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special needs child at Little Lukes

Services for Children with Special Needs

All classrooms in the Little Lukes centers work in conjuction with Milestones Children's Center to provide an inclusion preschool setting. What does this mean? Children with special needs learn in the same classroom as typically developing children! In addition, Milestones offer comprehensive therapy services including speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and school psychology. Combined, these services help to monitor your child’s development according to their Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

How to Enroll

Types of Special Needs Services Offered

NYS Certified Teachers and Therapists

teacher and kids playing with blocks

Special Education

Academic, Sensory, Cognition
SPED Teachers at Little Lukes use strategies to help students develop their sensory-and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.

teacher showing vocabulary card to kid

Speech Language Pathology

Speech, Language, Communication
Our qualified SLPs are duel NYS certified to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders.

Physical therapy with child

Physical Therapy

Gross Motor Skills
Our Physical Therapists have years of experience treating developmental delays that effect gross motor movements such as walking, jumping, and climbing.

kids and teacher building with blocks

Occupational Therapy

Fine Motor Skills
Our Occupational Therapists work closely with our Physical Therapists to develop a wide range of movements. OTs build fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or tying a shoelace.

kids choosing happy and unhappy face cards

School Psychology

Emotional, Behavioral, Social
School Psychologists at Little Lukes periodically meet with you and your child to assess developmental progress and amendments to your child’s IEP or offer counseling as specified in the plan

teacher and kids playing with blocks

Special Education

Academic, Sensory, Cognition
SPED Teachers use strategies to help students develop their sensory-and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.

teacher showing vocabulary card to kid

Speech Language Pathology

Speech, Language, Communication
Milestones' qualified SLPs are duel NYS certified to assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders.

Physical therapy with child

Physical Therapy

Gross Motor Skills
Milestones' Physical Therapists have years of experience treating developmental delays that effect gross motor movements such as walking, jumping, and climbing.

kids and teacher building with blocks

Occupational Therapy

Fine Motor Skills
Milestones' Occupational Therapists work closely with Physical Therapists to develop a wide range of movements. OTs build fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or tying a shoelace.

kids choosing happy and unhappy face cards

School Psychology

Emotional, Behavioral, Social
School Psychologists periodically meet with you and your child to assess developmental progress and amendments to your child’s IEP or offer counseling as specified in the plan.

brown bear

Ways to Receive Special Needs Services

Little Lukes Center

Inclusion Preschool

As part of your child’s IEP, they may be enrolled to attend preschool at a Little Lukes location. We work in conjunction with Milestones Children's Center to offer an inclusion classroom setting so children with special needs learn along side our typically developing friends. Each classroom employs a Lead Preschool Teacher, a Special Education Teacher, and three Teaching Assistants so activities are modified, as needed, to be developmentally appropriate. Your child will always be included in all learning activities while gaining valuable social skills from other children in the classroom. In addition to the inclusion classroom, your child may also attend regular sessions in one of our dedicated therapy gyms or rooms, per their IEP. This can be speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or school psychology, based on your child’s needs.

How to Enroll

Itinerant (Traveling)

Home, Center, School District

If your child’s IEP recommends one-on-one services, they may work with an itinerant special education teacher, speech pathologist, school psychologist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. An itinerant service provider is someone who travels to various locations to conduct services as outlined in your child’s plan. This could be your home, a local school, or even a daycare or preschool like Little Lukes, if it is recommended. Our itinerant providers come equipped with toys, games, hands-on activities and more but may ask to use familiar items such as a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. Traveling staff follow your child’s IEP and schedule to determine how often and when to travel to your child and work with them in a dedicated therapy gym or room.

How to Enroll

How to Enroll a Child with Special Needs at Little Lukes

We work in conjunction with Milestones Children's Center to offer services for children with special needs. Enrollment for special needs children must be approved and recommended by your local Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE). If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) skip to step 5. If your child does not have an IEP start at step 1.

Contact Your Local School District

Request an Evaluation for Your Child

Attend the Pre-Scheduled Evaluation

Receive an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

Request that the CPSE Approve Placement at Little Lukes

Tour our Daycare

Little Lukes is not a typical childcare center. We are a NYS Approved Early Childhood Educational Institution. What does that mean? When your child attends our daycare, they are also attending a preschool educational program! Enroll your little adventurer at one of our five Central New York locations in East Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Camillus, Oswego, Fulton, and Pulaski, and give them a strong start before Kindergarten.