Special Schools and Services
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Special Schools, Programs & ServicesTop of Page
Tehama County Special Programs staff is dedicated to providing the county’s students with specially designed instruction that promotes and encourages each student to achieve their personal best academically, socially and behaviorally. We value working with our community in an honest, respectful, and collaborative manner for which the success of our students is measured by their successful participation in their homes, schools, and community. We believe that students can realize the potential of their unique aptitudes and talents when staff is highly trained and parents, administrators and teachers have high expectations for student performance. All students have the ability as well as the right to learn and to progress. It is the goal of the Tehama County Special Programs Department to provide the most meaningful education program to meet each student's individual needs in the least restrictive environment. Each student's educational program shall be identified through the IEP process utilizing a team approach to develop and implement functional and academic goals and objectives that align to state standards and best practices.
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How are students referred to our Early Childhood programs?Top of Page
As part of child-find, physicians, parents, public agencies, preschool teachers, etc. refer a student to the County office for assessment. Once a referral is made, the parent is contacted and an assessment plan written if the referral is deemed appropriate.
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Access to County Special ProgramsTop of Page
The county uses a process called the “Regional Placement Team” to place students in any out of district placement. Please contact your school site administrator or call our office for more information.
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CLICK ON SERVICES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATIONTop of Page
ADAPTIVE P.E.
- Serves the county 3 to 22 year old students with disabilities affecting motor skills.
- Collaborates/consults with regular teaching staff to plan, implement, and facilitate the appropriate integration of individuals with exceptional needs
AUTISM SPECIALIST SERVICES
Provides:
- County-wide Trainings (Autism, Behavior, Curriculum, ELL)
- Trainings to individual districts by request
- Consultation to educational staff, parents, and agencies regarding best practices in assessment, instructional methodologies, classroom management and curriculum for special education students with a variety of disabilities
BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST SERVICES
- Provides training to teachers and paraprofessionals in appropriate assessment, development and execution of positive behavioral intervention plans
- Conducts behavioral assessments for students with complex behavioral problems
- Consults with psychologists, teachers, and parents
- Conducts diagnostic teaching interventions with selected students
- Provides training and consultation in the adaptation of appropriate curriculum
- Trains, supervises, and coordinates Intensive Behavior Interventionists
- Provides training in the documentation of various behavioral intervention
- Develops, monitors, and evaluates data collection
- Serves as liaison between Non-Public Schools and School Districts
DEAF/HARD OF HEARING PROGRAM
Located at Gerber and Red Bluff High school, these programs provide comprehensive, individualized academic instruction using the student’s primary language of sign. Students are both pre and post-lingually deaf or hard-of-hearing. Some of the students speak for communication, speak and sign, or only sign. Students typically have severe expressive and receptive language delays.
Program Features:
- Academics
- Communication skills
- Hearing aide checks
- Inclusion with general education
- Verbal skills instruction and/or practice
EARLY CHILDHOOD
This preschool program is designed to serve children 3-5 years old with significant cognitive language, developmental, autistic or autistic like behaviors, physical and/or health impairments. They are structured, behaviorally based programs located on the Gerber and Metteer Elementary school campuses.
Program Features:
- Focus on communication
- Fine and Gross motor development
- Academic readiness skills
- Social and behavior skill development
- Focus on “Learning to learn skills” i.e. imitation, following directions, attention, play skills and communication
- Intensive instruction including one on one, small group and inclusion
- Uses research based methodologies including TEACCH, PECS, Discrete Trial Teaching, ABA and Pivotal Response
- Sensory Integration activities: O.T. consultation, platform swing, sensory based activities
EARLY CHILDHOOD FULL INCLUSION SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION
The program serves students with mild to moderate disabilities attending general education preschool programs. In this model, parents enroll their child in the program of their choice. The Special Education teacher and Special Needs Aides serve the students in their school of attendance.
Program Features:
- Focus on academic readiness skills, communication, behavior, motor development and social skills in a general education preschool setting
- Promote active participation of children with disabilities in preschool activities
- Implement routines, modifications and accommodations to support students academic, social, and behavioral needs
- Teach independence and self-help skills
INFANT PROGRAM
The Early Intervention Program (EIP) supports families as their child's natural teachers, collaborating to provide healthy foundations to enhance lifelong education, reduce the impact of disability, and promote the successful development of the whole child.
MEDICAL THERAPY UNIT
- Medical therapy unit means a California Children's Services and LEA approved public school location where medical therapy services, including comprehensive evaluations and medical therapy conferences, are provided by CCS
- Provides medically necessary occupational therapy and physical therapy
- Treatment
- Consultation
- Monitoring
MOD/SEVERE PROGRAM-GERBER
TEHAMA LEARNING CENTER PRIMARY (K-4)
Located on Gerber’s campus, this program serves primary students with severe cognitive, physical disabilities, language, and /or students with autism or autistic behaviors.
