Programs

The Early Childhood Center offers a continuum of services at our two locations: ECC Warde and ECC Stratfield.

Our programs are individualized to meet the needs of our young learners and consist of the following programs:

Complex Learners Cohort (CLC Program)

These classrooms are ABA based (Applied Behavior Analysis) and focus on teaching skills to students using discrete trial instruction and embedded ABA based instruction. It is a very systematic approach to learning that involves breaking down a task into very specific steps. Once a child has demonstrated mastery of a skill using this approach, the skill is generalized to the natural environment. Students in the CLC program receive individually designed instruction in a variety of settings that is responsive to student progress and designed to support increased independence and access to group learning environments. Students may spend part of their school day or week in the CLC classroom as well as an integrated preschool classroom, according to the student's individual education plan (IEP).

Friendship Circle is a way for children to learn social skills. Friendship circle is taught by the school social worker. We meet weekly to teach different areas of socialization, such as greeting, meeting someone new, turn-taking, sharing, interrupting, waiting, identifying your feelings and the feelings of others, and joining in play situations. We put a lot of focus on teaching self-regulation skills. These skills will be taught through direct instruction, modeling, and facilitated play.

These classrooms are preschool classrooms in which children with disabilities and typically developing children learn and play together. These classrooms focus on the whole child and address the child’s needs in the following areas: gross motor, fine motor, speech and language development, pre-academic skills and social and emotional development. In our integrated classrooms, you may find a speech pathologist, occupational and/or physical therapist sometimes working with the children. We also provide instruction in social and self-regulation skills with consistent opportunities to practice them throughout the day.