Developmental Skills

The PALS Lower classroom was created for students with severe learning disabilities or mild cognitive impairments that resulted in a 3-5 year delay in academic, social-emotional, and/or life skill development. Students are provided with individualized instruction and supports designed to help them make and maintain academic and social gains. The ultimate goal is to help students catch up so they can return to a typical classroom setting.

Students in this classroom have severe learning disabilities or mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, which have impacted their academic, social, and emotional growth along with their ability to acquire developmentally appropriate life skills.

Students in this classroom have been diagnosed with Autism and have significant difficulties with functional communication and require intensive support and services to express their thoughts and needs.  These students receive individualized, highly speciaized instruction through the use of ABA discreet trial training.  In addition, intensive crisis intervention, speech-language, and behavioral services are provided on an individaul, small group, and classwide basis.  In this classroom, emphasis is placed upon the development of activities of daily living, functional communication, basic academic skills, and community-based instruction.

The Basic Skills class focuses upon educating students with moderate to severe cognitive impairments in conjunction with other disabilities including Down Syndrome, Autism, and other developmental disabilities. As a result of these difficulties, students in this class require individualized, intensive supports to make and maintain academic, social, and life skills gains. These students are able to communicate with peers and staff. Students receive functional academic, social, and life skill instruction and regularly participate in pre-vocational experiences and training.

Students in this classroom have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in conjunction with other disabilities such as Autism or Down Syndrome, which globally impact their academic, social, emotional, and life skills development. In addition, these students have significant difficulties with functional communication and require intensive support and services to express their thoughts and needs. Developmental skills students receive individualized, highly specialized instruction through the use of ABA discrete trial training. In addition, intensive crisis intervention, speech-language, and behavioral services are provided on an individual, small group, and classwide basis. In this classroom, emphasis is placed upon the development of activities of daily living, functional communication, basic academic skills, and basic pre-vocational skills.