Special Services

Mission & Goals

Keri Ventura and Kinems smart board presentation

Keri Ventura, teacher for multiply-disabled students at Beachwood Elementary, piloted an innovative educational platform during the summer of 2024. The Promethean smart board from Kinems is designed to help all students, including those with multiple learning disabilities, achieve their goals. Students truly enjoyed the smart board's hands-on, kinesthetic learning, so much so that Ms. Ventura is seeking a grant to make the platform a permanent fixture.

Mission

To provide specialized and individualized education to all students in the least restrictive environment

Department Goals

Community Engagement: Parent involvement in an important part of their child’s education. Their input is critical in making collaborative educational and academic decisions. In order to make data driven decisions, it is necessary that parents understand the various levels of support available for their child in both general education and special education while supporting services in the least restrictive environment.

Student Achievement: Increase academic achievement and overall engagement through data collection while addressing the needs of individual students who are most at-risk students. Students will be receiving systematic, explicit evidence-based interventions and student achievement through increased data collection opportunities in all special education classrooms utilizing supplemental supports and programs.

Culture & Climate: Continue to improve district culture and climate as measured by decreased chronic student absenteeism, decreased disciplinary incidences and improved student relationships in support of the district-wide kindness initiative. CST team members will become well-versed in New Jersey Tiered Systems of Support (NJTSS) in order to identify and support struggling students, provide targeted academic and behavioral interventions to students that meet criteria, reduce the over-referral of students to special education or labeled as disabled.

Information

Special Education Parent Advisory Group

Events, activities, and resources

N.J.A.C 6A:14; NJ Special Education Code

A copy of New Jersey Special Education Code, N.J.A.C 6A:14

Office of Special Education

Child Find Information- English

Any district parent, including homeless or migrant workers, who have concerns about the physical (including gross motor, fine motor and sensory), cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and adaptive development of their child should contact the Office of Special Services at 1144 Hooper Ave. Toms River, NJ 08753 732-505-5500, select #4.

Child Find Information- Spanish flyer

Disability Resources from the Department of Labor

Resources for persons with disabilities.

The Family Support Center of New Jersey

National, state, and local family support programs and services.

The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute

Resource for families of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Programs Offered

Supplemental support with an aide

A general education program that offers supplemental support to a student that requires prompting, redirecting, organization support, and/or reinforcement of personal, social, academic and behavioral goals.

In class resource (ICR)

In-Class Resource (ICR)- A general education program that offers specialized instruction with a general education and special education teacher. The student shall be provided modification to the instructional strategies or testing procedures or other specialized instruction to access the general education curriculum in accordance with the students IEP. ICR is offered in various classes in each building throughout the District.

Preschool Disabled (PSD)

Preschool Disabled (PSD)- A program for students that have been found eligible as a "preschool child with a disability". Students would be between the ages of 3-5 and experience at 33% delay in one of the 5 required areas, or a 25% delay in two or more of the required areas. Gen Ed preschools are offered at the following schools: Citta, Silver Bay, and the Early Learning Center. Preschool Disabilities Programs are offered in: Cedar Grove, Silver Bay, and the Early Learning Center.

Pull Out Replacement Resource (POR)

Pull out Replacement Resource (POR)- A special education pull out class providing small group instruction to students with disabilities and run by a special education teacher. POR classes are offered at various levels in each school across the District.

Learning and Language Disabilities (LLD)

Learning and Language Disabilities (LLD)- A special class program, taught by a special education teacher, that is organized around the learning disabilities and/or language disabilities. LLD classes are offered at the elementary level.

Auditory Impairment (AI)

Auditory Impairment (AI)- Our deaf and hard of hearing students are integrated in programs throughout the District and receive Teacher of the Deaf and/or interpreter services for support.

Autism

Autism- A special class program for students with an autism diagnosis. A wide spectrum of classes is offered that fall under the "Autism" umbrella . Programs are available at Beachwood, Cedar Grove, East Dover, Hooper Ave, Walnut Street, Intermediate South, and High School East

Emotional Regulation Impairment (ERI, formerly BD)

Emotional Regulation Impairment Classes (ERI)- A special class program, run by a special education teacher, that focuses on students that exhibit behavioral needs and require specialized instruction to address those needs. Our ERI programs are held at West Dover and High School East.

Intellectually Disabled (ID, formerly CI)

Intellectually Disabled (ID, formerly CI)- A special class program, run by a special education teacher, for students with cognitive disabilities. Our ID classes are offered at North Dover, Intermediate South, and High School North.

Multiple Disabilities (MD)

Multiply Disabled (MD)- A special class program run by a special education teacher. These programs are based on the needs of the students with more than one disabling condition. Our various types of MD programs are offered at Beachwood, East Dover, Silver Bay, Walnut, West Dover, Intermediate East, Intermediate South, Intermediate North and High School East.

Post-high school 18-21

A program for students that have reached graduation age but still require additional education to achieve their IEP and graduation goals. A special class program is available at High School East. In addition, we have a School to Work program that allows our students to gain additional work and employment skills.