Special Services
Special Services Teachers
Special Services teachers provide support for students with disabilities and those at risk within the general education program. Working with classroom teachers, the special services teachers (SST) define academic and behavioral needs and design interventions and programs that will help individual students develop academically and socially.
Special Services Teachers provide support to children who are eligible for special education services. These teachers work as case managers for children who have IEPs. Services can also be provided in the general classroom setting, small group resource settings, or a combination of both models. Services are designed to meet the individual needs of exceptional learners.
Special Services Teachers work with staff members in developing and implementing strategies and accommodations for struggling students. Curriculum modifications, expectations, and individual classroom management programs may be developed for Armstrong students. As a resource to other teachers, Armstrong’s SSTs provide materials, teaching techniques, and act as a resource for all of Armstrong’s staff. As members of the Child Study Team, the SSTs participate in the educational evaluation process.
Currently the three Special Services Teachers assigned to Armstrong are Ms. Lisa Nicholson, Ms. Karen Mueller and Mrs. Becky Rodriguez.
Students are also supported by instructional assistants. Currently the four Instructional Assistants are Jeannette Boehmer, Lynne Feagan, Donna McSweeny, and Kelly Holt.
Armstrong School’s Psychologist
Armstrong School has a full-time school psychologist Vernessa Stepney. The school psychologist’s role can vary, depending on the needs of a particular school. Here at Armstrong, the psychologist provides consultation to teachers and parents regarding the academic, behavioral and emotional functioning of students, and helps to develop classroom modifications to assist children who may be having difficulty. Students may be seen for counseling on an individual basis, or may participate in classroom groups that are provided by the school psychologist. Crisis intervention is also provided by the school psychologist, if needed. She serves as a member of the Child Study Team, evaluating students for possible special education support. In addition, the school psychologist may provide in-service opportunities for both staff and parents on a variety of topics.
Armstrong School’s Social Worker
The mission of District 54 social workers is to serve the school community by promoting social and emotional growth in order to enhance the educational experience of all students. They use several types of programs to fulfill that mission, depending on the needs of a particular school.
Armstrong School has a full-time social worker, Maragaret Smith. Ms. Smith provides support services to kindergarten through sixth grade. Here at Armstrong the social worker provides consultation to staff and parents to solve problems related to social or emotional issues that may be impacting the student’s academic performance. Consultative activities often include observations of students and learning environments, conferencing with parents and teachers, developing strategies to address concerns, and developing behavior management plans.
The school social worker also serves as a liaison between school, home and community agencies. Students may be seen for counseling services on an individual or small group basis. Students may also participate in classroom groups that are led by the social worker that focus on social skills and problem solving. Crisis intervention is also provided by the social worker, if needed. The school social worker coordinates the Rainbows program. She also serves as a member of the Child Study Team, evaluating students for possible special education support.
Speech and Language Services
At Neil Armstrong School, Ms. Xochitl Stankiewicz performs as the full time Speech-Language Pathologist and services for the kindergarten through sixth-grade population.
Referrals for speech and language screening may be made by request from parents or teachers. As part of the Child Study Team, it is our job to look at several areas when determining whether a child has a communication impairment. Areas assessed as part an evaluation might include the following:
- Language – refers to the use and understanding of words and sentences to convey ideas.
- Speech – refers to the production of sounds that make up our spoken words and sentences.
- Fluency (Stuttering) – refers to the way connected speech is produced.
- Voice – refers to the pitch, loudness, and quality of the speaker’s voice.
Assessment techniques used in an evaluation are dependent on the needs of the individual student – and may include but are not limited to normative tests, teacher input forms, informal assessments, observations, interviews and language samples.
If speech and language services are recommended for a child, support can take the forms of consultation to the teacher/parent or direct remediation to the child. The type of service and amount of time a child is seen is determined at an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting.
It is also a Speech-Language Pathologist’s responsibility to provide assistance to the student, family and staff in the understanding of normal speech/language development and how deviations from the norm might impact a child’s performance within the school setting.