the school district of demarest - child study team
The Child Study Team (CST) of the Demarest School District consists of six specialists who work together to provide the highest quality educational experiences for our children, their parents and teachers. From initial request by the District Intervention and Referral Services (I & RS), to the determination of eligibility for special education and related services, the CST works collaboratively with specialists and families to develop a comprehensive picture of a child’s cognitive, academic,social and language development.
The Secretary on the CST is our liaison to the school community and is often the first person you will encounter as you seek a consultation with the CST. She is responsible for keeping the CST current with all NJ State and Federal requirements and assists in maintaining the day-to-day operation of the CST. She also schedules meetings, conferences and observations.
The School Social Worker provides the connection between our school, our children’s families, and the entire Demarest community. In her role as therapist, she helps students and their families address and overcome social and personal situations that may impede learning. She conducts interviews with students, family members, and school personnel to gather information required to evaluate a student’s emotional, social, and behavioral adjustment to school and the community. She,like the school psychologist, develops behavior management plans. As part of her week, she also provides individual and group counseling to develop coping, social, and decision-making skills. She assists in developing policies and practices to prevent school violence and to build a sense of school community.
Our School Psychologists uses their knowledge of psychology and educational research to help confront many learning issues that children, teachers,parents, and community members experience. In our district, the school psychologists provide crisis intervention,develop behavior management plans, and administer a number of psycho-educational instruments to assess a student’s thinking, behavioral, and social skills. They also provides individual and group counseling. Together with the other members of the CST, parents, teachers and support personnel, they also assists in determining students’ eligibility for special education and related services. Our school psychologists also provide support to teachers by developing sound academic and behavioral interventions.
The Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) functions in the school environment as an educational diagnostician, instructional programmer, Child Study Team member, educational consultant and instructional leader. The LDT-C conducts educational assessments and analyzes normative and functional data used to make classification decisions and support students' learning differences. The LDT-C possesses a strong understanding of special education law; plans and facilitates delivery of programs for children with learning differences and transfers specific and successful instructional techniques to classroom teachers through consultation, collaboration, and in-service education. The LDT-C effectively communicates with parents, teachers and administrators and advocates for educational supports for students.
Two Speech and Language Pathologists serve our district. They assess, diagnose, treat, and address speech, communication,voice, fluency and other related language needs. As part of the CST, they develop individual and group programs, consult with parents, and assist teachers with classroom activities to maximize speech production. They provide individual and group therapy for students across all grade levels.