Related Services

• Preschool Age Children
• School Age Children
  - Speech-Language Services
  - Psychological Services
  - Physical Therapy
  - Occupational Therapy
  - Medical Services
  - Counseling
  - Transportation
  - Assistive Technology Services
  - Future Plans for Related Services

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1) Preschool Age Children

Most preschool special education students receive related services. Typically they receive speech, occupational therapy or physical therapy. As much as possible these services are delivered in the child’s home, day care setting or regular education preschool. (top)

2) School Age Children
Related services are corrective support services provided to both students with special needs and non-disabled students. Related services include speech/language instruction, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical services and counseling. The Office of Special Programs identifies students who need these services based on referrals from teachers and parents with subsequent evaluations by related service providers. In our district related services are provided by District and HFM BOCES related service staff.

For students with special needs, related services are a part of their Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s). (top)

Related services include:
 

• Speech-Language Services
  
  Speech-language instruction is provided to students with communication disorders including, but not limited to, articulation, voice, fluency and language (ability to understand spoken language and express oneself) issues. Services are provided by speech-language therapists and are offered through the school district, as well as through HFM BOCES. (top)
   
• Psychological Services
  
  These services are provided by certified school psychologists employed by the district and through BOCES psychologists. The services include evaluations of intelligence, achievement, perception, personality, behavior and emotionality. School psychologists also provide counseling services and consultation to school staff, serve on the Child Study Teams and Committee on Special Education. They also act as a referral service for outside clinical services, and are the director's designees to hold CSE meetings in his/her absence. (top)
   
• Physical Therapy
  
  Physical Therapists help students with orthopedic and neurological impairments to improve their strength, endurance, posture, joint range of motion and mobility. Our district currently purchases BOCES physical therapy services as we do not have in-house staff. (top)
   
• Occupational Therapy
  
  Occupational Therapists provide services to students that have difficulty functioning within the classroom due to a disability, injury, or illness. Students can improve their fine motor deficits that may affect handwriting skills. Occupational therapists also address areas of sensory integration and visual perceptual skills that may affect the student’s functional ability within the classroom. Occupational therapists also address issues that may affect a student’s ability to perform activities of daily living. We presently purchase two days of BOCES occupational therapy services. (top)
   
• Medical Services
  
  Medical services are provided by registered nurses. The school nurse provides care to students and staff who have been injured or are ill. Care may involve treatment of health problems within the scope of the nurse practice act, communication with parents, and referral to physicians as needed. Medical services may include dispensing of medication, inhalation therapy, catheterization and any other treatment ordered by a physician. The district employs two full-time registered nurses. (top)
   
• Counseling
  
  Counseling services can be provided to both students with special needs and non-disabled students. Students are referred to a school psychologist, guidance counselor or caseworker depending on their individual needs. School psychologists provide counseling to students who have a need for long-term counseling, while guidance counselors help students with short-term adjustment problems especially of an academic nature and the caseworker assists students whose problems at home affect their learning in school. Typically the duration of these services is eight sessions. The district employs one district school psychologist and we purchase three days of BOCES psychologist time. We also contract with the University at Albany every year for three to five days per week of service from a school psychologist intern. The district welcomes school psychology students from the College of St. Rose who do field work experience with us. The district employs a BOCES school counselor four days a week.
  
  A social worker from St. Mary’s Children’s Mental Health Clinic provides counseling to St. Mary’s clients two days per week. The Children’s Clinic clients also receive family therapy and, in some cases, psychiatric/medication treatment.
  The district shares a school-based preventative caseworker with the Montgomery County Department of Social Services. The caseworker is on the FFCS campus four days per week.
  
  Preventive services are offered to families who are in crisis and have the possibility of their children going into foster care. The service is voluntary. Families can choose to not accept the help unless a Family Court judge has mandated the service.
  
  Preventive Caseworkers attempt to help families by assessing what services may be beneficial and setting the families up with service providers. Caseworkers have regular contact with families and service providers if needed. (top)
   
• Transportation
  
  Transportation may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. The current purveyor of transportation is Brown’s Transportation. The district contracts for transportation through competitive bids. Students are transported to and from home to the school, BOCES programs and other sites as determined by their IEP’s. (top)
   
• Assistive Technology Services
  
  Assistive technology services means "any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability. School districts must permit students with disabilities to use school-purchased assistive technology devices at home or in another setting if the CSE determines the student needs to access the device in non-school settings to receive a free appropriate public education. (top)

Future Plans for Related Services

In 2003-2004 the Board of Education reduced our school psychological staff to one employed by the district and one employed through BOCES three days per week. Records will be kept to see if there is a need to increase this staffing in the future, and/or hire a social worker.

The equipment available to the nurses will be assessed and a plan to repair or replace will be developed. (top)

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