Specialized Early Intervention
In addition to the inclusive Happy Hearts Early Childhood Program, the preschool program may be further adapted to meet the needs of children with more significant disabilities. Specialized preschool classrooms offer a curriculum that incorporates the use of technology, multisensory materials and adaptive equipment to facilitate the development of children with multiple disabilities, severe sensory impairments, and autism spectrum disorders.
Specialized Early Intervention serves preschool age children requiring a more structured classroom environment and a higher staff to student ratio. Specialized preschool offers both full and half-day classes, in accordance with each child's Individualized Education Plan. The enrollment in these classrooms averages 10 children per session, providing one staff person for every three children. Individual support services are also available.
Faculty monitor and document developmental progress using a variety of methods, including parent and teacher observation, developmental assessment, discipline-specific formal and informal testing.
The goal of our early childhood programs, and the ultimate measure of student progress, is the child's transition to the next learning environment. Transition is success!
Additional Innovative Services:
- A registered nurse on-site at all times
- Certified teachers
- Community outings
- Curriculum combining small group activities with individualized learning plans
- Fast ForWord: a neuroscientifically-proven approach to teaching young children to read through a computer based listening/processing program.
- Handwriting Without Tears: an advanced program that uses multi-sensory, hands-on manipulatives and CDs to prepare children for handwriting with a print tool assessment for evaluation and remediation.
- Inclusive children's choir: an excellent opportunity for increased community awareness as we promote social contact through music.
- Low student to teacher ratio
- Opportunities for gym, art, swimming, computer, and library
