Special Education

ABOUT US The Langan School at Prospect Center is a remarkable school where children with varying levels of disabilities ages 3-21 can  receive their education. Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, the school is a satellite of the Langan School in the state’s capital, Albany. Both schools are run by The Center for Disability Services, a major provider of all...

Transferring someone with low tone and little or no weight bearing to and from the toilet is challenging. Along with a dependent lift, a therapist must guard against the individual slipping down or sagging during the seat-to-seat transfer in addition to managing clothing. Even with lifting devices it is difficult to execute a smooth, dignified, safe transfer with an individual unable to maintain any...

Using the Rifton TRAM for toileting can make a huge difference for both students and staff, providing both safety during transfers to the toilet and dignity and privacy for the student. Because students with disabilities have a wide range of needs, there are many ways to use the TRAM for this purpose. Here are some methods we’ve found here at Socorro,  presented as three case studies. (I&rsquo...

This excerpt was taken from an article written by Douglas Lathrop in Kids on Wheels, a publication now no longer in print, but because I think the ideas are so good I want to pass them on. For your child, the foremost benefit to attending summer camp is, quite simply, having fun. Beyond the fun aspects, spending time at camp can strengthen a child’s sense of independence and ability to socialize with...

Contributed by: Denise Keene who has been a Special Ed teacher for 15 years. All children in special education classes are introduced to the same subjects that are taught in the regular class: math, reading, writing, science, etc. However, because they have different needs, new concepts may be introduced at a slower pace. For example, most children learn to read a short book by the end of kindergarten, but...

We always appreciate it when clinicians tell us about unique ways they’ve found to use our innovative medical equipment. Since introducing the Rifton Activity Chair in March 2010 we’ve had a steady stream of compliments and feedback from therapists telling why they like the chair. Here’s a short list sent to us by Judi Rogers OTR/L of Los Angeles Unified School District. Clinicians in...

Active Participation: Concepts for Skill Building Children are unique. Active participation of each child, at any level possible, should be encouraged. In order to challenge the child both physically and mentally, this participation should occur with the least amount of support possible. Learning, recovery, and compensation are all facilitated through challenging and novel tasks. Strength-gains and motor...