Child Study Team (CST)

Child Study Team

CHILD STUDY TEAM

The Mount Arlington Public School District’s Child Study Team is comprised of individuals from various disciplines -- School Psychologist, Social Worker, and Learning Disability Teacher Consultant. The CST members work closely with Speech and Language Therapists, Behavior Analysts, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, General and Special Education Teachers to identify, evaluate, and develop an individualized education program that addresses the needs of a student requiring special education. Students are identified and evaluated according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14. Decisions are collaboratively made by Child Study Team Members, the parent(s)/guardian(s), and any other individuals having knowledge of the child.

Child Study Team Office: 973-398-4400 (ext.121)

Child Study Team Secretary: Laurie Dachowski (ext. 121)

Learning Disabilities Teacher - Consultant: Nicole Malakuskie LDT-C (ext. 504)

School Psychologist: Dr. John Ermanis (ext. 121)

Social Worker: Christine Petrat (ext. 525)

Supervisor of Special Education: Jennifer Ochoa (ext. 527)

Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant

The Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) is trained to determine the learning styles of students, to determine specific achievement levels in a variety of content areas, and to recommend specific teaching methodologies and strategies that may benefit a student. This professional is generally called upon to model specific strategies and methods that may benefit students.

School Psychologist

The school psychologist has expertise in determining a child’s level of cognitive and conceptual development. In addition, the psychologist is concerned with the emotional status of the student and how both internal and external factors may affect behavior and performance in school. The school psychologist works with both general education and special education teachers to maximize a student’s potential.

School Social Worker

The expertise of the social worker lies in assessing the student relative to the family, the school, and the community. This professional generally gathers information concerning the student’s health, family, and school history as it pertains to the student’s current school functioning. The social worker is also the professional responsible for coordinating community resources on behalf of students and their families.

RELATED SERVICES

Speech-Language Therapy

The Mount Arlington School District provides speech and language services to students from age 3, in our preschool disabilities program if found eligible for special education, and in Kindergarten through eighth grade who demonstrate a need to improve their speech and language skills in articulation, language, fluency, or voice disorder in order to achieve academic success. Students can be referred for speech and language services by their parents, classroom teachers, and the Intervention & Referral Services team if they are concerned about a student’s speech and language proficiency as part of a Child Study Team Evaluation or in isolation. The goal of these services is to help students develop the speech and language skills necessary for positive interpersonal relationships and academic success.

Occupational Therapy

School-based Occupational Therapy is a related service designed to help students who are showing difficulty that impairs his/her ability to function in the school environment. Occupational Therapists use purposeful activities to facilitate a student’s active participation in the areas of self-care, academic and/or vocational pursuits, fine-motor development, and sensory integration techniques. Using direct and indirect services, as well as assistive technology and environmental modifications, school occupational therapists collaborate with parents, teachers, and other educational staff to help implement a child’s program.

Physical Therapy

School-based Physical Therapy is a related service designed to help students access their school environment and participate safely and to the best of their ability in their academic curriculum. School physical therapists address functional limitations such as difficulties with mobility, transitions, or gross motor skills, as well as interventions that address functional limitations such as posture, balance, strength, and coordination. Difficulties in these areas must impact student participation in their educational program and environment.

Behavioral Support

The Mount Arlington School District is supported by two behavior analysts, who support our special programs in developing behavior management protocols and creating student-specific behavior plans. They work regularly with district staff, providing a variety of training, as well as determining and implementing specific behavior strategies to help support students in the school building. Behaviorists work collaboratively with parents and the child study team to develop programs and determine appropriate goals for students.

Counseling Services

Counseling services under a student’s IEP are designed to help them develop the social, emotional, or behavioral skills needed to succeed in school. These supports address challenges that may affect learning, relationships, or classroom behavior.