Program Features:
- Focus on life skills including behavior, communication, and strengthening fine/gross motor skills
- Intensive services include Adaptive P.E., Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Visual Impairment Education and Assistive Communication Devices
- Applied Behavioral Analysis
- Discrete Trial Teaching Methods
- Structured Classroom with predictable daily and weekly routines
- Focus on sensory integration (platform swing, sensory therapy room, regular consultation from the OT)
- Focus on assistive technology and visual aides to meet communication needs
TEHAMA LEARNING CENTER INTERMEDIATE (4-8)
The Intermediate Exceptional Needs program at Gerber School serves students with moderate/severe disabilities. The students have a wide range of disabilities that may include autism, intellectual disability, orthopedic impairments, and multiple disabilities.
Provides community based instruction, a cooking program, physical education, and computer literacy; supports students with a variety of communication systems and use assistive technology to support the development of language skills.
Program Features:
- Functional academics
- Communication skills
- Behavior/social supports
- Fine and gross motor skill development
- Pre-vocational training
- Recreation/leisure skill development
NURSING AND HEALTH SERVICES
- Implements and maintains a health services program at one or more schools for the evaluation, improvement, and protection of the health of pupils and school personnel in accordance with state law and county and district policies and procedures
- Makes policy recommendations in area of assignment
- Compiles all pertinent medical information for staffing, assessment team, and/or IEP team meetings
- Obtains child’s medical diagnosis and his/her physicians recommendations to implement health services
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
School-based Occupational Therapy addresses the underlying performance components that are prerequisites for academics:
- Sensory Processing
- Postural stability/control
- Motor Planning/Praxis & Bilateral coordination
- Fine/Gross Motor Coordination
- Visual Motor, Perceptual Motor Skills & Visual Perception
- Self Help Skills (appropriate to learning environment)
- Social Play/Organization of Behavior
- Environmental Adaptations
ORTHOPEDIC / OTHER HEALTH SERVICES
The focus of these services is to assist students with orthopedic impairments who are mainstreamed in the regular classroom or served in special day classes. Eligibility for this program is according to the state guidelines defining students with orthopedic impairments. The impairment must affect students’ performance or access to their education program, setting, and/or curriculum.
Program Features:
- Modeling of teaching strategies
- Help with curriculum and homework modifications
- Services include securing, training and modeling of equipment incorporation of technology into the classroom
- Liaison for California Children’s Services for students
PSYCHOLOGY
- As part of a multi-disciplinary team, conduct initial assessments
- Consult with teachers on meeting the individual needs of students
- Serve as the Behavior Intervention Case Manager
- Conduct a variety of assessments to help determine student needs
- Conduct individual, group or facilitate student and/or parent counseling to enhance personal and school adjustment
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
- Develop and implement individualized programs of habilitation of speech, voice articulation, hearing, and language disorders
- Provide supportive consultation and collaboration for teachers with students requiring speech/language services in their classes or programs
TEHAMA ADULT LEARNING CENTER (TALC)
Tehama Adult Learning Center is attended by students ages 18 to 22 or have completed 4 years within a high school Moderate/Severe program. Students attending TALC may have developmental delays, low incidence disabilities, and/or multiple handicapping conditions. Students practice skills needed to transition to adult life. Students usually transition into this adult program from high school through a transitional IEP, referred by their District of Residence. Students who have not attended high school in Tehama County and may be eligible for this program should contact their District of Residence and/or Tehama County Department of Education Special Schools and Services Department to set up an Expanded IEP.
Program Features:
- Community based instruction
- Vocational opportunities in the community
- Responsible for their own budgeting of their earned wages
- Participation in Shasta College Classes
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT / BRAILLE SERVICES
- Conducts Functional Vision Assessments to determine if a students visual impairment interferes with their ability to access curriculum
- Determines appropriate adaptations and intervention strategies to provide the student access to the curriculum
- Orders and provides adapted curriculum materials such as Braille, large print, or audio
- Orders and provides assistive technology ranging from simple stand magnifiers to complex electronic Braille to print devices
- Provides instruction in the various Braille codes as required
- Provides instruction in the use of assistive technology
- Consultation and collaboration with regular education teachers to ensure that they are able to provide effective instruction to visually impaired students
Orientation & Mobility:
- Provides services to students whose visual impairment interferes with their ability to move through the environment safely or to remain oriented to the environment. Students are referred with an existing diagnosis of visual impairment.
Program Features:
- Consultation with teachers designing independent environments
- Instruction in techniques for walking with a guide
- Instruction in the use of the long cane for walking
- Student orientation to classroom and campus
- Community-based instruction: street crossing, route finding, etc
- Instruction in the use of assistive technology from monoculars to Braille based Global Positioning systems.
Braille Services:
- Performs Braille translation and transcription of printed material and oral instructions
- Prepares copies of tests, study materials, textbooks, charts, and others for visually impaired students
- Types instructional materials, lessons, and worksheets in large type print for partially sighted students