1. Non Diploma Secondary Services
MCPS
Serving Students on the Autism Spectrum
Mr. Eric Kuhn, Supervisor, Department of Special Education
Mr. Joe Goucher, Instructional Specialist, Extensions Program
Ms. Kristin Rattan, Program Specialist,
Autism Spectrum Disorders Services

2. School Community Based and Learning for Independence Services

3. School/Community-Based & Learning for Independence Services:
Instruction addresses a balance between functional and academic skills
Heterogeneous classes (range of abilities and characteristics)
Age-appropriate settings in a general education middle and high school building
Meaningful instruction in natural contexts
Opportunities for inclusion & interaction with non-disabled peers in general education settings with support.
Positive behavioral support to teach appropriate social, communication, & self-advocacy skills
Community-Based Instruction

4. Learning for Independence Program Features
Student to staff ratio: 8-14 students:1 teachers:1 para-educator
Program focus includes a balance of academic instruction in conjunction with instruction in real-world applications (life skills)

5. School Community Based Program Features
Student to staff ratio: 5-7 students:1 teachers:2 para-educators
Program focus includes a balance of academic instruction in conjunction with instruction in real-world applications (life skills)

7. Classic Autism Services

8. Classic Autism Services
Services are designed to serve students diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum disorder who:
Are primarily pursuing alternate learning outcomes
Are accessing general education curriculum significantly adapted to the instructional level of the student
Require instruction in the activities of daily living
Require supports that include specialized instruction in a self-contained setting the majority of the school day

9. Student Characteristics
Small adult: student ratio
Highly structured classroom environment
Direct instruction of modified academic content
Direct instruction to generalize skills to community settings
Explicit support for language and communication development
Evidenced based instructional and behavioral practices for students with autism
Students require specific supports and accommodations representative of the characteristics of students with Autism

10. Secondary Classic Autism Services
1:2:6 Teacher: Paraeducator: student ratio
Highly structured classroom, community, and vocational instruction incorporating consistent routines and transitions, visual supports, and motivational systems
Instructional and behavioral support based on best practices from the field of Applied Behavior Analysis
Data collection as the basis for instructional decisions

11. Service Features
Instruction in the self-contained classroom is taught by the special education teacher
Related services are usually provided within the context of the classroom
Schools develop a variety of social opportunities (e.g., Unified Sports, Peer Interns, Best Buddies, etc. )

12. Access to Curriculum 2.0
Goals and objectives are based on grade level curriculum indicators and are linked back to each student’s learning level
Teachers incorporate whole group instruction to address specific content areas
Instruction and objectives within this instructional format is differentiated to address individual student needs

13. Please call the Autism Unit at (301) 593-3720
Service Locations
MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL
Cabin John Churchill Montgomery Village Magruder
Wood Rockville Wootton
To tour, call the Autism Unit at
Please call the Autism Unit at (301)
to schedule a visit.

14. Extensions Program

15. Extensions Program Mission Statement
To provide a pro-active, flexible, and comprehensive program in a structured environment, that enables an appropriate and successful educational experience utilizing a wide range of instructional strategies and interventions, provided within an interdisciplinary framework that emphasizes professional collaboration and parental involvement.

16. Student Characteristics
Require intensive educational programming
Exhibit extremely challenging behaviors
Demonstrate needs in acquiring appropriate social skills, communication skills, and self-management strategies
Are accessing the curriculum with significant modification

17. Extensions Program Features
Provide classroom instruction and intervention within the framework of the curriculum
Focus on the acquisition of functional life skills including personal management, communication/socialization, functional academics, community, and vocational skills
Emphasis on learning skills in natural settings and context

18. Extensions Program Goals
The ultimate goal of the program is to enable students with intellectual disabilities and intensive behavioral needs to acquire alternative communicative and social skills, and self-management strategies.
Facilitates positive outcomes for students including:
Return to a less restrictive educational setting
Enhanced opportunities as adults for participation in community-based work, recreation, and home life
Enables students to make meaningful contributions to their communities

19. Rock Terrace School Principal: Kathy Lertora

20. Rock Terrace School
Separate public day school which provides special education services for students who range in age from years
Serves students with a wide range of cognitive disabilities.
Comprised of 3 levels: middle school (ages 11-14), high school (ages 15-17) and upper school (ages 18-21). 
Students typically graduate at age 21 with a Maryland Certificate of Completion.

21. Program Features
Classes vary in size, but the teacher: paraeducator: student ratio is approximately 1:2:8
Provides students with a modified set of courses from the MCPS program of studies based on the Common Core Standards.
Classroom instruction is aligned to each student’s specific academic, functional, and social/behavioral goals.

22. Rock Terrace School
Students participate in daily social skills classes where they  learn and practice appropriate social behaviors in school and in the community
Emphasizes students’ access to post-secondary academic options and the ability to obtain and retain employment
Primary objectives of Rock Terrace are continuous student achievement and maximum independence after graduation
-Appropriate behavior includes expression of need, anger, opinion, and resolution.
-The focus is on integration in the workplace and the community, to promote the skills necessary for living as independently as each student is able.
-Students from ages 15 to 17 engage in instructional in-school work experiences designed to target skills and attitudes that lead to gainful employment. While specific occupational skills are learned, the emphasis at this level is on acquiring general work-related behaviors.
-As students aged gain skills to become successful workers, they are afforded authentic work experiences within Rock Terrace and the community.
kplace and the community, to promote the skills necessary for living as independently as each student is able.