What Counseling May Include:

Individual counseling: One-on-one sessions with a school counselor to help your child work on personal goals such as managing emotions, coping with stress, or improving self-esteem.
Group counseling: Small group sessions that build social skills, problem-solving, and peer relationships.
Consultation and collaboration: The counselor may work with teachers and staff to support your child’s needs in the classroom.

Program Descriptions

Integrated Pre-School

The Mount Arlington Board of Education offers an integrated preschool experience for residents of the community between the ages of three and five years old. The program seeks to provide a safe and nurturing learning experience in which children can play and learn. Special needs and typically developing children are placed together in an integrated learning environment that utilizes a developmental approach. Children are immersed in a variety of planned activities that promote readiness skills, language, and social/emotional growth. Research has shown that all students benefit from being in this type of program.

The integrated preschool program is held at the Edith M. Decker School from 8:20 to 1:30 Monday-Thursday and 8:20 to 12:00 on Friday. The daily schedule includes circle time, small and large group activities, centers, snack, story time, and teacher-facilitated play time.
Learning activities are based upon the New Jersey Department of Education’s Preschool and Teaching Learning Expectations and are responsive to the individual needs and abilities of each child.
The classes will be taught by a dual-certified teacher in Special Education and P-3 General Education. Teacher aides will provide additional support as needed.There will be tuition for non-classified students. A monthly fee of $400 will be charged. Non-classified children need to be toilet-trained upon entry into the program.

For more information, please contact Laurie Dachowski at 973-398-4400 (ext. 121). If you are interested in enrolling your child, please email Laurie Dachowski at ldachowski@mtarlingtonk8.org with your name, your child’s name, your child’s date of birth, address, and a phone number where you can be reached.

*Entry to the program for non-classified kids is based on a lottery. The lottery for next year’s program is held on a live Google Meet in March.

STEPS (Striving Toward the Exceptional Possibilities for Students)
The Mount Arlington Public School District provides a comprehensive educational program based on the individual and developmental needs of students with disabilities, with a student-to-staff ratio of no more than 3:1. The STEPS program provides an appropriate education in a small group setting, with the opportunity for students to interact with their peers and community. This specialized program is required in order to meet the varied and intensive needs of the student through the goals and objectives as established in the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The STEPS classroom utilizes research-based programs and incorporates the resources available to all students of the Mount Arlington Public School District. Resources are modified to fit the specific needs of the students enrolled in the program. The classroom also uses research-based strategies to conduct individual and group instruction, support skill acquisition, and the development of behavioral skills. Individual assessments are used to assess student strengths and needs, which inform programming decisions. Collected data tracks performance and progress toward goal and objective achievement. The program is supported by a board-certified behavior analyst, speech-language specialists, as well as an occupational and physical therapist. They all collaborate with the classroom teacher and support staff to enhance language, motor, and social skills. Community-based instruction is also integrated into the STEPS curriculum. Through this instruction, students gain meaningful access to experiences that directly support their academic, functional, and vocational growth. The district reviews the New Jersey Department of Education’s Autism Program Quality Indicators-R to monitor and evaluate the quality of programming. https://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/programs/autism/qualityindicators.shtml

LLD (Language Learning Disabilities)
The Language Learning Disabilities (LLD) program targets students who are in need of intensive instruction in order to make meaningful progress. This includes but is not limited to students with moderate to severe dyslexia, dyscalculia, and language-based learning disabilities. The Language and Learning Disabilities classes are academically focused programs that utilize general education materials, supplemented or replaced by appropriate resources as deemed appropriate for the individual needs of the students. All curricular areas, including math, reading/language arts, social studies, and science, are taught in the program. Additionally, consistent reinforcement and modeling of appropriate social and pragmatic behavior are a part of the learning experience.

Early Intervention/Child Find

Early Intervention and Transition to Preschool

The New Jersey Early Intervention System, under the Division of Family Health Services, implements New Jersey's statewide system of services for infants and toddlers from birth to age three having developmental delays or disabilities. Parents who believe that their infant or toddler may be experiencing developmental delays can make a referral by calling the Regional System Point of Entry toll free number at 1-888-653-4463. lf found to be eligible, various services can be provided to the family and child.

