Related Services for Districts

Student Services. SCEC Related Service providers support member and participating districts throughout southeastern Massachusetts by working as members of the general and special education teams to meet district needs.  In-district Related Services are provided to approximately 20 school districts located throughout southeastern Massachusetts each school year.  SCEC Related Service providers are active members of district educational teams and work to optimize student success within least-restrictive environments.  In addition to providing direct, consultative, evaluation and screening services, SCEC Related Service providers offer a range of services to enhance student outcomes in each district, including:

• Response to Intervention (RTI) initiatives.
• Supporting child find and transition from early intervention to school-based services.
• Developing and implementing building-based service plans and 504 plans.
• Offering suggestions for environmental modifications.
• Training educational teams regarding student-specific needs.
• Arranging equipment trials, making purchase recommendations and assisting with identification of the least expensive alternative that will adequately meet student needs.
• Supporting transition planning.
• Providing family support, education and training.

Accessing the expertise of SCEC Related Service providers can be a key factor that allows a student to remain in the least-restrictive environment. Sustainability efforts by Related Service providers ensure that district educational teams are able to address students’ therapeutic needs throughout the school day, thus optimizing student performance in the general education setting.   

Evaluations: Related Service providers at SCEC conduct comprehensive student evaluations utilizing evidence-based measures and testing protocols. Evaluators across disciplines utilize a universal template to achieve uniformity in the presentation of evaluation results.  Discipline-specific evaluation templates ensure that the content and presentation of evaluation results is consistent across evaluators and settings. High-quality, comprehensive evaluations are a critical first step in identifying the individual needs of students.  SCEC Related service providers collectively conduct approximately 500 evaluations each school year, including evaluations for incoming preschoolers, three year evaluations and/or independent evaluations.

Professional Development & Training:  Related Service providers conduct in-services and workshops by request in district and other settings.  Selected workshops and in-services sponsored by Related Service providers include:

• Augmentative Communication Strategies
• Boardmaker
• Dysphagia and Feeding the Child with Medical Challenges
• Interactive White Board Activities for Early Childhood Settings
• iPad Accessibility Features for Students with Disabilities
• iPad Apps for Communication
• iPad and Switch Use for Communication
• Handwriting without Tears: Getting your Child ready for Kindergarten
• Lifting and Handling Non-Ambulatory Students
• Occupational Therapy Evaluations for Public School Students
• Physical Therapy Evaluations for Public School Students
• Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Reading Comprehension and Thinking Skills: Teaching vs. Telling
• Resources for Evaluating and Working with Students with Complex Communication Needs 
• Sensory Integration
• Using Google Chrome as Assistive Technology