Related Services & Therapies

Occupational Therapy, Adapted Physical Education, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and Vision Impaired services are four of the twelve related services offered by the Simi Valley Unified School District for those special education-eligible students who need these services, as determined by the student's Individual Education Program Team. Below is a brief description of those services, and a contact person for more information.

Contacts

Tinna Miller
Teacher for the Visually Impaired
(805) 579-6326, Extension 2035

Brett McNulty
Adaptive Physical Education Teacher

Pablo Pauig
Occupational Therapist
(805) 306-4500, Extension 4355

Laine Podell
Program Specialist II
(805) 306-4500, Extension 4306

Monte Vista School
(805) 579-6326 (Leave Message)

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

The Program for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing in the Simi Valley Unified School District is a Total Communication Program that teaches a variety of ways to communicate that best suits the needs of each student.

The elementary school program for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing is housed at Mountain View Elementary School. Credentialed Special Education teachers use oral spoken English, Conceptually Accurate Signed English, as well as American Sign Language, and Assistive Technology to meet the needs of all students.

The program also emphasizes auditory learning to build language skills, and incorporates speech and language therapy as well as, support staff. All students who are deaf or hearing impaired in the district, infant through high school age, are integrated with hearing peers whenever possible. Sign language interpreters are part of the program to help facilitate learning in the general education classes. All students receive access to grade-level California State Standards, although instruction is modified and individualized as needed. Many students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can be mainstreamed in their neighborhood school and may receive itinerant services ranging from observation, interpreter services to pull-out services.

For more information, email Laine Podell, Program Specialist, or call at (805) 306-4500, Extension 4306.

Adaptive Physical Education (PE)

We are educators who assess and work with Special Education students who have significant difficulty accessing the general Physical Education curriculum. The IEP Team may recommend interventions or pull-out service to help students in their areas of need. We focus on students who are deficient in the following:

Gross Motor or large muscle skills
Object Control or ball/manipulative skills
Perceptual Motor including the cognitive and sensory motor development largely responsible for an individual’s ability to engage in athletic activities and interact with his or her environment
Physical Fitness (one's ability to sustain daily activities)

We love to play and hope to instill this love and a confidence in playing within every child with whom we interact.

For more information, please email Brett McNulty.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy primarily focuses on purposeful, goal directed activities that improve a student's functional performance during his/her school day, enabling them to access and benefit from their educational program. School occupational therapists assess the following areas:

Postural stability
Self-help skills
Fine motor skills
Visual perception and integration
Sensory motor skills

Occupational therapy intervention may include adaptation of tasks or the environment in order to enhance student performance. For more information, email or phone the Occupational Therapist listed on this page.

Visually Impaired

The Program for Students with Visual Impairments or Blindness of the Simi Valley Unified School District serves children from birth to age 22.

What Services Does a Teacher of the Visually Impaired Provide? A teacher of students with visual impairments (also called a vision specialist, VI teacher) is a credentialed Special Education teacher who has received specialized training in meeting the educational needs of students with visual impairments. The teacher is not a tutor; they assist the student in using tools or compensatory skills to access the core curriculum and will instruct the student in areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum for students with visual impairments. The teacher will work with the educational team by advising the team about ways of enhancing the student’s learning by adapting activities and materials to the student’s abilities. In addition, the teacher will help choose appropriate educational materials, and will brainstorm with teachers and therapists about effective adaptations. By working together, classroom teachers, therapists, and the teacher for Students with Visual Impairments can create a classroom environment that encourages independence, academic success, and prepare the student to be the most productive member of their family and community that they can be.

To be eligible for vision services, a student must have a visual impairment which, even with correction, adversely affects a student’s educational performance. The term visually impaired includes, for educational purposes:

Functionally blind students who rely basically on senses other than vision as their major channels of learning
Low vision students who use vision as a major channel for learning

The teacher(s) and orientation and mobility specialist play a primary role in teaching the students the skills included in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). The components of the ECC include:

Compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes (Braille, magnification devices, large print)
Orientation and mobility
Social interaction skills
Independent living skills
Recreation and leisure skills
Career education
Use of assistive technology
Visual efficiency skills