Youth in Transition School

Our Mission:

“To provide a structured learning environment that will support the maximum development of each student.”

NCIA’s Youth In Transition School (YIT) is certified by the Maryland State Department of Education as a Type I full day special education and related services program for students ages 11-21, with autism, emotional disabilities and/or intellectual disabilities.  The school addresses the students’ physical, psychological, intellectual, and social needs. We are dedicated to changing lives.

SCHOOL GOALS

The NCIA Youth in Transition School believes that the responsibility of education is to provide all students with the basic skills needed for a useful and fulfilling life. This can only be accomplished by developing the fullest potential of each student. We recognize the individuality of each child and that each student can make a unique contribution to society. The educational needs of each individual vary and we strive to deliver exceptional services to every student.
Simply stated, our goals are to:

• Provide a safe environment for students to achieve success in school and in the community
• Provide special education classroom instruction and related services
• Work with students, their families, and local educational agencies toward moving students to their least restrictive environment

For more information, please contact us: 410.944.9994

The Youth in Transition School provides a quality, all encompassing, educational program dedicated to addressing the needs of diverse learners. It is through this program that students develop the content knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies that will assist them in reaching their full potential as life-long learners and productive citizens. Through this comprehensive program, children and youth with disabilities have access to the appropriate services and educational opportunities to which they are entitled under federal and state laws.

The NCIA Youth in Transition School offers an Automotive vocational education program. Barbering, Culinary Arts & Horticulture vocational programs are in development and will be available soon. Participation in these programs not only gives students a foundation of work skills but also leads to post-secondary opportunities for our students, including licensure, college, and employment. Students identify their career preferences and are placed accordingly based on vocational assessments and other tools.

Our therapeutic staff provides services to students in a variety of therapeutic settings including the educational and vocational classrooms, small groups, and individual sessions. We use the latest techniques and technologies to provide state of the art treatment and evaluation techniques to assist our students in maximizing their educational goals.

Counseling Services

The NCIA Youth in Transition School provides psychological services for students who need intensive support and assistance. Our professional staff works directly with the student to implement the goals and objectives of each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Clinical social workers provide our specialized counseling services as needed for social and emotional development.

Services include:

• Anger Management
• Peer Mediation
• Conflict Resolution
• Crisis Intervention

Speech and Language Pathology

Our Speech Pathologist provides speech and language services to students in a variety of therapeutic settings including the educational and vocational classrooms, small groups, and individual sessions.  We use the latest techniques and technologies to provide state of the art treatment and evaluation techniques to assist our students in maximizing their educational goals.

Occupational Therapy

YIT has a highly experienced Registered Occupational Therapist on staff with a focus of working with adolescents and young adults with a variety of disabilities. She is certified in Therapeutic Listening, Interactive Metronome technique and proficient in American Sign Language. An occupational therapist (OTR) is a highly trained professional who evaluates and treats children and adults who have difficulty participating in meaningful activities (“occupations”) relevant to their daily lives. Occupation can mean self-care and regulation, play and leisure activities, as well as work or educational pursuits.

Common problems treated by the occupational therapist include:

• Decreased range of motion – limits in moving the head, neck, body, or limbs
• Decreased strength – difficulty performing age appropriate weight bearing movements (e.g., bear walk, wheelbarrow walk) and holding body positions against gravity (e.g., superman)
• Fine motor delays – difficulty with handwriting and cutting skills, using a pincer grasp to pick up small items, and buttoning a button on a shirt
• Self-care delays – difficulty performing dressing, grooming, tooth brushing, and feeding skills
• Bilateral coordination delays – difficulty using both hands together to perform a task (e.g., tying shoes, throwing/catching a ball)
• Visual perceptual disorders – difficulty organizing visual information from the environment in order to perform a task (e.g. putting a puzzle together)
• Sensory processing disorders – difficulty responding appropriately to different sensory experiences (i.e., touch)

Nursing Services

All students’ medical records and profiles are housed in the nursing service office. Student’s physical assessments are completed by a Registered Nurse. The nurse has no direct jurisdiction over provision of comprehensive medical services. The school’s nurse reviews the student’s medical records and schedules all required screenings and evaluations during the student’s enrollment. The nurse also provides for any required medications and first-aid services. The nurse is an important member of the school’s intake and review team.

Youth in Transition School is appropriate for male and female students in grades 6–8, grades 9-12, and/or ages 11-21 who have been determined through the IEP process to have an emotional disability, intellectual disability, and/or autism. Students admitted to the school require a small, highly-structured individualized class and school setting.

In many cases, students who are referred to Youth in Transition have continuously experienced a lack of success due to behavior problems, clinical issues, and learning difficulties. These factors have often led to frustration, lack of motivation, and negative attitudes towards education. Youth in Transition is the first place where many students find academic success.

The admissions process for Youth in Transition begins with referrals from a school system and/or human service agency requesting placement for adolescents who require this type of educational program. Admission is determined on a case-by-case basis by the school’s administration team.

The school coordinates interviews with the youth and his/her family. Following this review, the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team determines if the school is effectively able to plan and implement an appropriate program for that youth.

If the student is enrolled in the school, the parent receives a copy of the school’s behavioral management plan, the school schedule, the school calendar, and a copy of the Student and Parent Handbook.