ABOUT US

   
   
660 Davis Rd
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
678-442-6262

info@specialneedsschools.org

“The Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.”

MISSION:

  • To provide the highest quality of educational and therapeutic programming available to children with and without disabilities.
  • To nurture and challenge each student on his or her own level in all developmental and curricular areas.
  • To instill in each student the positive self-image and love for learning which will lead to life long learning and personal development.
  • To support parents in their growing understanding of their children’s needs and abilities and in their quest for the best learning environment for their children.

 

philosophy:

Our special needs students are children first with all of the needs, desires, and feelings of children without disabilities.  They are more like other children than different.  Their disabilities are inconveniences that keep them from enjoying full lives, and therefore must be overcome or compensated for so that the children can grow and move out into the world.

SNS exists for its students; the students do not exist for the school.  Children do not have to “qualify” for SNS, they simply must need it. Students don’t have to fit into the classes; the class and program is made to meet the individual student’s needs.

Classes are cross-categorical and grouped, with occasional exceptions, by chronological age.  Each student has something to offer his/her classmates.  Higher functioning students are models for their lower functioning peers.  Lower functioning students teach their peers patience, tolerance, and compassion.  Each student learns that he/she does some things better than other classmates do and some things not as well.  They learn that a person’s value is not related to what he/she can or can’t do but is inherent in his/her very existence as a child of God.

Parents know their children the best and can provide us with the most important information about our students.  We listen to their pain and joy; support their efforts and treat them with respect, concern, compassion and gentleness.

 

CLASSES:

SNS offers classes for children from toddlers to 12th Grade.

Toddlers:  : Children ages 2-4 attend from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Children are involved in developmental activities on their level. Emphasis is on sensory and vestibular stimulation; language and cognitive stimulation; manipulative skills, movement, social interaction and beginning learning behaviors.

Preschoolers: 5 year olds attend from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Students are involved in developmental and pre-academic activities on their level and work directly on language, cognitive, fine motor, large motor, social skills and school behaviors. Preparation for kindergarten in the areas of academics, social and behavior modification is the goal of the pre-kindergarten program.

Primary:  Kindergarten through 5th Graders attend from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday.  Students are involved in developmental and academic activities on each child’s level.  The primary school curriculum is individualized with emphasis on challenging each student academically, socially and behaviorally, regardless of developmental level.

Middle & High School:  Students in 6th to 12th Grade attend from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. A team teaching / class changing approach is used.  Their schedule includes language arts, math, science, social studies and specials (art, computer, life skills, problem solving, etc.). 

 

CURRICULUM:

SNS’s curriculum has a goal of exposing the students to all of the learning experiences that are a part of all early childhood, primary, middle and high school programs.  This includes:

  • Learning about themselves, each other, their families, homes, community and world;
  • Learning how to get along with adults and other children;
  • Learning to share when appropriate and to assert themselves when needed;
  • Learning to solve problems effectively and fairly;
  • Learning to communicate their needs, wants and ideas effectively and appropriately;
  • Learning to express themselves through a variety of musical experiences, art media and play materials;
  • Learning about their own bodies and how to move through space;
  • Developing self-confidence, body strength and coordination through recreational therapy and outdoor play opportunities;
  • Participating in field trips for exposure to concrete experiences corresponding with teaching units;
  • Developing good school and learning behaviors such as paying attention, sitting still, taking turns, following directions, respecting authority, etc.:
  • Increasing vocabulary;
  • Learning writing, reading, math, science, social studies and other academic skills’
  • Building self-esteem, self-confidence and an “I can” attitude

 

ELIGIBILITY:

SNS admits students of any race, color, creed, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  It does not discriminate on the basis or race, color, creed, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarships or other school administered programs. 

SNS enrolls children age 18 months and up with any problem that interferes with satisfactory functioning and progress in regular classroom programs or at home.  This includes but is not limited to:

  • Attention Deficit Disorders
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Developmental delays
  • Physical disabilities
  • Vision/hearing impaired
  • Seizure disorders
  • Behavior disorders
  • Speech & language disorders
  • Autism/PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
  • Typical Children