Special Services

Physical Therapy is a service provided to students who exhibit gross motor problems and physical disabilities or difficulties. It addresses areas concerning a child's gross motor development, balance, coordination, motor control, muscle tone, range of motion, functional mobility and ambulation skills. After a formal evaluation, a program is designed and implemented by the physical therapist to help the child improve in any of the above areas. It may consist of strengthening exercises, balance activities, practice in motor skills, adaptations to classrooms and other physical activities to help the child improve in their areas of difficulty. Suggestions to staff to help the child achieve his or her maximum functional mobility and independence are given. In addition, recommendations to parents may also be given.

Occupational Therapy is a related service provided to students with fine motor, oral motor, visual motor, visual perceptual, and sensory integration difficulties. It also addresses areas concerning a child's organizational skills, functional mobility, play skills, self-help skills, and psycho-social skills to facilitate a child's performance in the school setting. The Occupational Therapist focuses on maximizing the child's classroom functioning. Some specific skills the Occupational Therapist addresses include cutting with scissors, coloring, tracing and printing letters. These services are provided in close collaboration with the other professionals on the interdisciplinary team.

The Early Learning Center is committed to helping each child grow and develop according to his or her individual developmental timetable. We have a partnership with the Franciscan Hospital and the Judge Baker School. Children within the ELC need to develop age appropriate behaviors. The goal of teachers is to provide the child with reasonable limits on behavior so that the child can develop internal self-controls. These limits, and how to maintain them, develop from the individual relationships between the child and the ELC staff. It is our belief that by modeling appropriate behavior and rewarding desired behaviors with genuine praise, we can assist the child/children in developing their own rules for behavior. Children are encouraged to practice skills that allow them to resolve conflicts and have their needs met without the use of negative or destructive behaviors, such as pushing, hitting, fighting, the use of profanity, or defiant or disrespectful behavior directed toward peers or staff. These skills are reflected by our four overall school rules: Be safe, Be respectful, Be friendly, Be a good listener.

When situations occur which require intervention, teachers provide the child with a clear explanation as to why a specific behavior was inappropriate and help the child to find an alternative behavior that fits within the classroom guidelines for behavior. In the event that a child engages continually in inappropriate behavior, the child involved and the teacher will engage in a conference with the Principal. Following the conference, the children's parents will be notified. Should the behavior continue, a parent conference will be arranged, and a more appropriate behavior plan for the child will be developed. Staff may seek the parents' input in developing consequences for a child's behavior. The ELC staff will be happy to discuss the child's classroom rules and responsibilities at any time with parents. Individual and group counseling are available at the ELC as well as participation in play groups.

Our partnership with Franciscan Hospital allows us to provide the Baldwin ELC with on-site counseling services. There will be one full time mental health professional and two part-time professionals available at the school to provide consultations to teachers and direct services to children who may need assistance.

• Christine Sullivan, LICSW is a clinical social worker. She will be on-site daily. She is located in the small office through room 207. Christine is also the site manager for the ELC so if you have any questions or wish to have your child receive treatment services please speak with her directly.
  

  Parents may reach Christine through our general phone number 617-635-8409 or leave Christine a message at 617-254-3800 ext.2810.

• Mark Alexakos, MD. is a child psychiatrist. He will be on-site on Thursday afternoons. He is available for mediation assessments in addition to counseling services.

The services that Franciscan professionals provide include individual and group counseling, parent guidance, medication evaluations and crisis intervention. In addition the on site mental health professionals are able to provide consultation to the ELC and will supervise the playgroups described below. It is important for parents to be aware that students of the ELC will only receive counseling services with parent consent. There are many reasons why children start treatment. Treatment may be able to reduce anxiety, decrease aggressive behaviors, relieve symptoms of depression or help children express feelings during a difficult time. If a parent would like to access services or is unsure if treatment is necessary for their child they should feel free to contact Christine Drechsler, LICSW. Parents may leave Christine a message at 617-254-3800 ext.2810 or simply visit her in her office, which is located in the back of room 207. The prevention playgroups (described below) will be made available to any student attending the early learning center.

Social skills building play groups consist of pairs of children who play under the supervision of a psychologist. As children play, they develop and sustain special peer friendship and negotiate the inevitable conflicts that arise without resorting to physical aggression. Optimally, in the context of this friendship, the children will form a foundation for the further development of social negotiation skills over time. These groups may be particularly useful for children who have some difficulty sustaining their play partnerships but almost all children find such groups to be fun and enjoy the individualized attention.