Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) provides a wide scope of resources for children with disabilities from ages 3 to 21. CMS's goals are to promote early identification/intervention and to improve the chances of success in school.
CMS works with area hospitals and health-care providers to identify babies in neo-natal intensive care units who are born with conditions that will eventually require them to need specialized education. For those children whose disabilities show up at later stages, CMS provides home evaluation. "It's really important to us to serve children in the most natural environment possible," says Gina Smith, director of school-level services at CMS.
Bright Beginnings provides small classes and intensive intervention for children who need extra help. Once children turn 4, CMS helps families identify the behavioral and social skills necessary for children to learn in a regular school setting. While CMS' programs are focused on children with developmental, cognitive, physical and learning disabilities, individual schools provide accommodation for children with chronic diseases who must often miss school due to sickness or medical appointments.
CMS interdisciplinary teams work with the parents of preschoolers to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This will be the road map for a child's education, working with the set of resources that addresses individual needs.
When children are ready for kindergarten, the CMS team meets with parents again to help them understand the transition and to create individualized plans for behavior and socialization to increase success. Over the summer, CMS works with schools and parents to set up specialized placement for children who will need unique resources. Follow-up meetings with parents help to prepare families for their role in helping the child succeed.
After kindergarten starts, families meet at least once a year — more if necessary — with the CMS Individualized Education team to assess progress and determine new goals and objectives. The IEP is updated annually, and children are re-evaluated every three years. A parent advocacy committee, called APPLE, facilitates parent-to-parent communication. CMS supports inclusive placement whenever possible, either within a regular classroom with special "pull-out" times for extra help, or in specialized classrooms within regular schools where children still benefit from contact with non-disabled peers. CMS has two special needs schools entirely dedicated to children who need more specialized help than can be provided in inclusive programming. Metro School serves children with cognitive and physical disabilities, and Morgan School serves children with behavioral or emotional disabilities.
For more information about CMS' services for exceptional children, call (980) 343-6960.
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