For children receiving Early Intervention services the transitional process to preschool special education is facilitated by the Early Intervention service coordinator and begins 190 days (6 months) prior to the child turning 3 years of age. At 190 days, the school district is notified in writing by the service coordinator that the child will begin the transitional process from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education. The district is then invited to attend a Transitional Planning Conference (TPC), typically at the child's home. A representative from the elementary level Child Study Team attends the TPC meeting to represent the school district and to share information regarding the transitional process, as well as, to review the preschool special education programs and related services provided by the district.

The State then generates an official referral to the school district 120 days (4 months) prior to the child's birthday at which time the district has 10 days to contact the parents and 20 days to schedule the initial identification planning meeting. The initial planning meeting is held with members of the Child Study Team and a general education teacher to document the parent concerns and reason for referral, as well as, to discuss the testing process and district programs. The parent sometimes requests that the Early Intervention service coordinator and/or service providers be invited to the initial planning meeting, but it is not mandatory that they attend .

Given the child is referred to the district within the above timelines, the Child Study Team must complete testing and if eligible, implement an appropriate educational program (via Individualized Education Plan) to begin on the day of the child 's third birthday. The child ages out of the Early lntervention Program the day before they turn 3 years of age and essentially should begin preschool special education if eligible on the day they turn 3 to prevent any gap in services.

Project Child Find Information

The Special Services Department of the Sparta School district, in compliance with Project Child Find, conducts evaluations, if warranted, for those children and/or adult students who may have learning problems in the areas of cognition, communication, social and emotional, and motor functioning. The evaluations are available to preschool children aged 3-5, to highly mobile students such as migrant and homeless students, and to students who may have a disability although they are advancing from grade to grade.

For more information on Project Child Find, contact the Special Services Department at 973.729-3165. The New Jersey Department of Education also has information on their website at http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/childfind/.

The District Child Study Team(s) consists of a School Psychologist, a Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultant, and a School Social Worker. For pupils age three to five, the Child Study Team shall include a Speech and Language Specialist.

The Child Study Team members will develop, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of each individualized education program. Preventative and support services will be provided to non-disabled students as needed. Child Study Team members will deliver related services to students with a disability as indicated in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

For students experiencing difficulty in the classroom, the Child Study Team members will provide services to the general education staff, which include techniques, materials, and programs at the request of the school-based Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) team. These services can include consultation with school staff and parents, as well as designing, implementing, and evaluating techniques/strategies to prevent and/or remediate classroom difficulties.

Brochure (PDF Document)

Poster (PDF Document)

Referral & Evaluation

Referral and Evaluation Process

When a student has been identified as making minimal academic and/or emotional progress in the general education setting, he/she may be referred by their teacher to the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) for the purpose of collecting and evaluating relevant data in order to determine or identify specific barriers to student performance. This committee will create interventions to address educational difficulties in the general education classroom. Interventions in the general education classroom should be attempted prior to a Child Study Team (CST) or speech referral. When interventions in the general education classroom are not appropriate for the student or when interventions are not effective, the student will be referred to the CST or speech/language specialist for evaluation. Students may be referred for a CST or for a speech evaluation by instructional staff, school administration, parents, and /or community agencies. Parents should submit their written request to the Supervisor of Special Services.

The Referral

A referral is the first step in the special education process. It is a formal written request that a student be evaluated by the Child Study Team (CST) to determine whether a student is eligible for special education and related services or by the speech/language specialist to determine whether a student is eligible for speech services.

Once a referral is received, the parents will be invited to an Identification Planning Meeting that will be scheduled within twenty (20) days of receipt of the referral (excluding school vacations other than summer vacation).

