Special Education

New Heights School's Special Education Department focuses on the transitional skills students will need to succeed after they graduate from high school.  Our caring staff offer individualized attention, small class sizes and student-centered instruction.  Most special-needs students spend the vast majority of their school day in mainstreamed classes where teachers modify lessons and make the necessary accommodations.  Other times, students may access special education resources as needed or as part of their scheduled day.

What do special educators do?

Special educators are highly trained professionals who provide specifically designed instruction and services to children with disabilities. They adapt and develop materials to match the special needs of each student and use a variety of teaching strategies to ensure that students with disabilities reach their learning potential. Trained to look beyond students' disabilities to their potential, special educators can make a real difference in the lives of their students.

Where do special educators work?

Special educators work in many different environments. A small percentage work in private schools, residential facilities, hospitals and clinics, or in the students' homes. The majority, however, work in the public schools. Within these schools, special educators work in a variety of settings, including:

• Self-contained classrooms. Only 20% of students with disabilities spend the majority of their school day in a classroom specifically set aside for children with disabilities.
• Resource rooms. Most special education teachers work in resource rooms, where they provide specialized instruction to students with disabilities who come in for part of the school day, either individually or in small groups.
• General education classrooms. An increasing number of schools are using an inclusion model, in which students with disabilities receive most, if not all, of their instruction in a general education classroom. In these settings, special educators work closely with general education teachers to meet the needs of the students.

New Height's special education model consists of full inclusion with resource room support.

Who are special education students?

The greatest challenge that many children with disabilities face are the myths that they cannot succeed in school. When students with disabilities – even those with severe disabilities – receive appropriate instruction, they grow academically and socially.

Students with disabilities who receive special education instruction and related services vary greatly in their needs and backgrounds.

• Like all children, they differ from one another in ability, age, learning style, and personality.
• Students with disabilities come from all cultural backgrounds and may speak languages other than English.
• They all have unique learning needs based on their disabilities that require a number of special education and related services, such as specially designed instruction, adapted materials, speech-language therapy, or adaptive physical education.
• Some students with disabilities have cognitive impairments, such as mental retardation, which can range from mild to profound.
• Others have learning disabilities that require specific teaching strategies, including accommodations and modifications to the general education curriculum.
• Still other students have physical disabilities that require the use of wheelchairs or other assistive devices.
• Some students' impairments are sensory, such as hearing loss and vision impairments.
• Others have emotional conditions.
• In addition, chronic health problems and multiple disabilities can complicate learning for some.