The Assistive Technology (AT) training and consulting team uses the SETT framework to provide support and recommendations for individual, classroom, and district wide assistive technology needs. Using a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach to technology, the AT TaC team supports access to communication, curriculum, reading, writing, math, and executive functioning. Assistive technology devices are available in the AT lending library for individuals and classrooms   

For more information, please contact  Kristen Powell

Training and Consultation staff support students with Autism through individual considerations, classroom and/or school wide supports, in the following capacities, but is not limited to professional learning, whole classroom observations, teacher coaching, and consultation services.

For more information, please contact Lauren Walker

BrainSTEPS provides educational consultation to students, parents and school districts following an acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI). BrainSTEPS team members are extensively trained to assist in the educational needs of students.  Services include consultation, school re-entry planning, educational planning and monitoring of students. 

For more information, please contact: Lauren Daly Clark

To submit a referral for BrainSTEPS, please click HERE

The CATCH 2 Team uses best practices and standardized assessment procedures to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Families and educators are given recommendations and connected with available supports. 

For more information, please contact: Tamara Hoffritz

The Chester County Intermediate Unit Training and Consultation Team is offering QBS’ Safety Care De-Escalation and Restraint Training to the public schools in Chester County.  During the training, staff learn how to prevent behavioral challenges from occurring, deploy physical management techniques if needed, and change or replace concerning behaviors with more acceptable behaviors.  This training can be customized to meet the needs of your program. We offer both initial and recertification trainings.   

For more information, please contact Krista Kapczynski.

The aim of training in the area of executive functions is to improve the ability to attain real-life goals such as academic achievement. TaC Team members can tailor executive function training to support educators, classrooms, and individual students to improve executive functions. 

For more information, please contact Kristen Powell.

The Framework for Access and Belonging is a structured method to analyze the instructional, physical and social environment of a general education classroom from the perspective of an individual student. The intended outcome of using the toolkit is to identify a list of environmentally-referenced supplementary aids and services to enhance participation and learning for a student with a disability in the general education classroom. 

For more information, please contact Teresa Riccio.

IEP Development is facilitated through the IEP Institute and Coaching, which provides scaffolded professional learning to special education lead teachers in order to build local capacity. This year-long training series develops legally defensible practices in the 5 key areas of IEP Development.  Alumni of the IEP Institute are invited to attend monthly Refresher sessions that are designed to provide updates on relevant topics.  

For more information, please contact Jody Fleck.

Consultants partner with math teachers supporting special education students to reflect on current practice, set goals, model and implement strategies, and celebrate success.  Training is available on math assessment, Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA), effective engagement strategies, number sense and more. 

For more information, please contact Rachel McGlynn.

Interagency Coordination serves students and their families that may benefit from cross-systems collaboration between the home, school and child-serving systems. The Interagency Coordinator at the Chester County Intermediate Unit serves as an external facilitator at Interagency meetings with the goal of assisting families and the LEA team in coordinating supports for the student and family. The Interagency team generally consists of the student (when appropriate), family (parent/guardian), LEA/school personnel, current family providers, and other child serving systems invited by the Interagency Coordinator (e.g. a core mental health provider supervisor, CCIU School Liaison, parent support). The team meets to identify student-specific needs, service gaps, brainstorm supports and resources to address current concerns, both in the home and at school.  

Intensive Interagency Coordination 

In some instances, there are students with disabilities: 

• Whose LEAs have determined they cannot be appropriately educated in a public educational setting and who have waited more than 30 days for the provision of an appropriate educational placement, or 
• Who are at substantial risk of waiting more than 30 days for appropriate educational placement. 

These students require intensive interagency coordination (Cordero v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Department of Education). Intensive interagency coordination is designed for rare situations when an LEA is unable to offer FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) in the public educational setting.

For more information, contact Michelle Gagliano

The Literacy for All is a sequential training series designed for cohorts of special education teachers and reading specialists who are responsible for instruction, assessing and developing / contributing to the Individualized Education Programs (IEP) within their Local Education Agency (LEA). This professional learning series provides theory/content knowledge based on the Science of Reading and Writing, instructional practices aligned to evidence and research, IEP development guidance as well as individualized coaching. Literacy for All is designed to help teachers who work with students of ALL abilities including students with a specific learning disability, cognitive challenges, autism and complex instructional needs.

For more information, please contact Jody Fleck.

Intermediate Unit consultants are available to support teams with training and technical assistance while supporting inclusive practices for students who have IEPs. Support and professional learning opportunities are available for a variety of topics, including, but not limited to; adaptations, accommodations, modifications, differentiation, supplementary support services, direct instruction, strategies for access, universal design for learning, and life skills curriculum, instruction, and assessment considerations. 

• While supporting students with complex needs, consultants can provide customized training on the use of programs such as Unique Learning System and News2You to deliver standards-aligned and age-respectful instruction.  
• Also, educators can join a dedicated community who teach students receiving special education services in Autistic Support, Life Skills Support or Multiple Disabilities Support programs. 

For more information, please contact Sarah Gregory.

The PA Mandated Reporter training is offered by the Chester County Intermediate Unit. Educators, mandated reporters, will learn to recognize and report child abuse during this 3-hour session which provides an overview of mandated reporting obligations.

For more information, contact Brian McGinley or Kathleen Eckinger

The Chester County Intermediate Unit Training and Consultation Team is offering Mental Health First Aid Programs.  Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach teachers, school staff, caregivers, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring individuals how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.  Teen Mental Health First Aid is a training program for teens (Grades 10-12) that teaches teens how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis and non-crisis situations with their friends.

Download more information about Teen Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid

For more information, please contact Krista Kapczynski.