Based on a review of available information about the student’s educational progress, a decision will be made at this meeting whether a CST or speech evaluation is warranted. If an evaluation is warranted, the nature and scope of the CST or speech evaluation will be discussed. If it appears that the problem can be alleviated with interventions in the general education program and the student has not participated in the I&RS process, there may be a decision not to conduct an evaluation, but to refer the student to the I&RS Committee for development of interventions, suggestions for other interventions for the parent to pursue, or refer the student to the 504 Committee. If the student is already in the I&RS process and an evaluation is not warranted, the I&RS plan can continue or be adjusted.

The Evaluation

If there is an agreement to perform an evaluation, a written plan for the evaluation is developed at the meeting, describing the nature and scope of the evaluation. Written consent for an evaluation is required by the parent/guardian. This consent for evaluation can be provided at the conclusion of the meeting or the parent may wish to take additional time before providing written consent. Evaluations can only begin after the parent has provided written consent. The district has ninety (90) days from the time written consent is provided to complete the entire evaluation, eligibility, and placement process. Comprehensive, diagnostic evaluations are provided at no cost to the parent. They are completed by certificated professionals who will explain the results of their testing.

Upon completion of the evaluations, the professional staff will provide the parent(s) with a written report of the details of the testing results. Parents will be provided with copies of the district’s evaluation reports ten (10) days prior to the eligibility meeting. These evaluations will help determine if the student has an educational disability and whether special education services are required. The discussion of the evaluations and the determination regarding special education eligibility will take place at the eligibility meeting.

Eligibility

Eligibility for special education and related services, or eligibility for speech-language services, is determined at a mutually convenient meeting. Meeting attendees will be asked to sign an attendance sheet. The child study team members or speech-language specialists will review evaluation results and answer questions. The case manager will discuss the rationale for the determination of eligibility or non-eligibility.

If the student is determined to exhibit an educational disability, a determination must be made as to the least restrictive educational setting in which the student can receive educational benefits from special education services. In order for a student to be found eligible for speech-language services, they must exhibit a disorder or articulation, voice or fluency that adversely affects educational performance.

The Individual Education Plan (IEP), Placement, Instruction, and Annual Review

When eligibility for special education is agreed upon, the development of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may commence immediately or within fifteen (15) days of the eligibility determination. The purpose of this meeting is to determine the student’s current educational status and develop a program designed to meet the student’s unique needs. Discussions of the student's present levels of educational performance, as well as results of performance on any state or district assessment, will be held. Sources of information in determining a student’s program should include evaluation data, teacher reports, classroom observations, student strengths, and parental concerns.

Beginning at age 14, a transition plan for the student’s future will begin to be developed. At age 16, the IEP will list a multi-year plan for promoting movement from school to the student’s desired post-school outcomes.

Annual measurable goals are developed that are related to the core curriculum standards through the general education curriculum, unless otherwise required, according to the students' educational needs. Progress reporting methods will be included in an IEP. The IEP will explain the extent, if any, to which the student will not participate with non-disabled peers in the general education class and in extracurricular and non-academic settings.

Parental consent is required in order to implement the initial IEP. The program and services recommended therein will not begin prior to signed consent.

Parental Rights in Special Education

Parental Rights In Special Education "PRISE"

New Jersey Administrative Code for special education (N.J.A.C. 6A:14) and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) are laws that ensure children with disabilities a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. An important part of these laws provides parents with the right to participate in their children’s education.

The following links will take you to these documents in a number of languages.

Parental Rights in Special Education (PRISE), English - May 2023
Spanish (2023)
Arabic (2023)
Chinese (2023)
Portuguese (2023)
Gujarati (2024)
Hindi (2024)
Korean (2024)
Russian (2024)
Tagalog (2024)
Haitian Creole (2024)

NJDOE Special Education

N.J.A.C. 6A:14, Special Education

Parent Resources & Workshops

Extra-Curricular Resources

Links and Resources

Disability Awareness & Resources

Disability Awareness

Throughout the year, Special Services will work to raise awareness and understanding for key health and disabilities awareness days, weeks, and months. The following provides a list of those days, weeks, and months.