 The
Special Needs Program is district-wide and accommodates students from age three
through age twenty-one. Whiting
Lane is one of two elementary schools that provides the special needs program
for grades K-5.Students within the program are diagnosed as having severe
language disabilities, autism, multiple disabilities or mental retardation. The students enter the program with significant delays in the
areas of cognitive, language  adaptive,
personal-social, and motor skills. Students
require intensive intervention and direct instruction.
The students typically maintain the same progression through
elementary, middle and high school as their age-mates.
The philosophy of the Special Needs Program is oriented toward preparing
the student for life beyond graduation, socially and vocationally.
Also at Whiting Lane is a class for students with more significant multiple handicaps. This
class is a sensory integration program for children from kindergarten through
grade five.
Program
Description:
The
Special Needs special education staff work collaboratively with general
education teachers and support staff which can include an occupational
therapist, physical therapist, speech and language
clinician, social worker, school psychologist, and outside agencies to meet the
diverse needs of students. Support services can be provided in the regular
classroom, special education learning center or in a therapy room.
The educational team meets regularly to ensure that objectives are
written and carried out in an integrated manner throughout the student's day.
The team is also responsible for planning and implementing student goals
and objectives to promote the generalization of skills to many settings.
 Students
in the Special Needs Program require intensive special education in the
areas of reading, written language, math, personal-social skills, adaptive
skills, motor skills, vocational skills and communication. In a learning
resource center or self-contained class, instruction is provided in small groups
or individually. Special Education staff foster learning by providing
support in mainstream classrooms.
Significant
modifications are made to the West Hartford Essential
Curriculum to meet the educational needs of each individual student.
The
Special Needs Program provides an individualized educational program for each
student to become as independent as possible, to be prepared for a successful
mainstream experience and to be productive members of the school and community.
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