Related Services

  • Occupational Therapy

    Occupational therapy services for students with special needs are determined through the IEP process. OTs complete assessments and work with other members of the school based team to help determine what is needed for a student to receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. They collaborate with the team to identify a student's annual goals and determine the services, supports, modifications and accommodations that are required to achieve these goals and to help the student access the curriculum.

    Physical Therapy

    Physical therapy is a related service provided to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. School-based physical therapy focuses on a child's ability to move as independently as possible in the school environment. The school physical therapist evaluates the child's ability to move throughout the school and to participate in classroom activities. Physical therapy interventions are designed to enable the student to travel throughout the school environment; participate in classroom activities; maintain and change positions in the classroom; as well as manage stairs, restrooms, and the cafeteria.

    Vision Services

    When students in the Mountain Brook school system are referred for special education services due to a visual impairment, their needs are assessed by a Certified Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). The assessments may include a Functional Vision Assessment, a Learning Media Assessment and an Orientation and Mobility Assessment. The outcome of the assessments determines the level of services that the student receives. These range from consult to direct instruction when specialized instruction is needed.

    Sometimes accommodations of materials is all that is needed in order for students with low vision to access the school curriculum like their peers who do not have a vision loss. Consultation for the teachers regarding the educational implications of the vision loss is another service area that is provided by the TVI? This promotes a better understanding of the nature of the vision loss and consistency in the delivery of materials in the format that is best for the student. The TVI follows the low vision student from one grade to the next. This provides some consistency between grade levels and schools as the student advances academically.