|
special need schools |  |  |
 |   |   |   |   |   |
| Sitemap Privacy Policy  |  How the Department of Exceptional Children at ECOT Works Dear prospective students and parents, Every day, Julie faces the challenges of autism. She could not be educated in a traditional public school because of the distractions that exist in a typical classroom. With individual attention from her teachers and parents and a curriculum that is customized to her specific needs, Julie is succeeding. Since ECOT's founding, our Department of Exceptional Children has striven to accommodate the special needs of students like Julie in ways that a traditional public education cannot. Sitting in a classroom of 30 students listening to a teacher present lessons for long periods of time is fine for some students, usually those in the middle of the bell curve. But for those at the far ends of that curve, the "one-size-fits-all" model of public education simply does not work. ECOT is a public community school, and like all community schools, we have the freedom to explore new, innovative ways to educate students. We have found that the best methods involve building the education around each child individually. ECOT's computerized curriculum is flexible enough to allow the special education teachers to easily modify the lessons to serve the child. Or, if modifications alone won't work, they are able to work with the regular education teachers to build the curriculum to match the specific needs of the child. This flexibility and the innovative nature of the school itself give us the ability to educate more students than ever before. For example, James, a tenth grader, has Down Syndrome and is learning at his own pace and improving fine motor skills by using the computer for his education. He is also greatly benefiting from being educated in the loving environment of his own home. Our students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) such as Andrea, who will graduate this year, are also able to learn at their own pace and have the flexibility to do schoolwork during times beyond the regular school day when they may be the most motivated and the least distracted. In the Department of Exceptional Children, we continuously evaluate new adaptive technology to successfully educate more students. It is almost overwhelming to see how new technology affects the learning process for our exceptional students. Voice recognition software and programs that read text aloud help students with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia and speech and hearing problems. Adapted mice, special keyboards and touch-sensitive screens enable students with physical disabilities to better access our curriculum. At ECOT, we look forward to using future educational technologies to better educate children with exceptional needs. Yours in Education, Jeffrey P. Forster Superintendent, ECOT
| |
 |
 |  |  |  |
