At Green Tree School & Services, all students are instructed based on their IEP goals and the appropriate state standards as defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The curriculum for high school age students is aligned with public school requirements to ensure that they earn the appropriate credits required for their high school years. Green Tree School & Services also stresses the academic skills necessary for success in today’s world. In addition to an emphasis on multi-modal, experiential instruction, students participate in numerous programs designed to ensure their acquisition of improved interpersonal skills, as well as leadership and problem-solving skills. Our program also places a heavy emphasis on community involvement through multiple service learning projects each year.
The Green Tree School & Services staff is committed to providing uninterrupted instructional time, in which students are actively engaged in the learning process. Our perspective is that time allotted to instruction is not inherently good; teachers must design and deliver activities which make the most of every learning opportunity through well-planned, well structured and varied activities. Teachers actively involve students in their learning process by focusing on meta-cognitive awareness, compensatory strategies, and appropriate accommodations. Direct instruction is augmented by up-to-date audiovisual and technology supports.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism, sometimes known as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), fits within the umbrella-term Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) which affects children at an early age. It is characterized by qualitative distortions in the child's development of communication, social skills, and repetitive/stereotypical behavior. Our special education certified teachers approach each child as a unique individual and design an individualized curriculum to meet his or her needs. While the learning goals are set annually for children in their Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), the universal goals for students are to increase independence, increase comfort in social interaction, and promote language and functional literacy.
Emotional Disability Program
Emotional Disability is a condition that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The Green Tree School & Services Emotional Disability program is designed with the intent to provide a safe, structured, and nurturing environment that effectively assists students in achieving the goals by which they can return to a more typical educational setting.
Green Tree operates a state-licensed psychiatric clinic on the premises which serves the students at the school. The psychiatric clinic at Green Tree is designed to provide an array of counseling and mental health services to children and youth with emotional support needs. The clinic also provides training and consultation to teachers and parents to help adults learn how to foster positive emotional and social development in children.