Curriculum – Classes and Sessions 
SmartStart is a Developmental Sensory Relationship-based school, with a foundation in the DIR/Floortime principles of Dr. Stanley Greenspan. Our Model is a comprehensive intervention program provided in home or in conjunction with our school-based programs. We also offer relationship-based speech and occupational therapy. 

SmartStart’s Developmental Sensory Relationship-based Model focuses on developmental learning rather than skill-based learning. Our school looks at the unique individual profile of the child, taking into account mastery of developmental milestones, individual differences in sensory processing and Internal Drivers®. Most importantly, The Developmental model recognizes that children must have a warm connection with all the important people in their lives, and this includes their teachers, if they are going to climb the developmental ladder. The learning environment looks and feels different; there is an intense focus on mobilizing children’s interests, supporting their unique sensory systems, and wooing children into interactive experiences. We hold firm to Dr. Greenspan’s precept that emotion drives cognition. We identify each child’s “Internal Drivers”® and build a curriculum that integrates their loves and develops a solid foundation for learning. The curriculum is fluid and flexible and works around the child, rather than the child fitting into an existing model. Active Sensory-based learning is a key element that gives children the direct, hands-on experiences that all children need for intellectual, physical, and emotional development.

Our curriculum is culturally aware and bias-free. Below are the classes we offer:

"Neighborhood Kids"

Preschool Inclusion
Ages 2.6 – 4 years old
Our Preschool Inclusion Classroom is a great place to start your child’s preschool experience or the next step after our Early Intervention Program. We offer hands-on experiential activities that work within our Developmental-Sensory-Relationship-based curriculum model. This is an inclusion classroom for typically developing children and children with special needs. Our Preschool class has a low student-teacher ratio and children receive lots of individual attention. We believe in having staff that are active play partners with children, they are there to encourage, scaffold and support children in their learning and growing! We use theme-based teaching and the use of Characters to teach developmentally appropriate concepts. “Number Man” will bring the math lessons to life, “Chef Sweetie” leads the cooking activity that has math, literacy and fine motor concepts imbedded, but for the child, cooking is just fun…and yummy! Children need not be toilet-trained. Staffing is 2 credentialed and/or certified preschool teachers and 2 teaching assistants. Neighborhood Kids is available either part-time or full-time between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:15 PM.

Developmental Kindergarten Inclusions Classes
Ages 4 – 6 years
Our Developmental Kindergarten Classes are also full-inclusion and are the next step up from our Preschool Class or Jumpstart Class. These classes continue our Developmental Sensory Relationship-based Model into the next stage of development; it’s Kindergarten readiness done right! We offer a standards-based Kinder curriculum that maintains a focus on experiential learning. Children are active learners and all materials are presented in a developmentally appropriate manner to bring the curriculum to life. This enriched environment ensures a rich learning experience and allows children to explore and master these essential stages of development regardless of whether they are still experiencing delays in areas of their development. Children can stay in our DK program one or two years; and as it is a certified kindergarten, some children may enter first grade when they access their home elementary school.  This class meets Monday-Friday from 8-2pm with afterschool programs available from 2-5:15pm. Children must attend 5 days. No part-time is available. Non-Public School funded children can be enrolled in our Developmental Kinder program. 

Early Intervention/Bridge Class
18 months – 3.6 years
Designed for our youngest students, this class has our lowest student teacher ratio and is also a full- inclusion model open for early intervention children who have some delays in their development as well as neighborhood toddlers who are ready for school! We believe in an intensive developmental-sensory-based curriculum and offer an active language-rich experiential classroom. This is our “Launch-Pad” classroom, we offer your child their first opportunity to be part of a social group, to begin to make friends and “learn how to learn”. There is a significant focus on language development and process-based, hands-on learning. Our Early Intervention team is lead by 2 Early Intervention Teachers and an assistant who are passionately committed to launching the children into their next classroom.

This is our only class that offers a naptime: 11–12:30pm. Toilet training is not required.

Regional Center funded Children attend either 8–11am or 12–3pm. Bridge Student can attend between 8–3pm. Regional Center funded children can extend their day for an additional fee paied by parent.

Jumpstart
3 – 4 years
Our Jumpstart Class is a unique program at SmartStart. It is a classroom designed for children who still benefit from a more structured supported environment than our Preschool Class can offer. It is a class that offers the best of both worlds because all children in Jumstart are included either by joining in the Preschool Class for part of their day or week or by having children from the preschool class join in Jumpstart. JumpStart is an intensive classroom which focuses on language development, cognitive skills, motor-planning skills, self-help, and social/play skills.  This classroom has 2 key features that make it a cutting-edge program: the instruction is founded on the SmartStart principle that children need to experience what they are learning through their motor-systems and that these concepts must be brought to life through our “Character Learning Program”. This inspired program teaches all areas of development through the use of a Teaching Character and takes theme-based teaching to a whole new level. They offer a monthly theme and then also have a weekly sub theme and then each day has a theme as well.  For example, “Zero the Hero” comes on Math Day to teach the number 8, their theme for that month may be The Farm so she will have the children pick 8 pumpkins and put them in a wagon while they drive the wagon over a giant # 8 on the ground and then glue 8 pumpkin seeds onto a number 8 printed on paper. “Penny Independence” comes to teach self-help skills, “Annie Actress” leads the social/drama program, “Letter-Man” comes to teach the letter of the week etc. In Jumpstart children have exposure to both large and small group activities. Maximum enrollment of 12 students. Staffing: a credentialed early childhood special education teacher and 3-4 special education assistants. The Jumpstart class meets Monday – Friday from 8 AM – 2 PM.

