Specialty Services

Specialty services

SPEECH / LANGUAGE EVALS ASSISTIVE TECH

BEHAVIORSUPPORT

hEARING

VISION

speech evals and assistive technology TEAM

HEATHER CERULLA

GABRIELE WEGIELEWSKI

LISA MESHER

KELLYSALMON

Wilkes-Barre

Montage

Waterfront

Allentown

Speech evaluations

Starting this year, CCA has formed a team of SLPs supporting the "operations" side of the special education department. This team is responsible for tasks such as:

• Tri/Bi RR determinations - if testing or record review is needed

• Drafting PTE/PTR/PWN and/or adding speech/language assessments to PTE/PTR

• Reviewing ER/RR reports containing speech/language testing completed by contracted providers before reports are finalized

• Beginning to provide in-house speech and language testing

SLI Case Management

CCA also has a team of in-house Speech Pathologists who serve as case managers for learners with a primary disability category of SLI without academic goals. The in-house SLP case managers are supervised by grade-level special education supervisors on the "instructional" side. Our in-house SLPs do not provide speech therapy services to learners. Speech therapy services are offered through contracted providers. Elementary SLP Case Managers: -Jenna Bayne, Angel Goydich, Alexis Honeygosky, Nicole Pero, Bria Shanty, Kristin Torrance Middle School SLP Case Managers: -Linda Meadows, Christina Vento High School: -Starting this year, high school learners with a primary of SLI are case managed by teacher case managers and not the SLP staff.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

CCA has an in-house team to support the special education department. The team is responsible for supporting wtih tasks such as:

what is assistive technology and aac

Assistive Technology is a broad "umbrella" term for any product or device that helps a person with a disability increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities. AT can range from low-tech to high-tech solutions and applies to a wide variety of needs. Ex. (low-tech): pencil grips, slant boards Ex. (high-tech): screen readers, electronic communication devices AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. This is a specific type of assistive technology that focuses specificially on communication. AAC includes all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking. It can be use temporarily or permanently. Ex. (low-tech): communication boards, pictures, gestures Ex. (high-tech): speech generating devices, communication apps

what is the sett process

• The SETT process is a decision-making framework for assistive technology.

SETT stands for Student, Environment, Tasks, Tools

• The SETT process helps teams organize information to understand a student's needs, the context that they learn in, and the tasks they must preform before selecting the most appropriate AT to support them. It helps to guide collaborative decisions about services, devices and strategies.

• It is not a one-time event, but an ongoing cycle that involves implementation, evaluation of effectiveness and adjustments as needed.

• This is NOT an assistive technology evaluation and should NOT be listed on a PTE/PTR.

• If there are assistive technology concerns, please reach out to a member of our AT team.

AT Genially

CCA Staff can access our CCA AT Genially using the link below. Password: ATCCA2526 Please do not share with parents or providers.

hearing Team

ERIN ELLISON

HEATHERPISCZEK

Capital Campus

Johnstown

hearing evaluations

This team (primarily Erin Ellison) is responsible for tasks such as:

• Tri/Bi RR determinations - if testing or record review is needed

• Recommending exactly which hearing assessments should be added to the PTE/PTR

• Reviewing ER/RR reports containing hearing testing completed by contracted providers before reports are finalized

Please always reach out to Erin (or Heather) for input on - what to recommend on the PTE/PTR, to review reports when they come back, and with any questions!!

hearing evaluations

Reminder: Hearing evaluations are completed by a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing. Audiological evaluations are completed by an audiologist. Hearing evaluations determine if a hearing loss impacts a student academically. These learners do have a hearing loss. Our goal is to find out whether they qualify for services due to that loss.

An audiogram does not automatically qualify a student for special education services. A student cannot qualify under the special education category of Hearing Impairment without having hearing assessments completed.

CAPD Central Auditory Processing Disorder

• CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder) is different than a hearing loss.

• CAPD is diagnosed by a clinical audiologist

• CAPD is treated by an audiologist *not a teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing*

• Audiological assessments should be on the PTE/PTR for this

Hearing Case management

• CCA provides in-house hearing case management (by Erin Ellison) for learners with a primary disability category of hearing impairment without academic goals.

• Erin Ellison does not provide deaf/hard of hearing direct therapy services to learners.

• Hearing Support services are offered through contracted providers.

In addition to case management, this team is responsible for the following:

• assissting and collaborating with teachers
• helping to write communication plans
• meeting, answering questions and making recommendations regarding hearing learners
• collaborating with 504 team on recommendations for hearing learners

vision

HEATHERPISCZEK

Johnstown

VISION Evaluations

This team, Heather Pisczek, is responsible for tasks such as: Tri/Bi RR determinations - if testing or record review is needed Recommending vision assessments that should be added to the PTE/PTR, typically a Functional Vision Evaluation (Assessment) FVE/FVA which includes a Learning Media Assessment and Braille determination Reviewing ER/RR reports containing vision testing completed by contracted providers before reports are finalized Quick Reminder: Vision evaluations are not the same as evaluations for Orientation and Mobility (those evalutaions need to be done by a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist) (COMS)

VISION CASE MANAGEMENT

• CCA provides in-house Vision case management (by Heather Pisczek) for learners with a primary disability category of Visual Impairment, without academic goals.

• Heather provides vision support for two learners, however, services are typically offered through contracted providers.

• In addition to case management, this team is responsible for the following:

• assisting and collaborating with teachers
• helping to ensure materials are visually accessible
• meeting with teachers/learner teams
• answering questions and making recommendations regarding visually impaired learners
• collaborating with the 504 team on making recommendations for visually impaired learners

behavior specialist team

Heather Price

krista pennebaker

Allison vasinko

danielle convery

emily wanko

hprice@ccaeducate.mePittsburgh - Waterfront

avasinko@ccaeducate.mejohnstown

kpennebaker@ccaeducate.mestate college

ewanko@ccaeducate.meallentown

dconvery@ccaeducate.memalvern

behavior Specialist roles

New This Year! Our behavior specialists will be following this behavior supports continuum when assisting learners and teachers with behavior needs:

Teacher Consultation Our behavior specialists consult with teachers regarding behavior strategies, how to write PBSP IEP goals, how to communicate with RS providers regarding behavior needs, etc.

FBA Process Our in-house behavior specialists receive referrals to complete FBAs. As available, they will attend IEP meetings to review the FBA results and answer questions the team may have regarding the results.

*Heather Price has a different role supporting full-time programs, especially the AS program. She assists teachers with implementing the alternative curriculum, teaching procedures, data collection, behavior management procedures, etc.

Thank you so much!

Specialty Services Team