Student Support

The Clinical Services department at Pineland Learning Center offers a variety of services designed to support student development and needs including counseling, behavior management/modification, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The department is comprised of school social workers, school counselors, a speech-language therapist, an occupational therapist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

All PLC students receive counseling services. Elementary students (K-6) participate in individual and group counseling once per week. Middle and high school students participate in individual counseling every other week and group counseling once per week. Group counseling emphasizes the development and maintenance of appropriate social skills. The specific focus of individual counseling varies based upon the unique presenting issues of each student. In general, a solution focused approach that emphasizes problem solving and coping skill development is typically employed. Whenever possible, Clinicians collaborate with teachers, caregivers, and other staff to foster a team approach that increases the probability of student success.

On occasion, students display behaviors with a greater intensity, frequency and/or duration than their peers at PLC. Further, the occurrence of such behaviors is not impacted by PLC’s general behavior management program, which indicates the need for more specialized, intensive intervention. Students may then be referred to our Board Certified Behavior Analyst to conduct a functional behavior assessment to determine the root cause of the behavior. After this analysis is completed an individualized behavior support plan is developed.

Individual and group services are available to students with Individualized Education Programs that include speech-language therapy as a related service. Each student receives intervention and support with articulation, communication, or other areas of need based upon their individual strengths, needs, and goals.

Students are provided with OT services when these are included in their IEP. While the content of the service varies based upon each student’s strengths and needs, the focus is often on the development of motor skills, sensory needs, and executive functioning skills.