Welcome to The Joseph Sams School
Not only are we serving children with disabilities, the school also provides consultative services to programs developing similar intervention strategies for young children throughout the state. The Joseph Sams School staff also works closely with private therapists and physicians to provide comprehensive programs for its students. We also offer one-on-one tutoring to children with disabilities. Such joint efforts have proven to be successful for these children’s development.
The Joseph Sams School is located in Fayetteville, Georgia and currently serves children from several Georgia counties.
We can’t wait to meet your family. See a list of our programs below.
The Speech and Language Program
Our program provides intensive speech and language therapy, including traditional as well as assistive, augmentative, sign language, and oral motor/feeding therapies. All therapies are delivered in a variety of ways to promote the generalization of skills into the classroom, home and community.
Preschool and Primary Programs
In the Preschool and Primary Programs, students receive individual therapy sessions and small group sessions based upon the individual needs of the child and the recommendation of the instructional and support staff.
Elementary and Upper School Programs
In the Elementary and Upper School Programs, students receive either individual or small group speech/language therapy sessions depending upon the individual needs of the child and the recommendation of the instructional and support staff.
Elementary and Upper School Programs
In the Elementary and Upper School Programs, students receive either individual or small group speech/language therapy sessions depending upon the individual needs of the child and the recommendation of the instructional and support staff.
Additional Therapy/Communication
In the Elementary and Upper School Programs, students receive either individual or small group speech/language therapy sessions depending upon the individual needs of the child and the recommendation of the instructional and support staff.
A variety of augmentative/assistive communication techniques and devices are utilized with our students who have limited verbal skills. These include: PECS (Picture Exchange Communication), sign language, and simple to complex voice output devices.
Oral motor therapy techniques are implemented to improve oral motor coordination, strength, tone, and motor planning. A combination of approaches is used to incorporate visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, verbal, and motor modalities.
Feeding therapy is available for children with mild feeding/swallowing disorders. A swallow study is required prior to receiving this therapy. The swallow study must be updated annually in order to continue in the feeding therapy program. JSS is unable to provide feeding therapies to children with moderate to severe feeding/swallowing disorders as this requires medical supervision.
The Classroom Readiness/Tutorial Clinic
Our clinic provides 1:1 intensive instructions in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) to prepare the child for a classroom setting and individualized special education instruction in pre-academic, academic, and communication skills to enhance the child’s performance in his/her current educational setting.
FAQ’s
What?
- 1:1 Educational Therapy Sessions offering Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and special educational tutoring in pre-academic/academics and communication
- Offering 1-2 hour sessions, with 2-5 day options
- ABA is offered to children from 18 months – 12 years diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Tutoring is offered to children from 18 months – 18 years with diagnosed intellectual and/or physical disabilities.
Who? Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder who attend The Joseph Sams School or other private and/or public programs.
Why? More and more children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders are in need of communication, attention, and compliance skills to be successful in a classroom setting; other children need supplemental 1:1 instruction to reach their full developmental and academic potential.
Where? The Joseph Sams School
When?
Monday-Friday: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Additional Information
For more information on admission and fees, email Amy Murray, Executive Director, and/or Danielle Clements, Principal, or call 770-461-5894.
Physical and Occupational Therapies
Physical and Occupational Therapies are provided on a consultative basis. Parents may contract with private therapists to provide direct services during school hours
Physical Therapy
Pediatric physical therapy is concerned with the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention of children, aged birth through adolescence, who are experiencing functional limitations or disability due to trauma, a disorder, or disease process.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists are trained to assist people of all ages to perform the functional tasks that normally occupy their lives.
The occupation of childhood is to develop the skills necessary to become functional and independent adults. These skills include:
- regulation of arousal level in order to attend,
- refinement of sensory discrimination and processing,
- continual refinement and development of motor skills,
- development of communication skills, appropriate social interactions, language and cognitive skills,
- development of age appropriate self care skills, and
- refinement of self concept.