The Chester County Intermediate Unit TaC team provides training on mental health concerns, manifestation of deficits in the school and classroom setting and strategies for educators to address student mental health concerns.  Trainings can be tailored to meet specific requests of school district personnel. 

For more information, please contact Brian McGinley.

Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as an “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” TaC Team members work with educational staff to bring mindfulness and mindful practices to schools and classrooms. Professional learning includes understanding what mindfulness is, specific mindfulness activities and practices to be more present and aware of what we are doing and our responses, and ways to bring these practices to students. 

For more information, please contact Michelle Gagliano or Stephanie Ide

Pennsylvania’s Multi-Tiered System of Support is a standards-aligned, comprehensive school improvement framework for enhancing outcomes for all students. This service provides school district and school teams consultation services in the planning, implementation, and sustainability of a Multi-Tiered System of Support in both academic and behavior.

For more information about Behavior MTSS, contact Cassie Brennan.

For more information about Academic MTSS, contact Dara Kline

The Chester County Intermediate Unit is proud to offer occupational therapy individual consults for students who may be demonstrating difficulties utilizing fine motor skills in the classroom setting. Other services available include classroom and school trainings in the areas of handwriting, pencil grip, scissor skills, fine motor skills, sensory integration etc. The Artist Club is fine motor program which offers additional opportunities for Kindergarten students to improve hand strengthening and fine motor skills needed for classroom performance.

For more information, contact Justine Masino.

As part of IDEA requirements, paraeducators are offered 20 hours of training provided by the Training and Consultation team. Each year, with input provided by the LEA’s, the TaC team develops a comprehensive list of training options for paraeducators.  District and IU programs are able to choose the trainings that suit them best based on the options developed. The training topics cover a wide variety of subject matter, along with multiple means of formatting for delivery.

For more information, please contact Rachel Yevel.

The parent mentor provides direct support to parents, students, and school districts in a variety of ways.  A few of the services provided by the parent mentor include, but are not limited to:  

• Parent consultation on special education regulations, rights, and timelines  
• Training and support for parent networks 
• Consultation and training on IEP meeting, Evaluation Reports, 504 service agreements, etc. 
• Assistance with effective home-school partnerships 
• Customized trainings for parents and educators 
• Guidance on community supports throughout the county

For more information, please visit the Parent Mentor information page or contact Rachel Yevel.

TaC team members are able to provide school-wide support, classroom training, and/or small group activities for students surrounding the ideals of Peer Sensitivity.  These topics include but are not limited to; understanding and accepting differences, kindness, respect, empathy, friendship, and perspective taking.

For more information, please contact Lauren Walker.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a multi-tiered approach to social, emotional and behavior support. The broad purpose of PBIS is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of schools and other agencies. PBIS improves social, emotional and academic outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities and students from underrepresented groups. CCIU TaC Team members can support districts in planning, preparation, and implementation of the PBIS framework through a cyclical and ongoing process. 

For more information, please contact Cassie Brennan.

Progress monitoring is the ongoing process of collecting and analyzing data to determine student progress toward attainment of educational goals. Services provided include training in various progress monitoring systems, data interpretation, and implementation of progress monitoring systems at the school and district level. 

For more information, please contact Michelle MacLuckie.

The CCIU offers professional development to support Social Emotional Learning (SEL) throughout the school-wide culture. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is defined by the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as the “process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions so all students can thrive”. The CASEL Competencies of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making will be used as a guide to focus on the social and emotional elements that promote a positive school climate and culture, a focus on SEL of children and adults, and specific activities and strategies to support social-emotional learning integrated with instructional practices and academic content. 

For more information, please contact Cassie Brennan. 

The Chester County Intermediate Unit provides suicide prevention training to Chester County School Districts.  Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR), can be provided to students, staff or parents by CCIU employees trained in QPR.  This gatekeeper training session identifies warning signs of suicide, teaches how to ask about suspected suicidality and where and how to refer a person for help. Training time ranges from 90 to 120 minutes and is taught by a QPR-trained Chester County Intermediate Unit employee. The CCIU staff also work with the Chester County Suicide Prevention Task Force as co-trainers. Participants do not need previous training in suicide prevention, and all receive a QPR booklet as part of the training. At the conclusion of the training, participants will be able to:

• Recognize suicide warning signs
• Intervene to question with support
• Persuade and talk with hope and understanding
• Refer the person to someone who can help

For more information, please contact Brian McGinley.

Secondary transition is the process of preparing students for life after they leave high school, including participation in post-secondary education or training, employment, and community living. These areas are the driving force behind Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) written for students aged 14-21.  The planning process is a collaborative effort between the student, family/caregiver, school team, and agency partners. Services include Indicator 13 training and monitoring support, resource development, and best practices in transition planning.  

For more information, please contact Michelle MacLuckie.

Trauma informed care, guided by the “Four R's”, realization about trauma and the affects, recognizing the signs of trauma, responding systemically to trauma, and resisting re-traumatization has emerged as a critical area in providing services to students.  The Chester County Intermediate Unit provides trauma informed care educational sessions focused on supporting trauma impacted students.  Education sessions on trauma and the impact on students and staff can be provided to meet a variety of needs in school settings.

For more information, please contact Brian McGinley.

Professional learning and coaching are offered to classrooms currently utilizing, or who are interested in learning about programs rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis. Programs include, but are not limited to, Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment Placement Program (VBMAPP) and Essential for Living (EFL). Guidance with developing the foundation of a quality program, or helping an existing program to grow, is provided to teams through assessment facilitation, implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies and supporting program fidelity through sound monitoring systems.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Ide.