The Grundy County Special Education Cooperative (GCSEC) provides programs and service to students ages 3-21 residing within its twelve member districts who have been screened, evaluated and determined eligible for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), provisions of the Illinois School Code and state regulations.
Presently, GCSEC serves approximately 1900 students. These include all disability areas identified in the regulations including speech and language only. If speech and language students are taken out of the total, approximately 1500 are served in programs regardless of program design.
The Grundy County Special Education Cooperative was established in 1969 to provide quality special education programs and services to all eligible students within the cooperative area. Services are provided in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and the Illinois School Code. GCSEC is responsible for coordinating the special education activities and resources for the twelve member districts.
GCSEC offers a wide variety of special education programs and services for the families that it serves. We believe that social, emotional and physical development are equally as important as academic development. Therefore, within each of these programs, individual goals are developed to maximize each students learning potential with respect to these areas.
Early Childhood Programs
GCSEC provides early intervention screening services for children ages birth to three years old. For the birth to three population, we refer parents to the Morris Community Hospital where monthly screenings are conducted to determine if further evaluation is needed. Any child identified as needing further testing is referred to Easter Seals in Joliet which can provide additional testing as well as remedial services if needed.
Transition services are provided for children receiving therapies from birth to three providers. Transition conferences are conducted by the Cooperative with the parents and early intervention service coordinator. An introduction to the school services available to qualifying children is provided during this conference. An evaluation by Cooperative support staff representing the child's home school district is completed to determine if the child will now be eligible for services through the school.
Screenings for the three to five year old population are conducted in all GCSEC member districts in the spring, late summer and fall of each school year. Any child identified as needing further testing may be evaluated by the GCSEC support staff which includes psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologists, etc.
Children that qualify for early intervention services may be placed in one of thirteen early childhood programs located throughout Grundy County. In these programs, the child's individual needs are met through a specifically designed curriculum which reflect six areas, Conceptual Development, Speech and Language, Fine Motor, Gross Motor, Self Help and Social Development. By focusing on these six areas, the student is better prepared to function in the home, school and community.
Students with specific learning disabilities (LD) comprise the largest group of students served by GCSEC. A child with a learning disability exhibits significant difficulty in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken and/or written. This difficulty may manifest itself in an impaired ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or complete mathematical calculations. Students with a learning disability, by definition have average intellectual ability, however, there is a significant discrepancy between their intellectual ability and their academic achievement.
Programs that provide services to this group vary widely depending upon the nature and severity of the individuals disability and are individualized to specifically address each students needs. GCSEC is mandated to allow each student to participate in general education to the greatest extent possible. Therefore, programs can be designed to support the student in general education (consultation), support the student by serving them in a special education classroom for part (less than 50%) of the school day (resource) or support the student by serving them in a special education classroom (greater than 50%) of the school day (self-contained). The abilities and needs of each student determine which program will best serve them. In addition, each student has individualized goals which specifically address areas in which the student will work in conjunction with his/her classroom teacher to realize their full potential.
Students with emotional disorders (ED) demonstrate affective disorders and/or adaptive behavior which significantly interferes with their ability to learn and function socially within education. The goal of our ED program is to provide support to students experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. A Variety of approaches may be used to achieve this goal. Self-contained programs are provided to coordinate intensive instructional services to students who are unable to learn within the general education setting. Through this intensive support, the goal is for the student to eventually transition into the regular education setting at his/her home school. Services are provided through the resource program for those students who need less intensive behavioral management and can find success within their home school with support. The goal is for the student to receive the necessary supports to be successful in their home school and to avoid placement in a more restrictive environment.
Programming for students with emotional disorders revolves around self-esteem issues and appropriate ways of relating to other individuals. Students participate in small group social skills instruction which is integrated throughout the day and taught directly during social work time. Students may also receive individual counseling so that personal issues may be addressed.
GCSEC and its member districts are continually striving to preserve dignity, to realize potential and and to increase independence for this student population. A student will qualify to receive services through our mentally impaired programs if the child's intellectual development and adaptive behavior are markedly delayed. Such impairment may be mild, moderate, severe or profound.
Students in the mild and moderate ranges are served in several locations throughout the member districts of GCSEC. Within these programs the student's needs are met through a specifically designed curriculum which reflects eight areas. These include functional academics, gross and fine motor skills, socialization, vocational training, communication, self help skills, independent living and recreation and leisure.
In order to support the mission of the GCSEC we must travel beyond the boundaries of Grundy County to educate our severe and profound student population. This unique population requires a broad combination of health care, education and therapy services beyond the resources of this cooperative. GCSEC turns to United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) located in Joliet, as well as other agencies to provide a continuum of programs for these students and their families.
The GCSEC physical disabilities program provides service to children throughout Grundy County schools. These children have been affected by disabilities such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and spina bifida. To support these children, physical therapists, occupational therapists and the teacher for the physically handicapped work closely with the education staff and family to provide individualized educational and supportive services. These services range from daily direct service to consultation services.