The M.O.V.E. (Mobility Opportunity via Education) Program
Provides children with mild to serve physical disabilities opportunities for acquiring increased independence in functional sitting, standing, and walking skills to experience and gain mobility as well as a healthier and happier life.
FAQ’s
Why? M.O.V.E. ® was developed by Linda Bidabe, special educator from Bakersfield, California and was born out of a need to improve the quality of life for children with physical disabilities.
What? M.O.V.E. ® is a research-based program shown to improve functional mobility skills and to empower children with physical disabilities to better direct their own lives. M.O.V.E. ® uses a family/person centered approach to develop mobility programs based upon current theory and research in education, psychology, biomechanics, and motor science.
Who? M.O.V.E. ® Helps Children with disabilities by:
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Acquire increased independence in functional sitting, standing, and walking skills;
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Learn and gain more mobility; and
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Experience better health and enhanced personal dignity.
The Joseph Sams School is one of only 30-model sites within the continental United States for M.O.V.E. ® International. Seven JSS staff members are M.O.V.E. ® International Trainers and all teaching staff are trained as Basic Providers. For more information on M.O.V.E. ® click here.
Our Fine Arts Program, Arts for All!
Provides music therapy and therapeutic art classes as well as theatrical and choral performances.
The arts open a world of learning to children with disabilities who often have difficulty with traditional methods of instruction. Both music and art are vehicles that enhance cognitive ability, communication, academic skills, physical coordination as well as attention and visual perception skills in children with disabilities.
Through Our Program…
- All classes receive multiple weekly music therapy sessions.
- All classes receive weekly therapeutic art sessions.
- Our music therapists and art instructor work together to provide our students the opportunity to be performed “on-stage” at holiday, Grandparents’ Day, and end-of-the year musical and theatrical productions.
- Our music therapist leads the JSS Chime Choir, a group that performs for school and community events throughout the school year.
The Autism-Spectrum Program
Serves students with autism providing a small intensive educational environment utilizing a modified Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) approach to teaching.
FAQ’S
What? The Autism Spectrum Program provides a 3-tiered intensive instructional classroom program utilizing a modified Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) approach to instruction. Individualized communication, attention, behavioral, and academic goals are developed for children enrolled in the program.
Who? Children diagnosed with mild to severe autism spectrum disorders.
Why? ABA is a comprehensive and effective approach for teaching children with autism. Based upon the principles of behaviorism, ABA involves the breakdown of skills into small, discrete tasks taught in a highly structured and hierarchical manner with instructors trained to systemically reinforce desired behaviors while ignoring, redirecting, and discouraging inappropriate ones.
How? The Autism Spectrum Program has a 3-tiered structure with a goal of progressing students from the most restrictive tier 3 classroom with a 2:1 student to teacher ratio to the least restrictive tier 1 classrooms that offer 3:1 and/or 4:1 student to teach ratios. Progression is ensured through close monitoring of what is effective with a child through intensive data collection.
The Autism-Spectrum Program
Serves students with autism providing a small intensive educational environment utilizing a modified Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) approach to teaching.
FAQ’S
What? The Autism Spectrum Program provides a 3-tiered intensive instructional classroom program utilizing a modified Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) approach to instruction. Individualized communication, attention, behavioral, and academic goals are developed for children enrolled in the program.
Who? Children diagnosed with mild to severe autism spectrum disorders.
Why? ABA is a comprehensive and effective approach for teaching children with autism. Based upon the principles of behaviorism, ABA involves the breakdown of skills into small, discrete tasks taught in a highly structured and hierarchical manner with instructors trained to systemically reinforce desired behaviors while ignoring, redirecting, and discouraging inappropriate ones.
How? The Autism Spectrum Program has a 3-tiered structure with a goal of progressing students from the most restrictive tier 3 classroom with a 2:1 student to teacher ratio to the least restrictive tier 1 classrooms that offer 3:1 and/or 4:1 student to teach ratios. Progression is ensured through close monitoring of what is effective with a child through intensive data collection.