CASE Collaborative

Student Population

The CASE Program at McCarthy-Towne Elementary School in Acton ("CASE Acton Program") is a two-class program serving children ages 5 to 11 who present with  a variety of delays in a combination of developmental areas.  The younger class at McCarthy-Towne serves children 5 to 8 years old with delays of approximately one to three years in cognitive skills, expressive language, and, often, fine and/or gross motor skills.    The older class serves children 8 to 10 years old with delays approaching 2-3 years or more.  Delays in academic skills or readiness are common, although some children in the younger class may have age-appropriate skills in some areas.   Delays in motor planning, execution, sensory, or perceptual areas are also common.  Either class may include children with pervasive developmental disorder, when cognitive skills are consistent with those of the rest of the class and behaviors are not problematic.  A student may attend either class separately for 1 to 3 years or the two-class sequence for up to six academic years.

Program Description

The CASE Acton Program provides therapy services for students, both individually and in small groups, according to the children's IEP's.  For the most part, therapy services are provided in the classroom to facilitate carry-over by and consultation with the instructional staff.  Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy are most common; physical therapy is provided when needed.  Occupational therapy services address a range of areas, including fine-motor, perceptual-motor, and sensory-motor programming.  Although most of the students in the CASE Acton program rely exclusively on verbal language to communicate, some students in the older class use augmentative communication strategies (e.g. pictures, sign, or electronic devices) as well.  The classrooms have carpeting, dividers for work stations, and acoustically protected ceilings.  Nonetheless, the environment in this two-class program can become "busy," and some students with sensory or processing concerns use FM trainers to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio.

The curriculum for the CASE Acton Program is determined by the individual student’s IEP's in coordination with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.  Thematic coordination across the program is maintained on a monthly basis.  Examples of monthly units include ocean life, the solar system, community helpers, etc.  Monthly units are reflected in most aspects of the program -- including therapy -- and generally culminate with a day trip off school grounds consistent with the theme for the month.

Students in the CASE Acton Program are identified with an age-appropriate grade level: kindergarten, first grade, or second grade for the younger class, and third, fourth, or fifth grade for the older class.  They are integrated into mainstream activities with their grade level peers for about 25 or 30 percent of the school week, almost always with a CASE staff member nearby for support.  Inclusive programming is most often arranged in enrichment areas (science, social studies, field trips), in "specials" (art, music, physical education, library, woodworking), and in social areas of the day (lunch, recess).  Occasionally students are mainstreamed for core academics, as well.

Children in the CASE classes at McCarthy-Towne benefit from a sixth grade student volunteer program.  Through this effort, some of the older students at McCarthy-Towne volunteer to work with CASE students in the building.  These sixth graders participate in a year-long seminar covering a variety of topics related to special needs, provided by CASE instructional staff.  A fifth grade reading program has recently been put in place, where fifth graders in the building volunteer to read to students in the CASE classes on a regular basis.  In the older CASE class, a “Bagel Buddies” program involves students in the sale and distribution of locally produced bagels, affording children opportunities to practice math, language, social, and organizational skills on a weekly basis.

The CASE Acton Program has a full-day schedule (approximately 29 hours a week), with a 5-week Summer Program option for children whose IEP's call for extended year services.  Located in the McCarthy-Towne complex, the CASE Summer Program provides a blend of academic and recreational activities that is designed to prevent substantial regression of skills over the summer recess.  Integrated activities involving typical peers are not available to CASE Summer Program participants.

Parent Support Services

Parent support and communication is an important part of the CASE Acton Program.  A daily notebook travels from home to school to home, to keep staff and parents current regarding students' progress.  The notebook is also an important tool to help the adults at home and at school to facilitate language (i.e., "news") from the students.  Topical discussion groups are available to parents of students in the program.  Additionally, traditional opportunities for parent involvement in school are available, such as being a "room parent," attending open house, or volunteering in the school.  A home visit is typically made by the teachers near the beginning of the school year, and parent/teacher conferences are available in both the fall and spring.  An annual IEP review meeting and quarterly progress reports complete the range of options for parent/school communication.

Social Skills Programming

Social skills programming is an important component of the CASE Acton program.  Every week a trained counselor meets with the students in the older class in small groups to help them develop pro-social skills such as: making friends, expressing feelings constructively, cooperating with others, etc.  The foundation for these skills is laid in the younger class, although the discussion component is not offered until students transition to the upper half of the program.

Additional Information

Enrollment in the CASE Acton Program is by consensus of the child's parent(s), the child's school district, and the CASE Collaborative. Additional information about this or other CASE classes may be obtained by contacting the CASE Collaborative office in Concord or by speaking with the special education office in a CASE member school district.

Please direct inquiries and referrals to:

Rory Liebmann, Assistant Director
978-318-1535
rliebmann@colonial.net