Occupational therapy (OT) in schools supports students in participating in school-related activities by addressing challenges in various areas like fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, and social-emotional development. OT services focus on improving a student's ability to function effectively in the school environment, whether it's completing assignments, navigating the classroom, or participating in recess.

School psychologists offer a variety of services in the school setting to support students' academic, social-emotional, and behavioral well-being. They work directly with students, collaborate with teachers and parents, and consult with school administrators to promote positive learning environments. Key services include assessments, counseling, interventions, and consultation.

School social workers provide a range of services within the school setting to support students' mental, emotional, and social well-being. This includes individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, advocacy, and collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families to create a supportive learning environment. They also help students access resources and navigate challenges like bullying, mental health issues, and family conflicts.

Speech services are provided by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) to help students who have communication difficulties. These services aim to support students' educational success by addressing communication challenges that might impact their ability to learn and participate in the classroom. Speech and/or language therapy may be delivered on an individual or small group basis. Speech and language for pre-school students (who demonstrate a tested need for such service) is available as a drop-in service.

Teacher consultants in special education facilitate and offer guidance on implementing IEP’s and supporting students with disabilities. They may serve as case managers, facilitate educational programming, conduct academic assessments, and consult with teachers, students, and parents. 

Adapted physical education (APE) is specially designed physical education instruction for individuals with disabilities. It involves modifying traditional physical education activities to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities, ensuring they can benefit from physical activity and fitness. APE aims to develop gross and fine motor skills, improve physical fitness, and promote lifelong engagement in leisure and recreation. 

In Allen Park Public Schools, Adapted Physical Education is available for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade who demonstrate the need for such services through assessment and recommendation of their Individual Education Program Team (IEPT).  

Adapted physical education (APE)

Allen Park Public Schools operates a mild Cognitively Impaired (CI) classroom at Allen Park Middle School and offers “Essential Elements” courses in ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies at Allen Park High School. Such Special Education eligible students often need another layer of support above resource room services. Curriculum in such classes are modified and incorporate the Michigan Alternate Content Standards, or “Essential Elements”.

These placements are reserved for resident Allen Park students and those enrolled through Schools of Choice. The decision to place a student in this program is made by their Individual Education Program Team (IEPT) which includes the student’s parents/guardian, a general education teacher, a special education provider, a school representative, an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, and whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.

A cross-categorical classroom is a special education classroom that serves students with diverse disability categories, rather than focusing on a single disability type. This approach emphasizes individual student needs and instructional strategies, rather than traditional disability labels. It allows teachers to focus on the individual instructional needs of each student, regardless of their specific disability. 

Allen Park Public Schools houses a cross-categorical classroom at Bennie Elementary for kindergarten through 2nd grade, and a cross-categorical classroom at Arno Elementary for 3rd through 5th grades. 

Allen Park Public School’s Early Childhood Program (ECP) is housed at the Center for Early Childhood Education (CECE). ECP provides services to Special Education eligible students, ages three to five years old, who have moderate developmental delays. The classroom program is geared to help prepare eligible students for kindergarten. This classroom is a half-day, five days per week program. Students with milder communication needs may be referred for drop-in speech services.

All Allen Park Public Schools offer Special Education support on a case manager consultant basis and in the form of a resource room for those Special Education eligible students who need that level of support. Case Manager consultant service involves a student’s case manager working in partnership with general education teaching staff to help support student achievement.

Resource Room support is for students who have been determined to need an additional level of support beyond consultation. At the elementary level this may involve pull-out services in which the student works directly with a Special Education teacher in small groups to address skill deficits, or push-in services in which the Special Education teacher works with eligible students within their general education classroom settings.

At the secondary level, resource room, or “fundamental” classes may be offered in the core subject areas of English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Such classes are taught by a Special Education teacher. Push-in services at this level take the form of co-teaching. Co-teaching involves a Special Education teacher supporting and co-instructing a group of special education students who are mainstreamed in a general education classroom setting.

With the above-mentioned level of support, Special Education eligible students are taught curriculum consistent with the Michigan Common Core State Standards regardless of whether they are in a general education classroom or a resource room setting. It is important to note; however, that accommodations may be necessary for some Special Education eligible students to better access the curriculum and/or demonstrate their knowledge of that curriculum.
 

As students complete their high school program and prepare to enter the adult world either by way of college, technical training, the military, or the workforce some students and parents may have concerns about the future. To help ease this developmental anxiety, Allen Park Public School students eligible for Special Education services participate in transition planning beginning at the age of 16.

A student’s transition plan is completed through their Individual Education Program (IEP) and reviewed at least annually. The plan typically includes high school (secondary) and post-secondary (after high school) life goals and aspirations. School staff will assist the student in completing surveys and/or interviews, goal setting, and developing/implementing the transition plan to help the student as they begin to work toward meeting their life goals.

Allen Park Public Schools operates four Wayne County Regional Educational Services Agency (RESA) funded ASD classrooms - two at Lindemann Elementary, one at Allen Park Middle School, and one at Allen Park High School.

These classrooms support and serve students on the autism spectrum who live in the downriver area. Such students' academic, social, behavioral, and communication needs are predominantly within the moderate to severely impaired range.