COGNITIVE DISABILITIES - MODERATE/SEVERE (CD/MS)

The Oshkosh Area School District provides several programs throughout the district for students who have cognitive disabilities. The students range in age from 6 to 21. There are two programs at Lincoln Elementary School. Jan Fox has the primary class with students who are 6 to 9 years old. Terry Kleinschmidt has the intermediate class and her students are 9 to 12 years old.   Our program begins with some basic beliefs about students: * All students can learn. * Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. * All students have the right to an equal education. * Students do not need to master all skills before participating in an activity. * Student growth and development is achieved through a partnership between home and school. Comprehensive Programming A comprehensive program is offered with provisions for individual and group instruction. In addition to classroom instruction, the program may include community based instruction, occupational and physical therapy, speech/language therapy, specially designed physcial education, art and music. A new aspect of the program is pet therapy with Wes Kranz from Pickett Fences Farm. Students are included with their regular education peers on an individual or group basis for appropriate activities. The program is structured to progress along a continuum which represents the various levels of the program. The focus of instruction is on encouraging independence. Self help skills, social skills, mobility and language development are taught in natural contexts as situations occur. Teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists and specialists work together to provide opportunities for learning in the following domains: communication social self help/daily living gross motor fine motor mobility functional academics vocational recreation/leisure   Communication skills are emphasized at all levels of the program. To facilitate appropriate language development, multi-communication formats are frequently used including verbal skills, pictures, gestures, sign language and augmentative communication.   Functional academics may include colors, shapes, numbers and math skills, time, money, community sign reading, and building a basic sight word vocabulary for reading. Opportunities to apply these skills to daily situations are facilitated by staff.   Motor tasks are incorporated into the daily routine to improve fine motor, gross motor and independent mobility skills.   Self help/daily living skills are addressed as they come up in the weekly schedule, i.e., dressing skills at the YMCA before and after swimming.   Social development happens as students are provided the opportunity to interact with all their peers at school, as well as out in the community. Since friends are important to social development, inclusion within the school and the community is an important aspect of the CD/MS program.   Vocational preparation is another component of the CD/MS program. Students have both classroom and school jobs. They are responsible for set up, completing multiple step tasks and clean up.   Recreation and leisure activities, such as bowling and swimming are taught so that our students learn some life long recreational skills that they can participate in with their families and friends.

The following pictures are of students in Mrs. Fox's class:

Sean

Alec

Justin

Kynthia

 

 

Alec, et al

 

Justin

Mark

Picnic

Reed

Mark

Reed

Sean

Spencer

Recommended websites include the following: