SPECIAL NEEDS

What is The Learning Center?

The Learning Center, commonly know as "T.L.C.," is an educational support program for students with learning disabilities. Students who qualify to receive services from T.L.C. are in regular education classes for the majority of the school day, and receive special education for part of the day. Services may be delivered in the T.L.C. classroom or within the regular education room.

How can a student register to receive T.L.C. services?

In order to qualify to receive services from T.L.C., a student has to have an educational evaluation and found to have a learning disability or enter our school with an Individualized Education Plan, I.E.P.

Is there a fee for service?

If a child is placed in the T.L.C. program, an extra fee is added on to the regular tuition. If a child is receiving services from a professional other than a school employee, such as a speech-language pathologist working in the school on a private basis, the fee is arranged between the parents and the professional.

What is the role of the special education teacher?

The special education teacher, or T.L.C. teacher, is an individual who is certified to teach children with Learning Disabilities. The T.L.C. teacher has the following responsibilities:
1. Coordinating the special education referral process.
2. Managing and updating the special education files.
3. Providing academic remediation for children placed in T.L.C.
4. Providing consultation to teachers on how to modify materials for children with special needs.
5. Meeting with parents of students receiving services from T. L. C. throughout the school year to communicate academic progress.
6. Coordinating standardizing standardized testing for children receiving services from T.L.C.

What is the special education referral process?

1. A teacher expresses concern to the T.L.C. teacher.
2. The TLC Team (classroom teacher, T.L.C. teacher, teacher representatives from grades PK-2, 3-5, and 6-8, and a school administrator) meet to discuss concerns.
3. The TLC Team meets with the parents to discuss concerns and make recommendations.

Possible recommendations from the T.L.C. Team:
a. Suggested strategies will take place in the classroom, and progress will be measured. A meeting will be scheduled with the parents to discuss progress made within the time period;

and/or

b. The student will be referred an educational evaluation with a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or psychologist. The T.L.C. team will describe options to the parents. The child may be tested through the public school system, or by a qualified individual not affiliated with the public schools.

If the child is tested through the public school system, the parents must go to the public school nearest to their place of residence, and register their child as a non-attending student. At that point, the public school has number of days to follow through on the parent's request for testing.

If the parents elect to have their child privately tested, the school can recommend individuals who are qualified to complete a full battery of testing. The parent may choose to use a different individual, though. The parents will be asked to communicate the name and address of the psychologist they have decided upon to the T.L.C. teacher within a period of time.

Possible outcomes:
1. The child will be placed in the T.L.C. program.
If the testing was completed by the local public school, a team will meet at the public school to decide if the child will qualify for T.L.C. services. If the child is going to receive services, an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and an Individualized Catholic Educational Plan (ICEP), will be constructed by the team. If the testing was completed outside of the public school, a team will meet at MCA to decide if the child will qualify for T.L.C. services. If the child is going to receive services an Individualized Catholic Educational Plan (ICEP) will be constructed by the team at MCA.