Support Personnel

School social work is a specialized area of practice within the broad field of the social work profession. School social workers bring unique knowledge and skills to the school system and the educational support team. In particular, school social workers are trained in mental health concerns, behavioral concerns, positive behavioral supports, academic and classroom interventions. Through on-going consultation, school social workers assist classroom teachers, parents, and administrators in identifying potential barriers to students’ academic success and social/emotional well-being. School social workers provide support through crisis intervention, individual or group counseling that may address a variety of concerns, including:

• Individual and group counseling
• Consultation to both teachers and parents
• Classroom interventions
• Crisis intervention
• Coordination of prevention programs
• Social-developmental assessments
• Providing information and referral to community agencies
• Collaborating with community agencies and organizations on behalf of students and their families
• Staff development
• Developing positive peer relationships
• Mediating conflicts
• Improving social skills
• Learning problem-solving, decision-making, and coping skills
• Developing strategies to increase academic success
• Managing stress
• Identifying symptoms of depression, anxiety, and reactions to loss or trauma

Examples of situations in which it would be appropriate to contact the social worker include when your child:

• Complains about not wanting to come to school.
• Exhibits obvious changes in behavior or affect.
• Has difficulty coping with "normal" life stressors.
• Is dealing with significant family/life changes.
• Exhibits poor social and/or social coping skills.

School social workers are well-versed in the numerous resources available in the community and are able to link families with appropriate agencies and service providers.

The school psychologist acts as a child advocate to support the social, emotional, intellectual and academic growth of all children. The school psychologist works with the classroom teacher and other support staff when concerns arise in the classroom.

The school psychologist assesses a student's level of cognitive development, learning style, emotional and behavioral needs. Through intervention, the psychologist may work on problem-solving, conflict resolution, or social skills with either an individual student or a small group of students. Sometimes organization, self-management and other needs are addressed.

Please contact the office or your child's classroom teacher if you feel the need to contact one of the psychologists; their schedules vary.

Meadow Glens has a Speech-Language Pathologist’s whose purpose is to promote improved speech and language functioning for a more successful educational experience. This goal is achieved through collaboration and consultation with classroom teachers, staff and parents as well as providing diagnostic and intervention services when appropriate.

Occupational Therapy services promote improved fine motor and sensorimotor functioning of the student in the learning process. Following a formal evaluation and the development of the student’s individualized education plan, OT services are provided by therapists in cooperation with the teacher and other members of the educational team. 

LBS Teachers provide specialized instruction and support by serving as a teacher with specific responsibility  to students eligible for special education services. LBS Teachers work to increase academic and social-emotional skills of students within the classroom or other assigned areas. They develop lesson plans and deliver group and individual student instruction within established curriculum guidelines and Individual Education Programs, while collaborating with other teachers, related services personnel, parents, paraprofessionals and administrators to develop instruction and monitor student progress. LBS Teachers also work in the capacity as case manager to facilitate IEP meetings, write appropriate goals and objectives, collect data, and report progress for the purpose of assessing goal attainment.

The Adapted Physical Education Teacher provides support in the physical education environment to students who demonstrate deficits within the gross motor domain. Adapted Physical Education is considered a special education service within the Student Services Department of Naperville Community Unit School District 203. The supports provided by each Adapted PE teacher include, but are not limited to:

• Administering developmental assessments for the purpose of identifying students’ gross motor competencies, developing individual learning benchmarks and determining student progress towards objectives
• Adapting the physical education curriculum so that students’ individualized education program (IEP) goal areas are addressed in a safe and least restrictive environment
• Providing direct instruction to students for the purpose of addressing individual needs
• Collaborating with general education PE teachers, occupational and physical therapists, classroom teachers, educational assistants and parents/guardians to promote students’ gross motor skill development

Assistive Technology Specialists provide a service that directly assists a student with a disability in the selection, acquisition, and use of an assistive technology piece of equipment or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities. The service delivery is a process by which Assistive Technology is considered, selected, provided, supported and periodically evaluated to determine its effectiveness for a particular student with a disability.

Learn more.

The Itinerant Teacher of the Visually Impaired provides diagnostic, consultation and instructional services to identified visually impaired students. Itinerant Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) travels throughout the District to provide direct and consultation minutes for students at all levels (EC-Transition). The TVI supports core academic instruction and provides direct instruction in expanded core curricular areas. The TVI is responsible for adapting materials including the use of Braille and Nemeth codes. This includes ordering of large print, Braille and other tangible teaching materials. The TVI is a member of the IEP team and is responsible for performing and documenting results of Functional Vision and Learning Media assessments as well recording data and reporting on IEP goals.

The Hearing Itinerant Teacher serves students who require educational services due to a hearing impairment. The Hearing Itinerant Teacher addresses the educational, communication, and social/emotional needs of the student and provides guidance to the student’s family and school personnel. The Hearing Itinerant Teacher travels to multiple buildings to directly serve students and collaboratively works with staff to monitor the impact the hearing loss may have on the student’s educational progress.