Special Education Programs for Students with Disabilities

Students with Developmental Disabilities

Communication, Language, Academic and Social Skills (CLASS)
The CLASS program offers intensive, individualized instruction and related services to students with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders in and 8:1:1 setting.  Serving students ages 5 through 21, CLASS is organized on the TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children) model and uses discrete trial training, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), social stories and assistive technology to promote language development, academic and social learning and independence.  Daily collaborative speech services are provided as part of the program.  The CLASS program also begins preparing students for transition to adult life after age twenty-one by offering a variety of opportunities including community exposure, workshop training, vocational training at the Tech Center, and/or volunteer job sites in the community. The CLASS program social worker provides parent training, home consultation and linkages to appropriate service providers and adult agencies.

Pines Bridge
Pines Bridge serves students ages 5-21 who have multiple disabilities.  The intensive staff-to-student ratio – typically one teacher and four aides for a class of 12 students – provides a variety of learning environments that meet the cognitive, sensory, physical, emotional, vocational, and social needs of our students.  All students are challenged daily to reach their maximum potential and level of independence.

The second annual Pines Bridge Run for Fun 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for May 15, 2010 at 10am. A small registration fee is required to participate and all will receive a T-shirt and finisher's medal. Prizes will be awarded for the top three male and female finishers. All are welcome to participate and strollers and wheelchairs are encouraged. Following the Run/Walk, there will be a Family Fun Fair with carnival-type games geared to the children who attend Pines Bridge and their siblings. Last year there were such games as ball toss, face painting, and balloon animals. Live entertainment and food complete the fun-filled day for all! Click here to register.

Community Outreach Program (COP)
COP is designed for secondary-aged students (17-21) with multiple disabilities and/or developmental delays to provide experiences that will best prepare them for the transition into the adult world.  The program emphasizes skills in the following strands:  community, job training/volunteer work, life skills and activities of daily living.  Program includes some speech, physical and occupational therapy.

Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE)
This program ensures that students at Pines Bridge, even those who spend much of their day in wheelchairs, keep MOVE-ing.  Throughout the day, students are provided opportunities to sit, stand, or walk, depending on their personal goals.  Pines Bridge School was named a model site for MOVE International in May 2002.  The school is visited by educators across the country and staff members work closely with students’ families to match a child’s MOVE goals with those identified by the family.

Sensory-Motor Language (SML)
This program integrates speech, occupational, and physical therapy into the students; classroom curricula.  SML provides students with opportunities  to integrate language experiences with motor activities in a way that assists them in organizing their world.