2020-2021 ICP Support for ESE Students

Polk County Public Schools understands its students with special needs face unique challenges. We are committed to providing the highest quality services we can during these difficult times. Here, we’ve compiled valuable information and resources to support our students and their families during our response to the coronavirus pandemic.

PCPS Instructional Continuity Plan

Individual Education Plan (IEP) Meetings

The school district is currently authenticating a virtual platform that will support teams in conducting IEP meetings.  At this time, we are not ready to host meetings on this platform. We are asking that IEP meetings scheduled for the week of April 6-10 be postponed.

District staff members are working diligently to get the virtual IEP platform in place and operational.  Parents and staff will be updated as soon as possible on available dates for IEP meetings to begin.

As always, we thank you for your continued patience and support.

Student Services During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Teachers and staff will continue to work with families to ensure services for students with unique abilities continue. Details on adjustments caused by the pandemic are noted here.

Section 504

  • Most students with 504 support plans do not receive direct services at school. Section 504 support plans usually include accommodations for lessons, assignments and tests or assessments.
  • Parents can continue to provide accommodations to lessons and assignments as needed. Many accommodations are built into our virtual learning platforms. In some cases, paper-based materials or lessons may also be used.
  • Most Section 504 accommodations are relatively easy to provide in a home setting, such as allowing extra time for assignments, repeating directions to your child or breaking longer lessons into smaller sections.
  • If parents have questions about their child’s remote learning lessons or accommodation plans, please contact the child’s school.
  • There will be no standardized testing this year.
  • Parents are encouraged to document what accommodations their child is using at home during this time. This will help ensure a smooth transition when regular routines resume. Some suggestions for doing this include:
    • Keep a daily journal of educational activities attempted and accommodations provided
    • Snap pictures of work samples
    • Send yourself a text or email to help you remember when you provide an accommodation
    • Use a voice memo on your cell phone

Health Services

  • Alternative versions of required reproductive health education lessons are being created and will be shared soon. This information will be sent directly to schools who had these lessons scheduled prior to the closure.  Information will simply need to be made accessible to students.  No direct teaching of this content is required.
  • Registered nurses are checking in with LPNs at each school regarding students with medications and individual health care plans.
  • If you have medical questions, please call the Mark Wilcox Center between 8:30 am and 1:30 pm on weekdays. Their number is (863) 291-5355.  A nurse is always available during that time.

Social Work Services

  • Due to concerns with the health and safety of our employees, no home visits will be scheduled at this time.
  • Social workers will be assisting schools with wellness checks for at-risk students.
  • The TASSEL program is continuing in a limited capacity. No school uniforms will be provided at this time.  Limited hygiene supplies, school supplies and other clothing is available.   Please contact your assigned school social worker to discuss students who may need these supplies.  TASSEL items will be delivered to either the school site or to the meal distribution site the family visits daily.
  • If parents need assistance with accessing or locating community resources, please have them email the assigned school social worker directly.

Psychological Services

  • No face-to-face evaluations or observations will be completed with any students at this time. This is based on guidance and recommendations from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  Face-to-face testing and evaluations will resume either when social distancing requirements are lifted or when school returns to a regular schedule.
  • School psychologists will be contacting all parents who have an active parent permission that includes face-to-face testing to explain the reasons for the delay and help with a plan for moving forward.
  • School psychologists will be consulting with their assigned schools on any pending evaluations that did not include a request for face-to-face testing. They can assist schools with contacting these families to discuss interventions that can be implemented at home during school closures.
  • Parents/guardians continue to have the right to request an evaluation for their child at any time. All requests for evaluation will be addressed within 30 calendar days.  Permission for evaluation can be signed if a disability is suspected, but parents will need to understand that face-to-face testing will not take place until social distancing requirements are lifted or when school returns to a regular schedule.
  • School psychologists will be assisting schools with wellness checks for at-risk students.

