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District presents expanded early‑childhood inclusion, speech group approach
Summary
Early childhood staff described increased complexity in preschool special education needs, a move toward classroom inclusion and group speech sessions to improve social skills and school readiness.
At a May 5 board meeting, Grandville Public Schools early‑childhood staff described new and expanded inclusion practices and a shift in how speech services are delivered for preschool‑age students with special education needs.
Julie Scott, early childhood director at the Berryville Education Center, said the district has seen more students enter services with speech‑language impairments and more complex medical and behavioral needs; she told the board eligibility for autism spectrum services has increased beginning at age 3. Scott described program options including the 17/55 inclusion continuum and small group speech sessions.
Teachers Heidi Moberg and Theresa Robinson explained how inclusion is being implemented in practice: staff begin with playground interactions and short “push‑in” classroom sessions tailored to individual readiness, sometimes using aides. The pair reported success with phased inclusion—two children in the current year have progressed to attend roughly two days per week for an hour and a half, with regular communication with families.
Speech‑language pathologists Stacy Kotlars and Lisa Trager said the district is shifting from individual itinerant 30‑minute sessions to group sessions of three to five students to promote peer modeling, turn‑taking and generalization. They described a weekly theme structure, beginning with gross motor to regulate students and ending with caregiver communication and take‑home handouts to encourage carryover.
Board members asked how growth is measured; staff said progress is tracked against students’ IEP goals, and teachers reported informal gains in social participation and classroom readiness. Members also asked whether closure of some center‑based programs and contract changes with neighboring districts had shifted services back to Grandville; administrators said some programming returned to the district but noted contract details with other districts had changed.
Staff acknowledged family‑engagement efforts such as informal family nights and pilot parent observation during sessions; board members encouraged consideration of more formal parent groups to build peer support. No formal action was taken on these presentations.
