Classroom Programming
Dream is a full-day language based class that focuses on improving complex functions in a larger group setting. Dream is just one of the ways The Shafer Center for Early Intervention is improving skills for children with autism.
Child/Staff Ratio
- 10 children/2 adults (masters level special educator and bachelor’s level classroom assistant)
- 7.5 hours of integrated speech-language pathology services per week
- 5 hours of behavior consultation per week by BCBA or BCaBA
Days/Times
- 6 hours per day, 9:00-3:00
- 5 days per week
Prerequisite Skills
- Demonstrates some classroom readiness skills; sitting in a group, orienting towards adult, raising hand, answering a question, managing personal belongings
- Rote academic skills; identify letters, numbers, shapes, colors
- Participates as part of a larger group of peers for short amount of time
- Participates in a structured conversation for at least two turns
- Cooperatively plays with at least one peer for a minimum of 30 seconds
- Follows two-step related directions
Target Skills
- Improve attending skills in a larger group
- Increase independence
- Phonics
- Phonemic Awareness
- Reading
- Spelling
- Math
- Science/ Social Studies
- Handwriting
- Improve complexity, function, and rate of spontaneous language
- Complete complex tasks independently and in small groups
- Improve pretends/symbolic play skills, play collaboratively, play multiple games
- Improve social exchanges with peers, including conversation skills
- Reading Comprehension skills by participating in our Connect XYZ program
Curriculums & Programs Utilized
- Maryland Common Core Curriculum
- Orton-Gillingham
- Seeing Stars
- Handwriting without Tears
- Talkies or Visualizing and Verbalizing
- Touch Math, Touch Money, Touch Time
- News2You