Special Education

Department of Special Education From Dr. Karen Tichy, Associate Superintendent for Instruction and Special Education Dr. Karen Tichy The Department of Special Education was founded almost 60 years ago in 1950 by Monsignor Elmer Behrmann to provide “quality education, success, and a living faith for children with special learning needs.” Below you will find examples of “success stories” -- Good News that I want to share with you. St. Mary’s Pre-School North Provides First Steps to a Healthy Life Kenarie Winn had a rough start in life—born 3 ½ months premature and weighing in at a mere 1 lb. 9 oz. She faced life-threatening respiratory distress at birth and is often hospitalized with serious breathing difficulties. She is very susceptible to respiratory infections. Shortly after her birth, Kenarie underwent laser surgery on her eyes to remove extra blood vessels. Her health issues require constant monitoring and immediate action when it is required. Kenarie’s mom, Marie, would do anything for Kenarie. Marie is a single parent who is attending school to become a legal assistant. She is a very concerned parent and sought out best daycare for Kenarie. She found it at St. Mary’s Pre-School North, where her daughter began receiving services through the school at the age of four months from the Missouri First Steps program. Kenarie had significant delays with her motor skills and demonstrated overall motor weakness for a child of her age. She did not interact with people or objects in her environment. Kenarie and her mother were provided with developmental and physical therapies to ensure that she met her developmental milestones as quickly as possible. Speech therapy was added more recently, to extend Kenarie’s vocabulary. Kenarie’s mother learned how to stimulate Kenarie’s development at home, and reads to her daily. At age two, Kenarie has met her milestones for rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking and is now running around at home and at school. She is able to ascend stairs with a rail. She is very active, changing activities frequently and exploring her surroundings. She is able to listen to short stories, point to pictures and match shapes in a shape shorter. She is working on completing simple puzzles with assistance. Recently, Kenarie was tested at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and was on target for all the areas of development. Without the help of St. Mary’s Pre-School, Missouri First Steps and United Way, this would not have been possible. To learn more about the archdiocesan Department of Special Education schools and centers, visit archst.org, or call 314-792-7320. Please pray for our students and their families, our teachers and administrators. It is only with God’s help that these stories, nothing short of miracles, can be told. Please consider our schools if you have or know of a child who might benefit from a special learning environment with a proven record of success. Please consider the value of our work when you discern your charitable donations this year. Over 80% of our families require tuition assistance in order to afford the special services we provide. We are grateful for the support we receive from the archdiocesan Annual Catholic Appeal, the United Way, Variety—The Children’s Charity, corporation grants, and private donations. The need is great!  Read Past Stories... Success Story—Katelyn Skaggs Ascension Learning Center Graduate of Department of Special Education School Looks Forward to High School  Annunziata School—the Right Place for Sarah