Cambridge Public Schools' Special Start's self-contained Preschool Classrooms provide educational experiences for students three to six years old. These classrooms operate six hours a day, eleven months a year. The classrooms have been established to meet the educational needs of young students with autism or moderate to severe developmental delays, who require intensive, intentional, directed teaching.

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed for each child placed in our classrooms. The teaching practices in our classrooms are based upon principals of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and systematic data collection is provided. Developmental and relationship based strategies may also be incorporated into the teaching methodology. Additional teaching strategies used in classroom programs may include: affective play strategies, multi-sensory approach, social stories, visual support systems as well as opportunities for integration. The classrooms offer a structured approach and are designed to support developmentally appropriate behaviors and to generalize acquired skills across a continuum of settings from one-to-one, small groups to large group instruction.

Student progress is assessed on an ongoing basis, using quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis to support curriculum and interventions. The classroom curriculum is based upon the guidelines of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care's Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences.  Teachers provide a stimulating, innovative, and rich curriculum which meets the needs of all children. Evidence based practice drives the teaching and learning in our classrooms.

Staffing

Each classroom is staffed by a certified masters level Special Needs Teacher plus their Teaching Assistants. Speech and Language, Behavioral, Occupational, and Physical therapies are integral parts of the educational support. Additional staffing may be required based on the goals and objectives of each child's Individual Educational Program (IEP), and may include any medical supports required. Therapeutic experiences and strategies are embedded in all student activities. As the students in our substantially separate classrooms have abilities that require individualized attention to teaching, ongoing consultation between classroom teams and therapists takes place on a regular basis to best support students learning.

Parent involvement is a vital component of the program. The classroom staff is committed to working together with parents to support children’s learning. Regular support and communication is provided with opportunities for home/school programming and parent training around the IEP goals. Special Start is committed to optimizing students’ growth and development in all areas.