Outreach Resources

General Information

Each year, Missouri school districts are serving more students who have moderate or severe disabilities. Outreach services available through the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled are designed to support these efforts by providing information, personalized technical assistance and staff training to assist classroom teachers and other school district personnel.

Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled is a statewide public school system serving Missouri students, ages 5-21, with severe disabilities. Students are referred to MSSD when local school districts are unable to meet their educational needs.

• Cost
• Resources
• Technical Assistance
• Here’s What the Training Participants Say
• Staff Development
• Participation in IEP Meetings
• Who to Call

Cost

There is minimal cost for outreach services provided by the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled. The school district may be asked to incur the cost of copying training materials. Reasonable travel expenses of MSSD staff, which are based upon state guidelines, will be incurred by the local school district. Travel of more than 150 miles may involve overnight lodging and meal expenses.

Resources

Resource libraries are located in the offices of the Supervisors for Instruction.  These libraries include a wide selection of resources focused upon instructional strategies, curricula, behavior support systems, augmentative communication, integrated therapy, integration, and transition planning etc.  In addition, these libraries contain a number of augmentative communication devices for students enrolled in the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled.  Arrangements to review these materials can be made by contacting the Supervisor for Instruction whose office is located closest to the school district.  The supervisors can also be contacted to request resource information.

Technical Assistance

School districts may request technical assistance for a specific student(s).  The student must be between the ages of five and 21 years, and functioning in the moderate to severe level of mental disability.  Based upon the needs of the student and the staff, a Supervisor for Instruction from the Missouri Schools for Severely Disabled will visit the district for the purpose of providing instructional and/or behavioral recommendations.  These recommendations will be based upon time spent with the student and the staff.  Resource information will be provided for use by the staff.  The district will determine the number of visits, as they will incur the cost of the round trip mileage at the current state travel rate for reimbursement.  Fourteen Supervisors for Instruction are employed by the Missouri Schools for Severely Disabled and their offices are located in St. Joseph, Kansas City, Marshall, Joplin, Springfield, Rolla, St. Peters, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, and Poplar Bluff.

Here’s What the Training Participants Say:

"I really enjoyed the training. I felt it was all worthwhile. It reinforces my belief that our program needs to change its focus." — Special Education Coordinator

"I really did think it was excellent. I liked the group activities." — Elementary Special Education Teacher

"I gained a lot of knowledge about classroom management." — High School Special Education Teacher

"The behavior ideas were great — can be shared with anyone." — LD Resource Teacher

To request Outreach Services, Directors of Special Education, or a representative who can commit the resources of the district, should contact the Supervisor for Instruction from the following list whose office is located closest to the district.

Staff Development

Training is available for school district personnel seeking information regarding effective instructional practices for students with moderate to severe disabilities.  Supervisors for Instruction lead sessions on such topics as functional curriculum, instructional strategies, supporting students with challenging behaviors, augmentative communication, instructional adaptations, integration, choice making, and community instruction.  The content and amount of time allotted for such training can be structured to meet the individual needs of districts, and it may range from half-day to multiple day sessions.  The district will be responsible for the travel costs of the trainer(s) and may be asked to copy training materials for the participants. 

Additionally, district teachers may participate, on a limited basis, in training that is made available to MSSD staff.  This training focuses upon designing effective instruction for students with mild to severe disabilities, and it may be of interest to staff that are providing integration opportunities for students from Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled.  This module encompasses six sessions over a period of two school years, although staff may elect to participate in only the first year (a total of three sessions).  Participants will learn of specific instructional strategies and apply these in their class between sessions.  Training sites are based upon the geographical areas from which participants will be drawn.

Participation in IEP Meetings

Districts may request the participation of a Supervisor for Instruction during IEP conferences for students with severe disabilities who are enrolled in the district.  The supervisor can offer recommendations related to the development of the IEP and the type of services that may be required.  The district will incur the cost of the supervisor’s round trip travel.

Who to Call

If your school district is near...