Therapies – Speech, Occupational and Behavioral

Speech Lanugage Therapy at SmartStart
We believe that speech is not just using words. The driving force to build communication first starts with intent, a child’s innate desire to connect. All children come wired to have attachments and relationships, so it is important to mold and shape communicative intent by validating a child’s use of eye gaze, body movements, vocalizations, hand-leading gestures, facial expressions, and words, into meaningful interactions that not only allow children to become known, but believed in. We utilize a relationship-based approach with the emphasis of pre-linguistic development that relies on the use of affect-based exchanges, active language-learning processes, as well as multi-sensory experiences in a naturalistic environment. Our goal is to stimulate interest and provide internal motivators for each child in order to enhance communication through joyful and pleasurable experiences. It is our highest priority that communicative opportunities occur across multiple contexts and environments as well as involve direct collaboration with parents. Building strong communication involves facilitating interactions around eating, dressing, playing, problem-solving, reading, routine-based community outings as well as family trips and experiences. It is our belief that all children are unique; they are all reachable, and deserve to be understood and heard!

Occupational Therapy at SmartStart
Occupation Therapy is a pretty funny thing to think about for a child! The idea of an occupation for a young child seems nonsensical but what is the job of a child? To play, to grow, to develop, to go to school, to learn and thus occupational therapy is designed to help children, whose bodies may be having some troubles, in doing the job of being a child.

At Smart Start we are committed to providing occupational therapy services that help children who are experiencing difficulties with the integration of their developing sensory systems. We are a relationship-based setting and we tailor our services to address the individual needs of each child. Our goal is to look beyond behavioral manifestations and dig deeper, to find the “core deficits” that explain why the child may be having difficulties in: sitting, attending, calming, staying engaged in an activity, is rough with friends, is clumsy, has feeding problems or is a “picky eater”, is slow to warm up, has difficulty in new situations, doesn’t like changes in routines, is too passive and quiet, cannot process verbal directions, difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep, texture sensitivities and aversions. Some children have a few of these symptoms and some have quite a number.

All of us have sensory issues, and we have learned to make accommodations, but some children are having difficulty and need the support of therapy to help them climb the developmental ladder. In some children the issues may be mild and for some more extreme, but in either case therapy helps children get better, better able to learn and grow and to get to the JOB of being a kid!

Occupational Therapy services are delivered here at SmartStart in our Gym and on our outdoor play equipment. The sessions are 50 minutes in length and are most often delivered once or twice per week. In addition, our therapist will provide you with a “Sensory Diet”, these are things to do at home that will bring the skills learned here to your home. If you are also receiving other services at SmartStart be assured that your therapists are coordinating and collaborating to ensure that your child is getting a cohesive therapy package.

Home-based Programs
SmartStart provides intensive home-based developmental therapy programs. Our specialists will work one-to-one with the child and will train parents and other family members in our Developmental Sensory Relationship-Based Model which integrates the DIR/Floortime model in its delivery. This service includes supervision by one of our directors, ongoing observation, coaching, evaluation and program development.

The average home program involves 6-10 hours of one-to-one intervention per week; this varies depending on the individual needs of the child. In addition, we provide ongoing monthly supervision. In most circumstances, this service can be contracted through the regional center or your local school district.

Inclusion Support
SmartStart offers support for your child in their school setting. This service is available to those children who need daily one-to-one (shadow) support. Weekly, monthly and case-management is also offered.

Consultation Services
(Local, National and International Services are available)
SmartStart is available for contracted services to train, evaluate, assess, etc. within educational settings or home-based programs. This service is individualized based on the needs of the child or the educational setting. We are also able to set up distance training and ongoing support.

Funding
SmartStart will be happy to direct parents towards resources that may be able to help fund their child’s services. For instance:
    • 18 months – 3 years. Children who are Regional Center clients may be eligible for funding through their local Regional Center.
    • 3 – 7 years. Families may pursue funding for our Non-Public School through their local school district.
    • 0 - 8 years, who are Regional Center clients may receive funding for our behavioral services.

Parent Volunteering Opportunities
Parents or family members who wish to volunteer their time or skills are always appreciated. Contact our administrative office to learn more.