Special Education at PS 958

At PS 958, we know that all students can and should learn in an inclusive environment. All young children come to school with their own individual needs that deserve our careful attention. We are designing a new model which will bring the knowledge and expertise of our city’s best special education resources to ensure high achievement and social/emotional well-being for every single student in the community.

Integrated Co-Teaching

Classrooms with Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) services include students with IEPs and students without IEPs. No more than 12 (or 40 percent) of the students in the class can have IEPs. There are two teachers—a general education teacher and a special education teacher. The teachers work together to adapt materials and modify instruction to make sure the entire class can participate.

AIMS

The Acquisition, Integrated Services, Meaningful Communication, and Social Skills (AIMS) program is a highly intensive program for children with a diagnosis of Autism. Students benefit from the support of a classroom teacher, full-time speech therapist and paraprofessional. The program utilizes Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behavior (VB) to help children build the necessary communication and social skills they need to participate successfully in a school setting.

Related Services at PS 958

We are starting off the year with a full team of Related Service Providers and support staff including speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and counselors. In addition, we are excited to be a part of two special intiatives:

  • SEED Program: The Sensory Exploration, Education & Discovery (SEED) is a unique enrichment-based sensory movement program offered on Saturdays and after-school to support students who display intensive sensory needs. We will be holding our SEED program in our sensory gym.

  • Collaborative Planning: We created a flexible schedule that therapists more time and opportunity to collaborate with teachers and other providers to ensure success for all PS 958 students, whether or not they have an IEP.

English Language Learners at PS 958

The English as a New Language (ENL) program supports students who may still be learning English. ENL provides instruction in English with support in the students’ home language so that they can learn to read, write, and speak English. In support of these students, PS 958 prioritizes representation in language in our hiring process. 55% of our staff is bilingual. Teachers and school staff are able to support students and provide materials in various languages, to the largest extent possible. Additionally, many of the language supports outlined above align with ENL teaching methodologies and are utilized in service of all students, regardless of disability, creating a richer learning environment for all students, including English Language Learners.

Social-Emotional Learning at PS 958

Creating a warm and safe environment is key to any child’s success in school. As demonstrated in our core values, relationship-building will be a daily priority as we develop our young children into socially conscious citizens. We utilize Zones of Regulation as one way to engage student’s in mindfulness and hold regular community meetings where students have the chance to share with and learn from their larger school community around themes of equity and inclusion. All of our instructional learning experiences incorporate opportunities for students to understand and celebrate difference.

In addition, our school is structured to develop strong self-regulation and executive functioning skills in all students. Studies show that instruction focused on these skills, including mental flexibility, time management and self-control, have long-lasting benefits to individual children, their families and society. Over time, studentslearn to navigate their physical environment and learning experience with great independence, strengthening these key life skills and preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century.

Universal Design for Learning

No two children learn the exact same way. Designing a school with the needs of ALL children in mind (universally) will give us the tools and resources to re-imagine quality education in our city. Students will develop an understanding of their own learning needs and will become sensitive to the learning needs of others, creating a richer learning environment for the whole community.