Special Services

District 26 offers an At-Risk Pre-School Program (ARISE) and Preschool for All (PFA) at Oak Knoll Early Childhood Center. The programs are designed to provide a preschool experience for children ages 3-5 who are residents of Cary or Fox River Grove and who qualify for pre-school programming due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to economic need, low performance on screening, primary language other than English, and chronic illness/health concerns.

Fox River Grove students are only eligible to be screened for the Preschool for All program. All other preschool screenings for Fox River Grove students should go through Fox River Grove School District 3 for eligibility and placement. 

Please e-mail Nikki Turney at nicolette.turney@cary26.org or call 224-357-5550 and leave a voice mail message with the requested information with your name, address, cell #, and child’s name and date of birth. 
 

During the past several years the number of students with social/emotional needs has increased in District 26.  The Bridge Program has been designed to support the social/emotional and academic needs for students who have been found eligible for special education and require a specialized placement in order to address social and emotional concerns. Our Bridge Program is offered at Three Oaks Elementary School and Cary Jr High School. The following is a description of the supports that are integrated into the Bridge Program. 

Academics:
The curriculum for the Bridge program follows the general education curriculum for Cary students, with modifications as needed in accordance with the individual students’ IEPs.  Homework support and study skills are embedded within the program.  The Bridge program is a small, self-contained setting designed to allow students to receive all of their academic within the program in a small group setting.  Whenever possible, at the recommendation of the IEP Team, students are included in the general education setting.  This may include core academic classes, specials and/or lunch and recess.  Students participate in all district-wide and state-wide assessments.

Social/Emotional Support:
All students receive individual and group counseling.  A point/level system is used to help students monitor their progress as well as earn privileges.  A pro-social component has been embedded into the program—such as working as peer buddies.  The program assistants work directly with the students and the teacher and provide support for the students.    

Students: 
Students in the Bridge program are students at the elementary or junior high level who have been identified with social/emotional concerns by the IEP Team.  These students require specialized programming to address their social/emotional needs in order to be successful in school.  The students may have some mild to moderate behavioral needs.  However, students with severe behavioral needs would not be appropriate for the Bridge program.

Staff: 
Staff for the Bridge program include a teacher, paraprofessional staff and a part-time social worker.  In addition, the school psychologist and behavior specialist consult with the program on an as-needed basis.  Other related services such as speech/language, occupational therapy and physical therapy, vision itinerant and hearing itinerant staff are also available, in accordance with the identified needs in each student’s IEP.  

The full-day inclusive Kindergarten program is an inclusive Kindergarten classroom that is taught by a teacher who is dually certified in general education and special education. The focus of the program is to provide an enriched Kindergarten experience for students, academically as well as developmentally. The curriculum is the standard kindergarten classroom. Modifications and accommodations are made to the program for individual students based on their needs identified in their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). In addition, students receive the full complement of related services, as identified in their IEPs. The goal of the full-day Kindergarten program is to prepare all of the students both academically and developmentally as they move on in the curriculum to a first grade classroom.

Students in the program include both typically developing students as well as students with identified special needs. There are two inclusive full-day Kindergarten classrooms. Both are located at Oak Knoll Early Childhood Center. The program is open to Kindergarten-eligible students from all three elementary schools.

Specialized Resource services have been developed in order to support the growing number of students in District 26 requiring specialized support services. Specialized resource services are designed to support students in grades 1-8 with a variety of academic and case management needs who have not met with success in a traditional resource model. Students requiring this level of support are students who typically are two years below grade level in language arts and/or math, are in the lower percentiles on academic testing, require specialized case management, or have not demonstrated expected progress in a traditional resource model. This program is offered at all of our schools. 

Academics
The special education teacher provides the intensive instruction in the necessary curricular areas as well as supervises the inclusive program that each student participates in. Most students in the program require intensive, individual or small group instruction in reading, writing and/or math. Students are generally two years below average for their grade level, or in the lower percentiles academically in language arts or math. Curriculum is based on the state standards and is tailored to meet the individual needs of each child.

Case Management
Some students require more intensive services due to reasons other than academics. For example, students requiring extensive adaptations to the classroom environment or who need specific non-academic support strategies that cannot be provided without specialized case management would be considered for specialized resource services.

Inclusion
The goal of specialized resource services is for students to participate in the general academic setting as much as possible. In grades 1-5, students are assigned a home room class. They participate in morning activities, science, social studies, lunch, recess and specials with their grade level peers. In grades 6-8, students follow a junior high schedule with each specific class being determined by their individual needs. In all grades, the level of inclusion varies for each student, depending on their specific needs.

Additional Content Area Instruction
For a very small percentage of students, small group, intensive instruction in other content areas may be necessary and can be provided through the specialized resource model. In these less common instances, services will be determined by the IEP team. How students are placed in specialized resources classes

If a Team is considering adding specialized resources, a specialized resource teacher works with the IEP Team to review the student’s current IEP and assessment data. The entrance criteria for the program are reviewed and considered in light of the student’s needs. An observation of the student is scheduled, and the IEP team meets to determine what specialized resource supports may be required.

