Office of Special Education & Special Services
Programs and Services
As specified by New York State Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations, a continuum of program alternatives is available to meet the varied needs of students with disabilities who reside in the Smithtown School District. The continuum represents programs which are available within the district, by contract with neighboring school districts, provided by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) or private educational agencies and by State supported schools.
Students are placed into special education programs only when the severity of their disability is such that education in regular classes even with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Related Services
Related services may be provided in conjunction with a mainstream education program or with other special education programs and services. The Smithtown School District provides the following related services: speech/language, physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, psychological services, counseling services, parent counseling and training, mobility training, medical services as defined in 200.1 of the Commissioner's Regulations, vision/hearing, school health, social work, other appropriate developmental or corrective support services, appropriate access to recreation and other support services.
Speech/Language Services
The mission of Speech/Language Services is to strengthen proficiency in the use of all forms of communication, comprehension and expression of spoken and written language, as well as the development of thinking and reasoning skills. In addition to addressing the needs of our classified youngsters, we are able to enrich our non-classified students due to our collaborative efforts. Through the district's Educationally Related Support Services (ERSS) program, children who are experiencing difficulties in any of the speech/language domains receive speech/language services to improve their academic functioning without the need for classification. The areas of speech/language include: auditory processing, semantics, abstract reasoning, problem solving, pragmatics, syntax and morphology, written expression, articulation, phonology, oral motor skills, voice and stuttering.
Psychological Services
Helping educators and parents better understand a child's learning difficulties and how they interfere with that child's school success is the primary role of a school psychologist. Psychologists are dedicated to enriching the lives of students, who, for whatever reason, are unable to successfully participate in the academic and social environment of school. Services to those students from K through 12th grade are enhanced by the vast knowledge of psycho-educational assessment, child development, learning channels, special education programs, social-emotional functioning, behavior management techniques, and counseling strategies at the disposal of the school psychologist.
School psychologists can be mandated members of the Committee on Special Education. They are responsible for communicating the interpretation of results of specific tests and measurements administered to a child and how those results translate into potential educational needs. Psychologists are also required to conduct a re-evaluation every three years to determine continued eligibility for classification. At the elementary level a school psychologist will greet all youngsters preparing to enter kindergarten with an instrument for measuring school readiness. As consultant to other service providers, regular education teachers, administrators and outside service providers they provide specific interventions that direct a student back toward school success. Specifically, a school psychologist may formulate behavior intervention plans based on a Functional Behavioral Analysis or FBA. The FBA gives parents, teachers and all service providers a kind of blueprint to the actual underlying reasons for negative behavior. A specific strategy to diminish those behaviors with a substitute of more positive behaviors is then established.
For those needing in-school counseling services a School Psychologist will meet with students individually or in a group. Counseling can be provided as a mandate of a child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) and as an Educationally Related Support Service (ERSS) to those students at risk or in crisis.
Social Work Services
The school social worker provides counseling to students, acts as a liaison between school, home, community, and service agencies, and consults with students, staff, and families in crisis situations.
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Consultant Teacher Services
Students with disabilities may be provided direct consultant teacher services for a minimum of two hours each week. This will enable students enrolled in full-time regular education programs to remain in such programs and receive support from a special education teacher. The consultant teacher program is operated in accordance with Part 200.6 (d) of the Commissioner's Regulations. Direct consultant teacher services are provided either individually or in a group to the student in the classroom. Indirect consultant teacher services are provided to the mainstream teachers to assist them in modifying the learning environment, curriculum, or instruction to meet the needs of the student with a disability in the mainstream.
Resource Room Services
The resource room is operated in accordance with Part 200.6 (f) of the Commissioner's Regulations. Instruction is provided at least three hours per week in groups no larger than five students. Resource room instruction is a less restrictive option than placement in a special class due to the academic and social benefits to be derived from the mainstream education program. Each resource room is staffed by a teacher certified in special education. The resource room teacher provides supplementary instruction focusing on compensatory and organizational skills acquisition, enabling the student to meet the daily demands of the mainstream setting.
Integrated Program
The Integrated Program fosters academic, social and emotional growth by providing equal opportunity for all students, including those classified with special needs in a regular education setting. All students are exposed to the same curriculum and afforded the opportunity to work together as cooperative members of the same group. Modification will be provided when necessary to insure success.
All students in the integrated program are recognized as individuals with strengths and weaknesses. They learn to support and appreciate each other. The program enhances the self-esteem of all students, the appreciation of each other's self-worth, and the life-long skill that people can accomplish more when working together as members of a group.
