Child Study Team Services

The Child Study Team (CST) is a group of professionals employed by the Gloucester City Board of Education who provide consultative, evaluative, and prescriptive services to teachers and parents in regard to students who are experiencing school related difficulties.

Who are the members of the Child Study Team?

The members of the Child Study Team as determined by the New Jersey Department of Education are a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher consultant, and a school social worker. Also, at times, the speech/language therapist may act as a member of the Child Study Team.

What are the responsibilities of the school psychologist?

The school psychologist has expertise in determining a child’s level of cognitive and conceptual development. In addition the psychologist is concerned with the emotional status of the student, and how both internal and external factors may affect behavior and performance in school. The school psychologist works with both general education and special education teachers to maximize a student’s potential.

What are the responsibilities of the learning disabilities teacher consultant?

The learning consultant (LDT-C) is trained to determine the learning styles of students, to determine specific achievement levels in a variety of content areas, and to recommend specific teaching methods and strategies that may benefit a student. This professional is generally called upon to model specific strategies and methods that may benefit students.

What are the responsibilities of the school social worker?

The expertise of the social worker lies in assessing the student relative to the family, the school and the community. This professional generally gathers information concerning the student’s health, family, and school history as it pertains to the student’s current school functioning. The social worker is also the professional responsible for coordinating community resources on behalf of students and their families.

Speech and Language Services

What are Speech and Language services?

The development of age appropriate speech and language skills is essential to the learning process and to a student’s social, emotional, and academic growth. Students must be able to comprehend language, express their thoughts and opinions, interact effectively and efficiently with peers and adults, and produce speech that others can easily understand.

The Gloucester City School District provides speech and language services to students ages 3-21 who demonstrate a need to improve their speech and language skills in articulation, language, fluency, or voice disorder in order to achieve academic success.

How are students referred for speech and language services?

Students can be referred for speech and language services by their parents or their classroom teachers either as a part of a Child Study Team Evaluation or in isolation. This generally occurs when there is concern about a student’s speech and language proficiency. The goal of these services is to help students develop the speech and language skills necessary for positive interpersonal relationships and academic success.

What are the responsibilities of the speech/language therapist?

The speech/language therapist is a professional who assesses students and determines the need for therapeutic intervention due to exhibited difficulties in the areas of articulation, language, fluency, or voice disorder. The speech/language therapist will develop and implement programming as necessary upon discovery that a student qualifies for this special remedial service. In this case, the speech/language therapist acts as “case manager” to assure programming is appropriate for students determined Eligible for Speech and Language Services. Assessment by this professional also is used to determine eligibility under the category of Communication Impaired as a part of a full Child Study Team Evaluation. When this occurs the speech/language therapist is responsible for developing and implementing programming as necessary to meet a student’s needs in this special area but does not act as case manager.

Related Services

Occupational Therapy

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational Therapy is a related service, which is designed to help students within a school setting who are showing an educational related difficulty, which impairs the student’s ability to function in the school environment. Occupational Therapists use purposeful activity to facilitate a student’s active participation in the areas of self-care, academic and/or vocational pursuits, as well as play and leisure activities. Using direct and indirect services, as well as assistive technology and environmental modifications, school occupational therapists collaborate with parents, teachers, and other educational
staff to help implement a student’s program. The goal of services is to assist a student to function well within the school setting.

Who provides Occupational Therapy services in Gloucester City?

Karen Donahue, a certified Occupational Therapist, provides services to our in-district students.

Physical Therapy

What is Physical Therapy?

Physical Therapy is a related service, which is designed to help students access their school environment and participate safely and to the best of their ability in their academic curriculum. School physical therapists address functional limitations such as difficulties with mobility, transition or gross motor skills, as well as interventions that address impairments that contribute to those functional limitations such as posture, balance, strength, and coordination. Difficulties in these areas must impact upon student participation in their educational program and environment.

Who provides Physical Therapy services in Gloucester City?

The district contracts with Rehab Connection to provide services in this area.