Call us or email us 510.741.5440 for more information
Our programs for developmentally delayed (DD) students are designed for those who suffer from a variety of developmental delays stemming from severe or multiple handicaps, impaired hearing or deafness, blindness, brain injuries, or other causes.
Emphasis
Spectrum’s DD curriculum is tailored for each individual and focuses primarily on the activities of daily living, including speech, communication, functional academics, social skills, food buying and preparation, and personal hygiene. Our program emphasizes:Individualized plans.
- Measurable goals for progress.
- Positive teaching and behavior management strategies.
- Small class sizes with intensive staff-to-student ratios.
- Opportunities to learn in the community.
Strategies
Spectrum provides developmentally delayed students with a positive, reinforcing environment, and an educational strategy that combines a variety of methodologies, including:
Applied Behavior Analysis
This is our foundational strategy for addressing challenging behaviors in a safe, positive, respectful manner. ABA methods teach students self-control along with ways to develop appropriate replacement behaviors. ABA also improves the student’s ability to learn and communicate.
Naturalist teaching methods
To teach communication and other skills in the midst of meaningful, real-life settings so students are more able to generalize what they’ve learned and apply it to similar situations in their lives.
Functional academics
To teach basic skills, such as recognizing common sight words in the community, building money handling skills, and so on.
Vocational assessments and training
To help students aged 14 and older to build skills and apply them in a structured, supervised job setting.
Community skills instruction
To teach students safety and to familiarize them with public transportation and purchasing conventions.
Daily living skills training
To build proficiency in personal care, personal hygiene, and food preparation.
For additional information about this program, or to discuss a referral to Spectrum, call (510) 741-5440 or contact us.