At the elementary level, the program places 15:1 students into their appropriate grade level general education class with the necessary support services. A special education teacher works with the regular education teacher throughout the day.
Click her to find out more information about the PACT Co-Teaching/Inclusion Model.
Special Class
Special Class or Self-Contained classes are available to those students whose learning needs require services beyond those provided in a regular class with resource room. Special class size options are consistent with Part 200.6 (g) of the Commissioner's Regulations. The class size options available in this district include the following: 15:1, 12:1:1, 8:1:2 and 8:1:1.
Vocational Programs
These programs are designed to address the vocational needs of students with disabilities, focusing on the transition from secondary school to post-secondary education or to the work place. Career awareness, community referenced instruction, supported work placement, and job coaching are integral components of the program. Vocational training opportunities exist both in-district and in Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) settings. Transition planning and articulation with Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and appropriate adult service providers is on-going to ensure attainment of student's and his/her parents' post-secondary aspirations. Job development has been the primary focus of the Transition Planning Coordinator. Sites providing work experiences include, but are not limited to, Dove Electronics, the Holtsville Ecology Center, Computer Associates, Marriott, Toys-R-Us, Bob's, Sunrise Assisted Living, and McDonalds.
Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) provides vocational services to our students with disabilities in Occupational Education Programs and Special Career Educational Programs (SCE). Students attending these facilities spend two and a half hours daily in courses ranging from auto mechanics, carpentry, welding, food service, photography, commercial art to architecture. Participation in all vocational programs rests with decisions reached within transition planning sessions involving the participation of the student, his/her parents, school personnel and outside adult service providers where appropriate. Final determinations are made at the Committee on Special Education meeting.
BOCES and Private School (Day and Residential Placements)
The school district seeks to maximize the number of disabled students that can be educated in district, but there are groups of students for whom local programs are not appropriate. These students are provided equivalent educational programs and services within the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and/or private facilities, because placement in these facilities is the least restrictive environment determined by the Committee on Special Education. The students' placement in such programs will not preclude their involvement in district extra-curricula activities.
Transition Planning
A Transition Plan establishes a set of activities designed to help students with disabilities make the adjustment from school to the world of work and adulthood. The planning process begins at age twelve and is reviewed and updated each year by parents, educational professionals, and the student. Activities decided at the planning meeting and annual reviews are included in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and integrated into the curriculum. The range of activities varies for each student, and depend on individual needs and decided long-range outcomes. The goal of Transition Services is to explore many options. Students may receive vocational counseling. Some students participate in school-to-work programs at job sites in the community. Travel training experiences are available. With "Community Referenced Instruction," students visit a variety of businesses and agencies. Leisure and recreation options are also integrated into the students' curriculum. Some students receive help finding employment, and job coaching is available. Transition Services will assist the students to develop knowledge of the community and the skills that are needed to become productive and independent participants.
Extended School Year Program (ESYP)
The in-district special education summer program is designed to provide an extended school year to those students with Individualized Education Plan’s (IEP’s) requiring twelve month programming consistent with Part 200.6 (j) of the Commissioner's Regulations. The summer school is housed in a district elementary school. The program operates thirty days within the months of July and August. Class size options of 8:1:1, 8:1:2 and 12:1:1 are offered. This full day program provides students with the opportunity to maintain academic and social growth. Daily activities provide students with varied learning opportunities that are theme related.
Skills Training Education Program (STEP)
We provide the Skills Training Education Program (STEP) for children with Autism. This program provides a combination of individual skills and curriculum integration at the child’s developmental level in order to facilitate the learning of academic, social and communication skills. Within this environment we believe that each child will obtain the skills necessary to actively contribute to our community.
Goals of the Program:
Summer Reading Program
The Summer Reading Program is offered to special education students, grades 1-7, who are in integrated classes or who will be in integrated classes in the upcoming school year. The objective of this sixteen-session program is to assist students who need support in reading/decoding and/or reading comprehension. The staff will utilize strategies consistent with a multi-sensory approach to enhance students’ reading and comprehension skills.
This program is contingent upon budget approval.
Homebound Intruction
Homebound instruction is provided for each child who will be absent from school for a period of 20 or more consecutive days. A prolonged illness or physical disability must be verified by a physician before homebound instruction will be provided.
Best Buddies
Smithtown is currently utilizing a grant to implement the “Best Buddies” program in some of our schools. The Best Buddies Program is a not for profit agency that trains non disabled peers on how to facilitate social friendships with their disabled peers.