Special Education as a Service, Not a Destination
At Laura Jeffrey Academy (LJA), our specialized education supports and services are crafted specifically for each scholar, targeting their unique strengths and growth areas. Our special education staff is knowledgeable and grounded in their professionalism, service delivery and academic specialties, with the ultimate goal of connecting with students relationally and compassionately. Special education programming is a service, not a destination.
LJA believes in consistent communication with families and staff to support students and their unique needs. We achieve this through a smaller case manager-to-student ratio, which allows us to support scholars in the classroom, ensuring they can access appropriate grade-level instruction and increase their social skills with their peers.
What are some of the biggest challenges that special education students face?
This is middle school! Our LJA scholars are not immune to the struggles of this age. This is a developmental stage where social comparison runs rampant, which can be challenging and anxiety-provoking. We counter this with whole-child learning techniques in our strengths-based community. We believe in focusing on a scholar’s assets and contributions to the community and celebrating diversity.
The middle school years are also a time when students are learning to regulate emotions. We know that students with special needs often become overwhelmed quickly by various sensory inputs. At LJA, we normalize talking about sensory input, becoming overwhelmed, and emotional regulation for all students. This helps break down the stigma for students who may be embarrassed to receive special services in a school setting. Everyone can benefit from emotional and sensory regulation strategies to focus on their work and maintain healthy relationships with friends and peers. ALL students benefit by embedding these types of support in general education settings.
What are the benefits of integrated classrooms?
Every LJA scholar receives educational content that is differentiated, accessible, and modified to meet their learning style and needs. Our scholars receiving direct special education support in the general classroom are accessing the content in tandem with their peers, navigating social dynamics and discovering how they learn best—without always having to leave the classroom to receive services. Students are developing a blend of intra- and interpersonal skills that they’ll carry into high school and postsecondary experiences. Content teachers deepen their instructional practice by providing an accessible learning environment for all students. Integrated classrooms benefit everyone!
How do you engage the families of special education students?
Our goal at LJA is to support each family’s agency and advocacy for their child, throughout their journey in special education. We know that every parent/guardian is navigating this world at the same time as their student. You may have anxiety about how to navigate special education supports and services, wondering if your child’s changing needs will be met, and how to access the best resources for your child. This journey is one the whole family is on together, and at LJA, we partner with the family to best design services for each scholar.
Our strong ratio of staff-to-scholars allows us to maintain frequent parent/guardian communication, which enables us to quickly modify approaches or consider any unique circumstances for a scholar. In addition, we engage families through multiple methods, including our Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC), which meets quarterly to discuss more broadly what families of scholars with IEPs see as priorities for their scholars and look at ways LJA can continue to improve services for scholars and families.
Education at LJA is a partnership between scholars, families, and our staff, and we are grateful to the parents who entrust us with the care and education of students each and every day.