Any student who has a vision impairment that is adversely affecting his/her learning is a potential candidate for the vision program. Today, students with visual impairments or blindness are more likely to attend public schools in their communities rather than in residential schools like in the past. GCSEC currently employs two vision teachers who travel from school to school to provide direct and consultative services to visually impaired students. These "itinerant" teachers coordinate the specialized instruction and adaptive equipment needs of the child.
The goal of the GCSEC vision program is to enable each student to reach his/her highest potential for independent living in order to become confident and productive citizens. This goal is accomplished through communicating and working closely with regular and special educators, as well as parents and individual students.
Any student who has a unilateral or bilateral hearing loss that impeded his/he learning is a potential candidate for the hearing impaired (HI) program. To meet eligibility for HI service, GCSEC implements a full screening process to help determine the severity of hearing loss. The screening process also evaluates the students academic strengths and weaknesses, and any other delay that might impede the students ability to learn. Once eligibility has been established. students receiving HI support are fully mainstreamed into education with varying levels of HI support. First, service can be provided in a full inclusion setting where the HI "itinerant" teacher remains in the classroom for full instruction. Second, a pull-out service is an option that pulls the student from the class to work on target areas independently. The third option is a combination of the first two; minutes allotted in the classroom for partial instruction and minutes allotted for pull-out to reinforce concepts. In addition to HI teacher support, many students wear assistive listening devices.
The goal of the GCSEC hearing impaired program is to assist students with learning impairments to realize their full potential and become independent productive students.
GCSEC and its member districts currently serve a population of students with developmental disabilities that are identified under the spectrum of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). Five disorders are identified under the category of PDD, which include Autistic Disorder, Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger's Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD NOS)
Early diagnosis and appropriate educational programming are important for children with PDD. From the age of three, children with these disorders are eligible for an educational program appropriate to their individual needs. GCSEC offers a variety of programs and placements to meet each student's individual needs, which include Early Childhood Programs, regular education classrooms with related services (such as speech and language and social work support) and Self-Contained programs located in neighboring facilities specifically structured to meet the varying needs of students with PDD.
GCSEC also offers a consultation team to assist student, parents and educators. The consultation team is made up of two teachers, one speech and language pathologist, one social worker and one parent of a student with PDD. The goal of this team is to support both educators and parents in helping students with PDD be successful in their educational setting.
School psychologists have specialized training in both psychology and education. They use their training and skills to collaborate with educators, parents and other mental health professionals to ensure that every child learns in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. School psychologists tailor their services to the particular needs of each child and each situation. School psychologists are typically involved in activities such as consultations, assessments, intervention, prevention, education as well as research and planning.
GCSEC assigns a school psychologist to work in each school building in the cooperative area. In addition to the services listed, they also coordinate and monitor special education placements and provide guidance in developing appropriate educational plans for students with disabilities.
School social workers have specialized training in group, family and individual counseling. They use their training to identify factors that can make school a more successful experience for students. School social workers diagnose problems, arrange for services, counsel children in trouble and help integrate students with disabilities into the general education setting. In addition, they address problems such as misbehavior in class, socialization, learning difficulties and developmental delays.
GCSEC assigns a school social worker to work in each building in the cooperative area. In addition to the services listed above, school social workers provide insights into how children develop socially and provide much needed assistance to the students served by GCSEC.
Speech and language pathologists have specialized training in servicing students with speech and language impairments. They are typically involved in activities such as prevention, identification, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of communication disorders. These services can be provided to students individually or in small groups.
The goal of GCSEC speech pathologists is to provide individualized services for children whose speech and/or language skills interfere with his/her ability to learn in the classroom or communicate with others.
Occupational and physical therapy services are provided to students who, in addition to their primary disability, have additional physical needs that impair their classroom functioning. These physical needs may be the result of a known cause such as cerebral palsy, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, progressive neurological diseases or any number of known physical disabilities. Occupational and physical therapists may suggest accommodations or modifications that can be tried in the classroom or may address remediation of deficit areas through direct treatment.
Traditionally, occupational therapists are concerned with improving fine motor skills, whereas physical therapists are traditionally concerned with improving gross motor skills, total body movement, muscle tone and coordination, balance and equilibrium.
If participation in a regular education program is determined to be inappropriate for the students needs, and adapted physical education program is provided. Adapted physical education is a program of developmental activities suited to the interests, capacities and limitations of students who may not safely engage in general physical education classes. The adapted PE specialist, who had a degree in physical education with an emphasis in adapted physical education, teaches this class.
Transition services are provided for each student with a disability beginning at age 14 1/2. Teachers, counselors, and the GCSEC staff work with each student and his/her family to identify an employment goal, secondary education plans and where appropriate, independent living skills. Educational instruction, experiences, programs and assessments are provided that determine and relate to these future goals. Prior to exiting the school system, students and families are assisted in making linkages to service providers and agencies available to assist adults with disabilities.
Parents, community agencies or private school staff who have questions about the programs or services are urged to contact the GCSEC office at 815-942-5780.
