Cognitive Impaired - Severe Profile

This descriptive information is for Newark Public School’s staff guidance only and does not modify or supercede legislative and regulatory statutes and guidance

STUDENT:

In order to be placed into a Cognitive Impaired - Severe Program the student must be:

• Classified for special education and related services under one or more of the 14 disabling conditions delineated in New Jersey’s Administrative Code of Special Education. 
• Determined to be unable to demonstrate satisfactory educational benefit and progress in the general education classroom, or the “Cognitively Impaired Mild or Moderate” programs as they exist or with the use of supplementary aids and services, based on interventions and/or other considerations
• Exhibit severe problems in one or more of the following:
  • The quality and rate of learning, adaptive functioning and/or communication skills
  • Using symbols for the interpretation of information and solution of problems
  • Academic performance

Staff:   

All assigned staff should be:

• Certified and licensed, according to district, state and federal requirements, preferably an interest and/or experience in working with this student population
• Engaged in ongoing professional development corresponding to their professional roles to:
  • Address the needs of students who experience severe problems:
    • In the quality and rate of learning, adaptive functioning and communication skills
    • Using symbols for the interpretation of information and solution of problems
    • Academic performance
  • Promote student access to the general curriculum and achieve IEP goals and objectives with supplementary aids and services (see “Research Supported Strategies” within “Special Education Programs and Services” in special education training modules)  
  • Fully integrate assigned teacher aides into program ( see “Effective Use of Teacher Aides” within “Special Education Programs and Services” in special education training modules)  
  • Prevent and/or diminish challenging behavior, such as demonstrably effective strategies for:
    • Classroom management, such as “withitness”, “emotional objectivity”, effective implementation of class room rules and procedures, physical arrangement of the class room, etc. – (see “Effective Classroom Management” within “Special Education Programs and Services” in special education training modules)  
    • Developing and implementing behavioral intervention plans (BIP) (see BIP/PBS within “challenging behavior” of special education training modules)
  • Effectively collaborate and work with families and community agencies to enhance student performance (see “Parental Support” within “Special Education Programs and Services” in special education training modules)  

THE PROGRAM:

The following description provides general guidance for Newark’s “Cognitive Impaired - Severe” Program. However, the specifics of each student’s program are noted in his/her IEP:

• Limits the instructional group size for both elementary and secondary behavioral disabilities programs to three (3) students without a classroom aide, six (6) students with one classroom aide and nine (9) students with two classroom aides.

• Serves students who have similar intensive educational, behavioral and other needs related to their disabilities in accordance with their individualized education programs.

• Focuses on:
  • Addressing the needs of students who experience severe problems:
    • In the quality and rate of learning, adaptive functioning and communication skills
    • Using symbols for the interpretation of information and solution of problems
    • Performance in program’s curriculum
    • Transition issues, such as employment, supportive living, custodial care; medical decision-making etc.
  • Increasing students’ adaptive skills in school, at home, and in the community
  • Developing safety knowledge and skills
  • Facilitating generalization of skills and knowledge learned in school
  • Providing supplementary aids and services, as specified in each student’s IEP (e.g., transition services, Assistive technology services, speech and language services, etc.)
  • Increasing each student’s participation and progress in the general curriculum, as well as achieving IEP goals and objectives, utilizing:
    • Stakeholder involvement (see “Stakeholder Involvement” in special education training modules)
    • Effective teaching and learning strategies (see Research Supported Strategies within “Special Education Programs and Services of special education training modules)
    • IEP specified supplementary aids and services (see supplementary aids and services, within “Steps in Developing IEPs” of special education training modules)
  • Effective classroom management strategies – (see “classroom management” within “challenging behavior” of special education training modules), which may include the following: 
    • An established behavioral point/token system

    • Behavioral contracts to increase pro-social behavior while decreasing inappropriate behaviors

     

• Utilizes ongoing monitoring and feedback to facilitate and measure each student’s progress and achievement of  IEP goals and objectives, such as:

  • Parental/Teacher communication logs (see Parents within “Stakeholder Involvement” of special education training modules 
  • Student involvement in developing and monitoring goals and objectives
  • Quarterly Warning Notices/Progress Reports

  • Quarterly Report Cards

• Consultation services may be provided on behalf of the student by a related services provider, a teacher of students with disabilities or a child study team member to the general education teacher and/or the teacher aide, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

  • The development and demonstration of techniques and strategies;
  • Data collection on the effectiveness of the techniques and strategies; and

  • Development of positive behavioral supports.

   

• Integrated therapies may be provided -Teachers and related service providers meet on a regular basis to problem solve, plan, integrate services, and implement strategies to ensure that each student is able to participate in the general education curriculum. By ensuring that all providers communicate with one another and integrate their services, these coordinated services will enhance and facilitate the student’s access to the general education curriculum.

MOVEMENT TO A LESS RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT

The IEP Team will review each student’s progress at least once a year, including his/her participation in the general education curriculum/program, and explore movement to a less restrictive environment. This consideration will be based on increases in the student’s adaptive skills at home, school and the community, learning, and/or communication skills, as well as his/her ability to achieve educational benefit in a general education classroom with supplementary aids and services (see Supplementary Aids and Services within “Steps in Developing an IEP in special education training modules).