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Welcome to the WTPS -
Department of Special Education & Student Services!
Washington Township Public Schools provides an array of services to the students and families. The District provides a continuum of individualized program options to accommodate student needs within the least restrictive environment.
Our Child Study Team is comprised of School Social Workers, School Psychologists, Learning Disabilities Teacher/Consultants, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Vision Specialists, Hearing Specialists, and Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Each discipline offers expertise in a variety of areas. They each have various responsibilities to enhance the educational experience of our students.
Roles of the Child Study Team and Related Service Providers
School Social Workers provide services to students and their families to help the students attain maximum benefits from their educational programs. The school social worker takes into consideration the social, emotional, cultural, and economic differences among children and their families to promote the students’ academic and social/emotional well-being and enhance their full educational and individual potential. It is the responsibility of the school social worker to do a social assessment that includes observation of the student and communication with the student’s parents/guardians. The social assessment includes adaptive social functioning and emotional development, and of the family, social, and cultural factors that influence the student’s learning and behavior in the educational setting. The School Social Worker also provides counseling as a related service. The school-based counseling addresses social and academic issues.
Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultants (LDT-C) function in the school environment as an educational diagnostician, instructional programmer, Child Study Team member, and case manager. The LDT-C is required to be dually certified as a teacher. The requirement of classroom teaching experience offers a multi-dimensional relevance to the assessment and implementation processes. Learning Disability Teacher-Consultants use their understanding of classroom functioning, effective teaching, and adaptive instruction to help students maximize their learning potential and provide practical assistance to their teachers. Service provided includes teacher/student consultation, preventative pre-referral intervention, assessment, coordination of services, and program development. The LDT-C must also effectively communicate with parents, teachers, and administrators. An educational assessment shall be the responsibility of a learning disabilities teacher-consultant. The assessment should include both standardized and functional assessments, review of the student’s work samples and the student’s records, classroom observations, interviews of the teacher and other relevant parties, evaluation and analysis of the student’s academic performance and learning characteristics.
School Psychologists are specialists with training and expertise in psychology as it is applied to education. They use their training and skills to collaborate with parents, educators, and other professionals to ensure that every child learns in a safe and supportive environment. School Psychologists use their understanding of school organization and effective learning to help students realize their academic and social potential. They tailor their services to the particular needs of each child and each situation. School Psychologists are trained to assess and counsel students with behavioral, emotional, and educational concerns. Psychological assessments shall be the responsibility of a School Psychologist. The psychological assessment should include standardized and functional appraisals of a student’s current cognitive, intellectual, adaptive, social, emotional, and behavioral status in the context of their environments. Serving as case managers, the School Psychologist consults with a wide array of educators to develop strategies, modification systems, and offer support to aid classroom management. The School Psychologist also provides counseling as a related service. The school-based counseling addresses social and academic issues.
Speech-Language Pathologists are experts in all areas of communication who make assessments, analyses, and classifications of students' communication competencies and characteristics. As a member of the educational team, the Speech Language Specialist participates in the planning of educational programs for children with communication disorders. Speech Language Specialists plan, prepare, and deliver treatment programs for children with speech and language deficiencies. They also serve as resource persons in the area of speech and language development and disorders to classroom teachers, parents, administrators, and the child study team. A speech and language assessment shall be the responsibility of the district’s Speech/Language Pathologist. The assessment shall include observations of the student in other than a testing session, consultation with the classroom teacher, communication with the parent(s)/guardian(s), and an evaluation and analysis of speech and language development.
Occupational Therapists are school-based who provide services to students to support their ability to function in an educational environment. The need for OT services is identified through the use of formal and informal assessments conducted by the therapist. Direct OT services consist of group and/or individual sessions provided in class or out of class, where the child’s specific goals are addressed through hands-on, purposeful activities. Consultation is an ongoing communication between the therapist, parent, teacher, and student where problem-solving and trial of different adaptations are used to allow the student to function optimally in his/her educational environment without the need for direct services.
Physical Therapists are school-based and may be requested when there are those unique situations in which gross motor activity may significantly impact a student’s ability to access their education. The school's physical therapist works on school-related goals to help the student benefit from their educational program. Educational performance for young children also includes self-help skills, gross motor skills, and participation in physical education classes. Physical therapy services can take place in a variety of school settings, such as a classroom, hallway, gym, and playground, or in a separate therapy room. Collaborating with educational staff to modify the child’s environment and daily school activities is also part of school therapy.
Board Certified Behavior Analysts are professionals who practices applied behavior analysis or is a behavior specialist and has received additional education and credentials to allow them to practice independently. BCBAs are responsible for assessing and evaluating students with behavior, psychological, developmental, or social disabilities and then developing a treatment plan that involves using applied behavior analysis, reinforcement, and task analysis. In addition, behavior analysts also work with teachers, caregivers, parents, and family members to help them better understand how to identify, modify, or understand a child’s behavior.
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