Itinerant Services

The Capital Region BOCES offers schools the opportunity to share the services of professional educators. The BOCES Special Education division administers itinerant services that are related to special education, while the BOCES School Support Services division administers services related to general education. Special Education itinerant services might include:

Assistive Technology Specialist (Coser 319-6813)

Assistive technology (AT) services include the following options:

• district need and resource assessment;

• individual Student Technology Consultations (STCs);

• professional development on topics related to AT and Universal Design for Learning;

• classroom consultations;

• technical assistance in providing instructional materials in alternate formats;

• VESID approved Local Assistive Technology Specialists (LATS) certificate training;

• device loan/extended assessment support (available as an "a la carte" service.)

Behavior Specialist (Coser 324-6164)

Contact: Terry Tice, (518) 464-6315 or ttice@gw.neric.org or

Dr. Barbara Zimmerman, behavior specialist, (518) 464-6384 or bzimmerman@gw.neric.org

This service is intended to help district teachers and support staff deal more effectively with students exhibiting difficult behaviors. The service includes individual student consultations, classroom consultations and training for teachers and other educational staff. Districts may purchase this service on a daily basis or as needed through a technical assistance model.

Consultant Teacher (Coser 327-4670)

Contact: Terry Tice, (518) 464-6315 or ttice@gw.neric.org

These are direct and indirect services to students with disabilities who are in regular education settings in public, private and parochial schools in the region. In addition to the range of instructional possibilities normally expected of a Special Education Consultant Teacher, specialized expertise in several areas is available. These areas include the following:

• Autism Consultation and Training provided by a consultant teacher certified in Special Education or as Teacher of Speech and Hearing Handicapped with training and experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

• Teacher of the Deaf provided by a consultant teacher who is certified in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

• Wilson Language Program provided by staff, some of whom have received training in this interactive and multi-sensory instructional model, which aims to directly and systematically teach students how to fluently and accurately decode. It teaches “total word construction,” and phonics and focuses on teaching students to encode (spell) as they decode.

• Traumatic Brain Injury provided by a certified Special Education teacher to students with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Interpreter for the Deaf (Coser 312-6718)

This program provides interpreting services in mainstream classrooms for deaf/hard of hearing students. Interpreters accompany students to various mainstream settings where they interpret classroom information and provide curriculum support. This itinerant service is generally a one-to-one service for particular students.

Occupational Therapist (Coser 309-6717)

This program provides occupational therapy services to children in order to address their fine motor needs in an educational environment. This service can be purchased by the day, on in individual or group sessions.

Physical Therapist (Coser 308-6716)

This program provides physical therapy services to children in order to address their gross motor needs in an educational environment. This service can be purchased by the day, on in individual or group sessions.  

Social Work Services (Coser 303-4650)

Social workers in this program provide individual or group counseling to students, consultation with families and staff members and may act as liaisons with other agencies. This service can be purchased by the day or in individual or group sessions.

Speech Therapist

Speech therapists in this program provide individual or group therapy to students needing remediation of speech and language disorders. This service can be purchased by the day or in individual or group sessions.

Sunnyview Tutorial Services (Coser 321-4610)
Contact: Terry Tice, (518)464-6315 or ttice@gw.neric.org

This program serves students who have been referred to Sunnyview Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Schenectady for treatment of physical and post surgical problems. Instruction, which occurs in a classroom or at bedside, includes one hour a day for elementary students and two hours a day for secondary students.

Transition Services Specialist (Coser 325-6163)

Contact: Maureen Gushlaw, (518) 464-6363 or mgushlaw@gw.neric.org

This program assists school staff and parents as they prepare 15- to 21-year-old students with disabilities to fully participate in adult life in the community. Program coordinators provide information and referral services about community resources as they relate to students’ educational, vocational, recreational and /or legal needs. Training and technical assistance are provided to districts to ensure compliance with federal and state mandates.

Visually Impaired Service (Coser 304-4620)

Contact: Terry Tice (518) 464-6315 or ttice@gw.neric.org

This service is intended to help visually impaired/blind students attending public or private schools and receiving either regular or special education.

• Teachers of the Visually Impaired work directly with the students to help them succeed academically. They locate or develop large print, taped or Braille instructional materials, and provide consulting services to students’ parents and other teachers.

• Orientation and Mobility teachers provide skill training in movement and travel.

• Rehabilitation teachers provide training in skills needed for daily living, including manual dexterity, fine and gross motor coordination, personal care, money and home management, and creative use of free time.