Child Study Team Staff Directory

(Pre-K through 12)

Laura Thoresen, Director of Special Services

 

Dr. Elizabeth Maniaci – LDTC

Dr. Brenda Shapiro – LDTC

Mrs. Mariann Gelenius - LDTC

Ms. Susan Winter – Social Worker

Mrs. Jessica Bernstein – School Psychologist

 Mr. Steven Konigsberg – School Psychologist

Mr. David Roe – School Psychologist

Mrs. Teri Quirk – Speech and Language Therapist

Miss Lakeya Smith - Speech and Language Therapist

Mrs. Karen Sisto – Speech and Language Therapist

Mrs. Ginger Pellis – Speech and Language Therapist

Mrs. Regina French - Physical Therapist

Mrs. Kim Furando - Occupational Therapist

Mrs. Laura Stern - Occupational Therapist

 

 

 

 

STATE Special education code,

(N.J.A.C.6A:14) www.statenj.us/education

 

 

Child Study Teams

The Child Study Team is an interdisciplinary unit of professionals, composed of a school psychologist, school social worker, and learning disabilities teacher consultant.  Each building within the district is serviced by a full team.  The purpose of the team is to respond to appropriate referrals from teachers, parents, and related school personnel who believe that a child may require an evaluation to determine if special services are warranted.  Once an evaluation has been conducted, members of the Child Study Team meet with parents and teachers to determine whether or not the child is eligible for special services.  If a student is in need of special services, team members work with parents, teachers, administrators and other professionals to develop an appropriate Individual Education Program (I.E.P.) for the student.

 

Speech

This program is offered to all children who demonstrate a need for extra instruction in this area.  A certified speech specialist delivers these services. Parent involvement and cooperation are important components of the program. We currently employ four full time speech/language therapists in the district.

 

Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy Program utilizes goal directed, developmentally sequenced activities to enhance the students’ ability to benefit from educational programming.  Students who receive this service must be classified by the Child Study Team and have this program outlined in their Individual Education Plan.

 

Resource Center Program

Classified students in need of extra assistance may spend part of each day in a resource center program, working individually or in small groups with a certified special education teacher.  The rest of the day is spent in the regularly assigned classroom.  Every elementary school has a full time resource center program.  The middle school and high school offer several resource center programs.  Revised regulations allow resource services to be offered to eligible students within the mainstream classes.

 

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy service within the educational environment is provided to those disabled students who require the service to benefit from education or to be maintained in the least restrictive, most supportive environment.  These services are directed toward the development and/or maintenance of the disabled pupil’s physical potential for optimal functioning in all educationally related activities.

Pre-School

The program has been developed to identify and provide comprehensive educational experiences for disabled children three to five years.  The goal of the program is two fold:

 

• To provide a natural environment for children of varying developmental levels to work at acquiring skills needed to achieve and develop to the fullest extent in the least restrictive environment.
• To support families as they develop resources for managing the daily stressors involved in raising a child with special needs.

 

The emphasis of the curriculum is to accommodate the children’s learning styles, cognitive, social, emotional, sensory, motor and academic abilities.  The curriculum is centered in the belief that learning occurs within the social and academic context.  The end objective is to help the child to integrate concepts and become a problem solver and verbally express their knowledge.

 

 

Self-Contained Classes  (K - 8)

 For those classified students needing more direct instruction than can be offered in a Resource Center Program, self-contained classes for Learning/Language Disabilities are available.

 

Secondary Programs

 

Classified students who need extra assistance may attend a resource center for part of the day where they work individually or in small groups with a certified special education teacher.  The rest of the day is spent in the regularly assigned classroom.