Behavior Support and Mental Health Services During the Coronavirus Pandemic

If a student is in crisis, parents/guardians should contact the Peace River Center Mobile Crisis Team at 863-519-3744. Additional resources include:

  • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK
  • NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI
  • The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Behavior Support

PCPS will continue to provide behavior support to students, teachers and parents.

 

  • Various staff members will collaborate with teachers and parents to provide behavior supports for students. These staff members will include behavior specialists, academic behavior support teachers (ABST), and contracted providers from various companies PCPS works with in our schools. The behavior specialists will coordinate services for students referred through the Student Behavior Response Team this year.
  • Teachers will be supported through consultation, provision of adaptive instruction, behavior management procedures, and the provision of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum.
  • Parents will be supported through consultation, referral to other supports (community or in-house, such as social workers), the provision of daily schedules, simple management systems, and the provision of materials and instruction on how to make a calming space. Parents will also be provided the opportunity to rate their child’s performance and develop individual plans for their children.

Mental Health

To abide by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, mental health department staff members will provide services through a virtual platform.

 

  • All mental health staff members will establish weekly virtual office hours. Virtual office hours will provide specified times for students/parents/schools to access support.
  • Students with mental health needs identified as a service on their IEP will continue to be supported by BayCare Winter Haven through a telehealth platform.
  • Mental health facilitators will be available to consult with teachers, parents and students as needed, and will respond to any new concerns initiated by teachers. Students who were participating in group counseling sessions provided by the facilitator may be continued and/or transitioned to individual virtual sessions at the discretion of the facilitator.
  • Mental health staff members will consult and collaborate with their assigned schools to coordinate student and family “wellness checks” for students currently on the assigned facilitator caseload. Wellness visits will be conducted through an online platform or via telephone.
  • Mental health facilitators will communicate with assigned schools to coordinate interventions and support for students who have been previously referred to, and/or monitored by, the threat management team.
  • A system that will allow parents to directly access a mental health professional is being built as quickly as possible.
  • Parent conferences can also be completed as needed.

Social Work Services

  • Due to concerns with the health and safety of our employees, no home visits will be scheduled at this time.
  • Social workers will be assisting schools with wellness checks for at-risk students.
  • The TASSEL program is continuing in a limited capacity. No school uniforms will be provided at this time.  Limited hygiene supplies, school supplies and other clothing is available.   Please contact your assigned school social worker to discuss students who may need these supplies.  TASSEL items will be delivered to either the school site or to the meal distribution site the family visits daily.
  • If parents need assistance with accessing or locating community resources, please have them email the assigned school social worker directly.

Psychological Services

  • No face-to-face evaluations or observations will be completed with any students at this time. This is based on guidance and recommendations from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  Face-to-face testing and evaluations will resume either when social distancing requirements are lifted or when school returns to a regular schedule.
  • School psychologists will be contacting all parents who have an active parent permission that includes face-to-face testing to explain the reasons for the delay and help with a plan for moving forward.
  • School psychologists will be consulting with their assigned schools on any pending evaluations that did not include a request for face-to-face testing. They can assist schools with contacting these families to discuss interventions that can be implemented at home during school closures.
  • Parents/guardians continue to have the right to request an evaluation for their child at any time. All requests for evaluation will be addressed within 30 calendar days.  Permission for evaluation can be signed if a disability is suspected, but parents will need to understand that face-to-face testing will not take place until social distancing requirements are lifted or when school returns to a regular schedule.
  • School psychologists will be assisting schools with wellness checks for at-risk students.

Resources:

Physical Therapy Resources

If you would like to leave our website and visit outside resources, please follow the links below. These third-party resources are listed for informational purposes only, and no endorsements are implied.

Resource Brain Break Gross Motor Balance Coordination
GoNoodle Yes
Little Twisters Yoga Yes Yes
The OT Toolbox Yes
Kids Workouts Yes Yes Yes
The Learning Station Music Yes Yes Yes
Inspired Treehouse Yes
Prek Pages Yes
Your therapy source Yes
Inspired Treehouse Yes Yes Yes Yes
Inspired Treehouse Yes
Sara J Creations Yes