EPIC News

EPIC Overview

The EPIC Program is designed to provide educational programs for students with moderate or severe special needs. Seven classrooms, providing educational programs to over 40 students, are located within the least restrictive environment in local schools throughout the Greater Lawrence area.

The Education Promoting Inclusive Classrooms (EPIC) Program is designed to provide an individualized educational program to students with moderate to intensive special needs, including learners with multiple disabilities. Seven classrooms provide services for over 40 children in their least restrictive environment, public schools throughout the Greater Lawrence Area (Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and the Tri-town area of Boxford, Topsfield and Middleton). An additional three classrooms at our Campus site in Methuen include our integrative pre-school, Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD) and EPIC II middle school classroom.

All classrooms in the EPIC Program focus on building skills and experiences in the areas of communication, social and life skills. Students work towards their individual goals in academics, developing positive behaviors, as well as, leisure, technology and vocational skills, if applicable.

The EPIC program has focused on such goals for learners with low incidence disabilities since its inception in 1978. These goals are accomplished through a variety of means including:

• Integration opportunities within the learner’s school and community
• Positive behavior management techniques including application of behavior analysis
• Use of appropriate alternative and augmentative communication methods
• Adaptive design and assistive technology individualized for learners
• Ongoing assessment including the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System’s Alternate Assessment Portfolio’s for qualified students
• Parent involvement through daily communication
• Integration of specialist and therapeutic services across the educational environment
• A collaborative teaming method of providing educational and auxiliary services

The students that benefit from the EPIC program are ages 3-22. Classrooms groups are specifically created to place our students in public schools with same-age peers. Some EPIC classrooms focus specifically on medically fragile students, while others provide life skills or academic services. All classrooms provide a strong emphasis on communication.

Motivated special education teachers who receive ongoing professional development instruct students with the help of instructional assistants who are required to complete an intensive training program. The EPIC curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of students through activities and lessons that are motivating, meaningful and correspond to grade level Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks standards.

Clinical services available at EPIC include occupational, physical and speech/language therapy, instruction by a teacher of the visually impaired as well as consultation by a behavior therapist and an orientation and mobility specialist. A supervisory nurse and a team of registered nurses, who carry out the health care plans created for students with medical involvement, provide nursing services.

For more information on the EPIC Program contact Bernice Pierce.