Northshore Education Consortium Programs: Empowering Students and Families

The Northshore Education Consortium (NEC) offers a wide array of programs designed to support students with diverse needs and their families. These programs encompass educational, therapeutic, and family support services, all aimed at fostering student success and well-being. The NEC is committed to ensuring that every student, every day, has the opportunity to thrive.

Family Support and Resources

The NEC recognizes the crucial role families play in a child's development and offers several programs to support them.

The Family Center

The Family Center serves as a welcoming hub for all families and professionals within the community. Empathic and knowledgeable staff members are available to assist in accessing information and community resources. The center provides a lending library with books, articles, and up-to-date literature on a multitude of topics, including:

Special needs
At-risk youth
Medical, developmental, and behavioral conditions
Substance abuse
Family issues
Parenting

Computer access is available for families, providing links to national and community organizations and agencies. The lending library is accessible to parents, family members, and professionals. Resource information is also available on community programs, behavioral health services, and recreational activities.

Parent Support Groups

Monthly parent support groups, offered through a collaboration with the Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PAL), provide a supportive environment for parents of behaviorally challenging children. These groups are facilitated by professionals and are based on peer support. They are free, confidential, and open to the public.

Family Workshops

Family Workshops are open to parents and professionals, offering opportunities to learn new information and connect with others who share similar interests. These workshops are free and open to the public.

Kevin O'Grady School: A Comprehensive Educational Environment

The Kevin O'Grady School provides specialized educational services for students ages 3 to 22 with moderate or severe special needs. These needs may include complex medical needs, physical disabilities, multiple disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, autism, and intellectual disabilities. The school's staff believes that team collaboration is essential to maximize each student’s level of independence, development of functional life skills, and academic achievement.

Foundations Preschool

The Foundations Preschool classroom offers intensive services for children ages 3 to 6 with special needs. The program adheres to the Massachusetts Department of Education Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences. Within an integrated classroom setting that includes peer models, students acquire essential communication, social/emotional, and self-help skills. These skills provide a foundation for a successful transition back to schools within their community or other specialized programs. All services are provided within the classroom to ensure comprehensive integration and carryover of learning objectives. The children also enjoy playing on the school’s accessible playground.

Access Program

The Access Program provides intensive services for students ages 6 to 22 with multiple impairments, including those with complex medical needs. Students actively participate in daily routines, activities, and experiences that provide optimal levels of stimulation to explore their environment and increase their quality of life. For some students, complex medical issues require frequent care from qualified personnel.

Reach Program

The Reach Program offers intensive services for children ages 6 to 13 on the autism spectrum or who have developmental or intellectual impairments. Students acquire the academic, communication, social/emotional, and self-help skills they need to reach their full potential. Teachers utilize research-based teaching methodologies, with an emphasis on learning through systematic instruction, including structured teaching and applied behavior analysis. Adaptations, such as sensory diets, augmentative communication systems, adaptive equipment, and environmental supports, enable students to engage actively in learning.

Target Program

The Target Program provides intensive services for adolescents and young adults who are on the autism spectrum or have intellectual impairments. Students focus on the academic, communication, social/emotional, self-help, pre-vocational, vocational, and life skills needed for them to become active members of the community. They also work on developing independence and responsibility by participating in community outings and vocational internships. Students undergo a comprehensive vocational assessment to identify their skills, strengths, and vocational interests. Families are provided with support to complete the guardianship process, and transition planning becomes an important focus of the IEP.

STRIVE Classrooms

STRIVE classrooms provide intensive services for students with intellectual and multiple impairments, including students with autism and complex medical needs, ages 7 to 22. Students acquire the ability to access the curriculum through varied targeted developmental communication and/or motor skills.

Facilities and Enrichment

The Kevin O’Grady School boasts extensive facilities designed to enhance student learning and well-being:

Two large outdoor spaces for student play and recreation, including an accessible playground for younger students and a 16,000 square foot recreational area. The recreational space includes a large playing field, a half basketball court, and a walking, riding, running track that meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for wheelchair use.
Two specialized fitness rooms filled with adaptive cardiovascular exercise machines, including treadmills, exercise bicycles, and seated ellipticals.
A special music room filled with musical instruments and electronic equipment, including keyboards, shakers, drums, iPads, video monitors, a karaoke system, and other items for students to enjoy making and listening to music.

Students also participate in a variety of enrichment activities, including creating seasonal and thematic artwork year-round. The school year culminates with "Art on the Hill," a large show of classroom art each May.

Transition Planning

Transition Planning and assessment is a team effort that begins just prior to students turning 14 years of age and throughout adolescence and adulthood, until the age of 22 years. Classroom teachers and consulting therapists work closely with parents and begin expanding educational programming, by prioritizing ways to prepare students for life beyond school and keeping the students individual interests and preferences at the forefront of our programming.

NEC Connections Program: Mental Health Support

The NEC Connections Program is available to member public school districts on a contract or fee-for-service basis. The program provides skilled mental health clinicians who assess student and family needs that impact academic and social/emotional functioning. The clinicians consult and communicate with the school and family to better understand all perspectives, most importantly that of the student. This is a voluntary program, so services are provided with parent/guardian permission. Any student may be a recipient, regardless of grade or special education status.

Once the initial referral is made, the NEC Connections Wraparound Clinician will meet with school staff, student, and family members to assess the situation and make recommendations for appropriate community-based services. They also provide consultation to school-based staff and help families navigate and access necessary supports. While intended as a short-term stabilization intervention, there is flexibility in the type of support services provided and the length of time the Connections team can be involved.

Community and Special Events

The Kevin O’Grady School hosts many special events throughout the year to bring students, staff, and families together. These events include:

Art on the Hill
The annual Walk & Roll fundraiser
Graduations
Craft sales
Holiday program
School barbecue
Plant sales
Scholastic Book fair

tags: #northshore #education #consortium #programs