The Early Childhood Classroom

The Early Childhood Classroom is a low student/teacher ratio classroom.   Intensive speech/language and occupational therapy services are offered within this classroom.  The staff consists of a teacher, a speech language pathologist, a half-time occupational therapist, and two paraprofessionals. The Early Childhood Team collaborates closely with parents.  Our team provides monthly parent trainings including home visits to increase consistency between school and home.  Each child receives individual instruction along with individual and group therapy services within our classroom. The children have an opportunity to practice their skills in the community weekly with Community Based Instruction.

The classroom has an established routine and uses visual supports to create a feeling of security and predictability in the environment, to promote communication, and to encourage engagement. Communication books are easily accessible to the children at all times. The toys and other materials are organized to encourage and create increased opportunities for the children to make self initiated requests (mands).  The classroom is well equipped with sensory tools and equipment (a swing, therapy balls, tactile toys, oral motor items, body stockings, and proprioceptive vests) that are easily accessible or may be requested by the student for self regulation purposes. The children practice gross motor skills with our sensory obstacle course which changes with each classroom theme.  The children have opportunities for group instruction during lunch, snack time, circle time, and craft activities.

Teaching Approaches

Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transitional Support (SCERTS):

SCERTS is an eclectic model that incorporates a variety of best practices for the assessment and treatment of young children (under age 6) on the autism spectrum.  It recognizes that autism is a spectrum disorder and that each child with autism has varied needs. The model is strongly family-centered and draws from developmental, social, and behavioral approaches. SCERTS is based on the work of Barry Prizant and Amy Wetherby.

Floor Time:

Floor Time is an intensive, person-centered, relationship-based approach that stresses the importance of developing empathy for and a belief in the ability for individuals with autism to express attachments in typical fashions.  Through floortime children learn new activities that gradually replace any stereotypes. The expansion of a child’s repertoire of behaviors allows social interaction, communication and other skills to develop.  Floortime is based on the research of Dr. Stanley Greenspan.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS):

PECS teaches children to initiate communication within a social context.  Through PECS children learn to locate a communication partner, present a picture of a desired item (or object representing it) and obtain the item in exchange for the picture/object.  There are no prerequisite skills for learning this communication technique.  PECS was created by Andrew Bondy and Lori Frost.