Mission & Approach

Services

• Art and Music Therapy Show Hide

  Certified Art and Music Therapists with temporary or permanent licenses in Creative Art Therapy conduct programs rooted in the belief that self-expression through art and music is integral to our students educational experience and autonomy. 

• Assistive Technology (AT) Show Hide

  Each student is evaluated and taught how to use individualized AT to help them actively participate in everyday tasks.

• Counseling and Social Emotional Support Show Hide

  The school psychologist collaborates with the education and related service team to assess and develop plans to ensure each student’s social and emotional health and development is considered and supported throughout their academic day. 

• Health and Nursing Services Show Hide

  A team of licensed nurses provide quality health services to iHOPE students with complex health and nursing needs.

• Hearing Education Services Show Hide

  Hearing education teachers incorporate sign language to meet the needs of students who are deaf, have hearing challenges, or who have difficulty processing and understanding spoken language.

• Occupational Therapy (OT) Show Hide

  Licensed Occupational Therapists focus on improving student participation and engagement through direct intervention, provision of adaptive equipment, and modification of the environment.

  • Mock Apartment: Students practice and develop skills in an environment that closely mimics their home and community, working on life skills related to self-care, meal preparation, home management, leisure, and vocational pursuits to ensure ongoing, meaningful participation as they transition to adulthood.
  • Power Chair Clinic: Each month, our OT Department partners with Assistive Technology specialists to hold a monthly clinic designed to cater to the unique needs of power chair users, providing comprehensive assessments, personalized consultations, and advanced technological solutions to provide our students with alternative mobility solutions that can be used to navigate their environment with autonomy and independence.
• Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Services Show Hide

  iHOPE's Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist screens students for services and teaches those with visual impairments how to travel safely through the use of search patterns and appropriate adapted mobility devices in order to move with more efficiency and independence within their environment.

• Physical Therapy Show Hide

  Licensed Physical therapists take a hands-on approach to increase mobility, postural control, balance, coordination, and to promote proper positioning to help the students improve their physical participation in accessing their educational environment. 

  • Aquatic Therapy: Licensed therapists work with students in a heated pool to perform activities which provide ambulatory and non-ambulatory students the ability to exercise in the water in a manner that doesn't stress their joints and muscles, leading to overall functional improvement. 
  • Brace Clinic: Physical and occupational therapists work closely with orthotists to assess and identify factors limiting students’ mobility to determine their specific orthotic needs. Casting, fitting, tolerance building, scheduling, and caregiver training are all performed at iHOPE. 
  • Equipment Clinic: A team of therapists and equipment specialists collaborate with parents to determine the individual needs of students so they can receive equipment to ensure the appropriate positioning for proper alignment and engagement in functional activities at school, home, and in the community. 
• Social Work Services Show Hide

  iHOPE’s team of licensed social workers provide families with individual counseling, trainings and workshops, group counseling, support groups, and crisis intervention as well as assistance in making referrals and obtaining information and resources from outside agencies. 

• Speech and Language Services Show Hide

  Licensed and trained Speech Language Pathologists provide dynamic speech and feeding therapy with a specialized focus on enhancing every student’s communication skills through technology, motor speech techniques, creativity, and dedication so that each student can engage and participate in their school and home communities.

• Strength-Based Behavior Planning Show Hide

  Working in an interdisciplinary model, students are assessed from a strength-based lens, as well as iHOPE’s unique experience working with complex medical diagnoses, to create plans that support them within a neuro-affirming and strength-based framework created under the direct guidance of a school psychologist. 

• Transition Services Show Hide

  The iHOPE Transition Team (the student, family members, teachers, related service providers, social workers, the Transition Coordinator, and outside adult agencies) prepares families for their child's life after graduation, including planning for continued education, vocational experiences, leisure activities, adult services, independent living, and community participation, all based upon the student's individual strengths, preferences, and aspirations. 

• Vision Education Services Show Hide

  Teachers of the visually impaired adapt materials and the environment and offer individualized visual training for students who are diagnosed with visual impairments, including both ocular and cortical visual impairments.