ACCESS Program
The ACCESS Program - located at Riverdale Elementary - is a partial inclusion program for students in grades 1-5. Massachusetts regulations define partial inclusion programs as the student being in the special program between 21 percent and 60 percent of the day. These programs require flexibility and close collaboration as well as co-teaching.
Partial inclusion service delivery models are designed to meet the unique needs of children with developmental delays in more than one area of functioning. Mild developmental delays, global language challenges, and delayed social development may impact ability to access the reading, writing and math curriculum in the general education setting. The curriculum is modified for more specific targeting and review of essential skills. Classroom emphasis is on full-engagement and internalization of classroom material. Students are highly motivated to learn, but typically have difficulty with longer term retention of material and require frequent review, repetition and re-application of skills. In addition, students in this model often require a high level of support, as well as a significantly slower pace compared to their grade-level peers.
Students who are identified for partial inclusion programming are included in regular classes as much as possible, but they have a wide variety of needs and require individualized services as well. They all share the need for a "home base," a place for pull-out services, and a place to receive explicit instruction in social skills. The students’ language impairments often impact social functioning and comprehension of materials. Within this model, lessons and discussions are highly teacher-mediated for language development. Teachers continually model language and questioning techniques, and frequently cue students for elaboration of their responses.
KEY COMPONENTS OF STUDENT PROFILE
Primary diagnosis of Developmental Delay, Communication, Neurological, and Autism. Students that fit this model typically would not have a specific learning disability given the cognitive profile of the cohort. The student requires a higher level of coordination of care than does the typical special education student.
There have been multiple systematic interventions utilized in an effort to help the student access the curriculum. These efforts have been well documented.
The student requires support in three or more of the following domains:
- Reading
- Written Language
- Math
- Student Skills
- Behavior
- Communication
- Social Skills
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Cognitive Profile |
Language Profile | Academic Profile | Student Skills Profile |
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KEY COMPONENTS OF A PARTIAL INCLUSION MODEL
Students participate in as much of the district’s assessment and progress monitoring program as is appropriate for each individual student.
In addition to individualized programming to access grade-level curriculum standards, the partial inclusion model utilizes a number of different interventions and a variety of supplemental curriculum to support the student, including:
| English/Language Arts | Math | Language | Student Skills |
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