Itinerant Support Services
Provided through the
Southwest Cook County Cooperative Association for Special Education
Services Provided:
- Adaptive Physical Education
- Audiological Evaluation
- Hearing /Visually Impaired Evaluation and Service
- Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Service
- Orientation and Mobility Evaluation and Service
- Physical Therapy Evaluation and Service
SWCCCASE provides consultation and support to our district in order to assist us in meeting the needs of students with diverse abilities. Each request is individualized and a plan is designed in collaboration with member district staff. Below is an overview of the available services:
Adapted Physical Educationis physical education which may be adapted or modified to address the individualized needs of children who have gross motor delays or disabilities. Focusing on each student’s individual needs, the student services team collaborates to develop appropriate adaptations to the PE curriculum.
|
Audiological EvaluationAudiological Evaluation is the determination of the range, nature and degree of hearing loss including measuring hearing acuity, tests relating to air and bone conduction, speech reception threshold and speech discrimination and other hearing evaluation tests as appropriate including conformity evaluations and pure tone audiometry .
|
Hearing/Visually Impaired Evaluation and Servicesare offered to students who have visual or hearing impairments. Once the student is evaluated, certified vision and hearing teachers provide necessary accommodations in order for students to access their educational environment and materials. Services may include individual instruction in the use of specialized equipment to compensate for hearing or vision loss, integrated instruction in the classroom, and consultation with appropriate staff. Itinerant teachers help develop students’ Individual Education Programs; communicate with parents and staff; obtain, develop and modify educational materials.
|
Orientation and Mobility Evaluation and Servicesare provided to students with visual impairments who may require to be sequentially taught how to navigate their surroundings. The goal of O&M instruction is to increase a student’s ability to travel within their school setting, neighborhood, and community environments safely and independently. This specialized instruction focuses on teaching skills and strategies to maintain orientation within a given space and then to be mobile within it as well.
|
Occupational Therapy Evaluation and ServicesOccupational therapy (OT) services are provided by licensed therapists to students with sensorimotor impairments or delays that prevent or significantly limit their ability to benefit from special education. Following a formal evaluation and the development of the student’s individualized education plan, OT services are provided by therapists in cooperation with the teacher and other members of the educational team. General performance areas addressed by occupational therapy services that are curriculum-based are: self-care activities, educational tasks, vocational responsibilities, play or leisure skills. School-based occupational therapists have unique expertise in the impact that fine motor and sensorimotor challenges have on functions of the student role in the learning process. Test results are combined with skilled observations in order to design interventions that support special education programming.
|
|
Physical Therapy Evaluation and ServicesPhysical therapy (PT) services are provided by licensed therapists to students with physical impairments that prevent or significantly limit their ability to access or benefit from special education. Following a formal evaluation and the development of the student’s individualized education plan, PT services are provided by therapists in cooperation with the teacher and other members of the educational team. General performance areas addressed by physical therapy services that are environmentally relevant are: mobility & movement, posture & positioning, safely accessing surroundings. School-based physical therapists have unique expertise in the impact that gross motor challenges or deficits have on the learning environment. They look beyond clinical signs and symptoms in order to design skilled interventions that support special education programming.
|
What are Support Services?
Educational programs offer opportunities for academic growth. Special education provides individualized instruction that addresses independent learning styles. These are the primary services offered in a free, appropriate, public education. When students need additional support to access and/or benefit from their special education program, any of the itinerant services may be requested to support educational goals.
How Are Therapy Services Provided?
Therapists incorporate educationally relevant therapeutic activities throughout the school day. Students may be seen individually or in small groups, often integrated within their classrooms. Services may be provided in a variety of formats.
Direct: Therapist and student work together in a one-to-one or small group setting.
Integrated: Therapist works within the context of naturally-occurring classroom activities.
Consultative: Therapist meets with classroom teacher and/or support staff to collaborate on strategies for addressing complex behavioral, motor, or learning concerns.