The Therapy Program | The Educational Program | Life Skill Program

The Therapy Program

The therapy component is designed to improve student functioning in multiple areas, including social, psychological, emotional, behavioral, and family functioning. Students receive daily group therapy and have regular individual and family therapy sessions. Parents attend family meetings to discuss issues at home and in the community. Most families work on ways to make their family closer.  The focus of the individual and family therapy varies based on the student and family’s needs.

Students learn a variety of coping skills that are reinforced throughout the program day. These include anger management, fair fighting, conflict resolution, values clarification, relaxation training, assertive communication, drug and alcohol education, problem solving and decision making, and social skills training. These are taught individually and in focus groups. Students talk about problems routinely during the program day with staff. Verbal processing of problems and events as they occur is a good way to learn. Students receive immediate feedback, support, and praise from staff.   There are many therapeutic activities and opportunities throughout the day that will help students achieve their goals. 
          
The program is highly structured, with a level system consisting of rewards, privileges, and responsibilities. Students earn points for their participation in the various groups and activities. Points are based on target behaviors. Students must achieve a certain percentage of daily points to maintain their level or to advance to a higher level in the program. Students must petition for level increases and give evidence of improvements they have made to earn the higher level. Both students and staff have input into level petitions. When students increase their level, they have more privileges in the program. The program has many incentives built in to keep students motivated and to recognize their successes, such as shopping in the school store, student council participation, and field trip participation. Lafayette staff regularly seeks student and parent input on the incentives provided to make them more valuable to the students.

Trusting, therapeutic relationships between students and staff are important. Staff uses frequent praise and positive reinforcement to help build students’ self-esteem, and models problem solving and other interpersonal skills for students. Students are treated with dignity and respect, and are expected to treat others with dignity and respect, as well. Staff encourages students to express their feelings, thoughts and needs. Lafayette School emphasizes a positive peer culture, where students use assertiveness, supportive confrontation, and regular praise with each other to create an atmosphere of acceptance and respect. Community meetings provide students with a voice in policies and procedures of the school. Recreational activities focus on both competitive and cooperative games, emphasize teamwork, and build healthy leisure skills. Recreational, art, and other therapeutic activities provide an outlet for emotional expression and opportunities to excel in areas of interest.

The Educational Program

The educational program at Lafayette School & Treatment Center provides K-12 instruction for students age 6-21. Each student’s course of study matches his or her Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals, the Virginia Standards of Learning, and the curriculum taught in his or her home school. The teachers are skilled at building therapeutic relationships with their students, and help students develop positive attitudes toward school and learning through repeated academic success.

Teaching Methodology

Once a student is admitted, Lafayette School will provide academic and therapeutic services as defined by the IEP/IIP. Individualized instruction is based on the strengths, needs, and learning styles of each student. Lessons are designed with the following goals in mind:

• Gain the attention of students and motivate them to learn.
• Offer opportunities for success in the classroom in order to build self-confidence.
• Teach new content using a variety of presentation and learning styles.
• Model the skill or concept being taught through varied and specific examples.
• Provide active learning experiences for the students.
• Provide ample opportunities for guided practice and feedback.
• Assess mastery of new material.
• Teach material in context with the end goals of maintenance, generalization, and application of learned material.
• Offer needed accommodations and other support to facilitate achievement in the classroom setting.
• Providing frequent opportunities for success and achievement.

Lafayette School classrooms are multi-age and grade, with students working at varied paces and different instructional levels. As a result, the majority of instruction is conducted individually or in small groups. The student to teacher ratio is 10 to 2 (one teacher and one aide for every ten students). There is an average of five and a half hours of academic instruction in the daily schedule.

Vocational Education and Practical Life Skills

In addition to general academic content, all students participate in the Vocational Education and Practical Life Skills (Life Skills) program. This program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills they will need when they exit the school system. Vocational and practical life skills assessment takes place upon admission and on an ongoing basis throughout the year, and includes:

• Interviews
• Achievement testing
• Aptitude testing
• Personality assessments                                            
• Independent living inventories
• Vocational skill inventories
• Interest assessments

The Life Skills curriculum is divided into four main areas:

Career Exploration: Students explore the world of work. They complete interest and skill inventories, take personality tests, and research different areas of work. Students learn to conduct a job search, apply for a job, fill out a job application, and write a resume and cover letter.  Students practice job interviewing skills and problem solve work-related issues. 

Community Awareness: Students read local newspapers, use the Internet, and listen to local radio stations to learn about community events and local news.  Students explore community agencies and the services they provide, and learn about local community colleges and postsecondary educational opportunities.

Daily Living Skills: Students learn to manage a budget, keep a checking and savings account, obtain transportation, seek medical attention, and prepare food. They practice skills that will lead to independence; and learn how to take responsibility for their future.

Health Awareness: Students are exposed to healthy life choices. Topics covered included nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and drug and alcohol awareness. Values clarification, life goals, and the benefits of regular leisure and physical activity are stressed.

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