Programs & Services

Once the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee determines a child is a child with a disability needing special education, the ARD committee designs the special education services the child needs in order to receive an appropriate education.  CHISD has a full continuum of special education services available.  Services available include, but are not limited to:

General Education Classroom with Accommodations
Instructional and curricular accommodations recommended by the ARD committee are implemented in the general education classroom by both general education and special education staff.  This enables the student to be involved and progress in the general curriculum to the maximum extent appropriate.

Resource
Students may require special education instruction in specific content areas like reading, English language arts or mathematics.  Instruction is provided by a special education teacher.

Therapeutic Learning Classroom (TLC)
Some students require in-depth, intensive and individualized instruction in the areas of behavior, social, and emotional development in order to achieve academically.  Intervention classes are special education classes designed for students who are typically-developing learners but need substantial support in managing their behavior, social skills and/or emotional status.

SKILL
Specialized Knowledge for Individualized Life-Learning (SKILL) classes provide a structured environment that addresses the various unique needs of CHISD students whose development differs from that of their typically developing age peers.  SKILL classes focus on communication, behavioral needs, social skills, and academics while using highly individualized instructional methods.

Transitional Adult Education 
This program is offered as an extension of the applied classes for students 18-22 years of age.  The students who participate in this program have earned their curriculum and credit requirements.  IEP goals and objectives are developed to access specific individual needs in the areas of vocational academics and life skills.  The goal of this program is to increase independence, to maximize the student's quality of life, and to facilitate their successful integration and acceptance in the community during the transition from high school to post-secondary living. 

Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD)
PPCD provides educational and support services for eligible children ages 3 to 5 with identified delays in one or more of the five developmental areas (motor, social/emotional, self-help, communication, and/or pre-academic).

Speech Therapy
Speech and language therapy is available to all students age three through twenty-one years of age who need this service.  The speech-language pathologist helps students with communication disorders in the areas of articulation, language, voice, and fluency.

Hospital/Homebound
The hospital/homebound arrangement is available to special education students unable to attend classes due to medical reasons for a minimum of 4 weeks.  Based on the recommendation of the child's physician, an ARD committee may assign a student to the homebound instructional arrangement.  A homebound teacher will serve the student at home or in the hospital.