Starlight Education

Early Intervention Program | Pre-School Program | School-Age Program | Links

Early Intervention Program

Starlight's Early Intervention Program is provided for children from birth through two years of age and their families.

The intervention program is structured to meet the needs of both children developing typically and those with special needs. Parent involvement and participation are encouraged and are extremely vital to the success of the program. The needs of each child are identified and activities are planned to meet these needs. The Early Intervention staff is made up of trained professionals with a wide range of special skills including Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Language Skills.

Classes are set up to meet a variety of needs for infants and toddlers. Staff members work with the children individually and in small groups. Expanded hours are offered for working families. Services can be provided in the home, at the Center or in a community setting. All staff members work as a team to meet the needs of children and parents. For example, an art activity may be used to work on a fine motor goal established by the occupational therapist. The occupational therapist may work on a goal identified by the physical therapist. Language skills are developed in all activities.

Pre-School Program

Children enrolled in preschool program attend preschool four half days per week. Transportation, adaptive physical education, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing services are available to meet the individual needs of the students. The unique feature of the pre-school program is that it is designed to serve typically developing children together with children with disabilities.

The Starlight pre-school programs at the Center provide opportunities for challenge, stimulation, understanding and acceptance among children. Community agencies and the schools of Muskingum County are working together to provide quality Pre-School programs at the Cent.

The Pre-school programs are guided by two basic facts:

• Learning is an active process.

• Children need nurturing and support to experience their own development timetable without expectations of conformity to a particular program or single group.

Teachers guide children through active exploration and interactions with adults, other children, and materials. Play-based choices enrich the learning process through a wide range of learning experiences.

Guiding Philosophy

Children benefit from an environment that enables them to learn and play together and that values all children as being special.

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School Age Program

For children six through twenty-one years, classes are provided for children who meet the eligibility requirements for students with multiple disabilities as stated in the Rules for the Education of Handicapped Children which is provided by the Ohio Department of Education. Student enrollment at Starlight is determined by the IEP team, which includes the parents and the local school district. Together, the team determines the least restrictive environment from a continuum of options. Related services, such as physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, adaptive physical education, nursing services, and vocational training are available to meet individual needs of students.

For additional information regarding any of these programs, please call MaryAnn Katrick, Director of Educational Services, at the Starlight School. The telephone number is (740) 455-4176.

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