The TLC program (Teaching, Life skills and Communication) is a program designed to support students who have been identified as having developmental disabilities. The need for specialized support in multiple areas, including academic support, communication, social skills, life skills and sensory supports has grown substantially. In order to address this growing need, District 26 has designed a specialized program the TLC to provide individualized, specialized supports to our students. The TLC program provides support for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade and is offered at Deer Path Elementary School and Cary Jr High School. The following is a description of the supports that are integrated into the TLC program.

Academics:
Curriculum is aligned to the state of Illinois Learning Standards. IEP academic goals are developed to include the following areas: reading, writing and math. Students are also exposed to other areas of study such as science, social studies, art, music and physical education as appropriate. Curriculum for the program is delivered through differentiated instruction that includes a combination of the following: discrete trial training, TEACCH, sensory-integration support, communication and social skill development, functional life skills, visual schedules, social stories, assistive technology and motor activities. Each child’s program is tailored to meet the unique needs of the student.

Life Skills:
The Life Skills component of the program is designed to help develop student’s skills to effectively function within their varied communities and prepare them for the next step in their lives. Included in this component are activities and experiences focusing on:
Independent functioning--following a classroom/home/job schedule or routine, maintaining appropriate hygiene and health, demonstrating safety awareness.
Social Skills—engaging appropriately with peers and adults, demonstrating cooperation, managing emotions/feelings, choosing appropriate leisure activities.
Behavior—demonstrating appropriate behaviors in a variety of situations, learning problem-solving strategies to manage challenges, learning conflict
resolution skills.
Vocational Skills—completing tasks involving multiple step directions, performing appropriate jobs in the school setting, learning about various occupations.

Communication:
The TLC program helps students develop speech and language skills and facilitates functional communication. Small group and discrete learning tasks are provided in addition to whole class activities, with the goal of generalizing communication skills into other school, home and community environments. The TLC program emphasizes social communication and interaction utilizing augmentative and alternative technology as needed.

Sensory Needs:
Sensory needs vary greatly among individuals. Strategies taught are designed to address individual needs and are tailored to the students’ developmental level. Self-regulation awareness as well as independent implementation of strategies are promoted to assist students in accessing and participating in all aspects of their educational program. Approaches such as, “How Does Your Engine Run?,” use of specialized software, sensory/motor activities and adult supports that teach the use of sensory tools and strategies help to empower the students to take charge of their sensory needs.

Related Services:
Students also receive all of the related service supports that are recommended by the IEP Team. Some of these related services may include Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Psychological Services, Health Services, Vision Itinerant, Orientation and Mobility, Hearing Itinerant and Adaptive Physical Education. Many of these services are integrated directly into the program, with individual and small group support also available, in accordance with the student’s IEP.

Inclusion:
The goal of all D26 programs is to provide the greatest access to typical peers as possible while still addressing the unique learning needs of each student. Opportunities for inclusion in the TLC program are individualized and are determined by the IEP Team. Students may participate in the general education setting in specific academic classes (such as language arts, math, science and social studies), lunch/recess, assemblies and specials (such as art, music and/or physical education). In addition, “Buddy Programs” are available. In these programs, typical peers join the TLC classrooms to work with students on a variety of activities.

The Transitional Kindergarten Program is a full-day, specialized kindergarten classroom for students in Cary District 26. Students in this program are students with special needs who may have developmental delays, speech/language concerns, or difficulty processing information. The goal of the
Transitional Kindergarten program is to support student’s access to the kindergarten curriculum through an appropriately paced classroom that minimizes transition, and allows time for skill support and repetition. Transitional Kindergarten is offered at Oak Knoll Early Childhood Center. The following is a description of the supports that are integrated into the Transitional Kindergarten program.

Academics:
Curriculum is aligned to the state of Illinois Learning Standards. IEP academic goals are developed to include the following areas: reading, writing and math. Students are also exposed to other areas of study such as science, social studies, art, music and physical education as appropriate. Curriculum for
the program is delivered through differentiated instruction that includes a combination of the district’s kindergarten curriculum as well as supplementary curriculum to support skills attainment. Each child’s program is tailored to meet the unique needs of the student.

Related Services:
Students also receive all related service supports that are recommended by the IEP Team. Some of these related services may include Speech/Language, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Psychological Services, Health Services, Hearing Itinerant, Vision Itinerant, Orientation and Mobility and Adaptive Physical Education. Many of these services are integrated directly into the program, with individual and small group support also available, in accordance with the student’s IEP.

Inclusion:
The goal of all D26 programs is to provide the greatest access to typical peers as possible while still addressing the unique learning needs of each student. Opportunities for inclusion with students in the general education kindergarten program will be provided. For example, students in Transitional Kindergarten will be able to participate in specials (art, music, gym) as well as lunch and recess with peers from the district’s other kindergarten classrooms. They may also be paired with students in the district’s inclusive Full Day Kindergarten Program for some center time activities. All inclusion opportunities will be developed in accordance with the individual needs of the students in Transitional Kindergarten.

Program Options after Transitional Kindergarten:
Upon completion of the Transitional Kindergarten year, students will transition either to a general education first grade classroom—with supports as needed--in their home school or to a special education program within the district. Individual decisions for each student are made by the IEP Team, and all recommended supports and services will be provided in first grade.