperating with others. Services are also available for students who have more significant behavioral issues in this and other programs at CASE.
Developmental Disabilities Programs Inquiries
Pre-K- Middle School
Marcia Berkowitz
Assistant Director
mberkowitz@casecollaborative.org
Asst: Rachel Thunberg (978-318-1534)
High School-Post High School
Courtney Hudgins
Program Coordinator
chudgins@casecollaborative.org
Asst: Karen Harvey (978-881-4146)