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Special education services include programming for pre-school, elementary, and secondary students who have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Students can be placed in emotional support classes, life skills support classes, or classes for the deaf and hard of hearing. Additional supports, such as vocational/job coaching, assistive technology, social work and psychological services, itinerant services and extended school year services are available to students in Berks County. Early intervention services are provided to preschool-aged children (3-5 years) who are identified as eligible because they have a particular handicapping condition or developmental delay. BCIU presents workshops for special education administrators and practitioners and provides technical assistance and consultation services to schools on a variety of compliance issues.
ACCESS Funding
Funding for special education medical services is available to students who have medical assistance. Medical assistance can be accessed despite a family's medical insurance plan if a student has an Individualized Education Plan.
BCIU provides services for children through the rebating of medically-necessary, existing services in the fields of speech, language, audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and psychological services that the children need to achieve their IEP goals.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ thoeng@berksiu.org
Assistive Technology
BCIU provides assistive technology services to Berks County school districts without charge. Services include information about borrowing, acquiring, and using assistive technology; organizational help with teams to perform assistive technology assessments and effectively employ assistive technology for students; assistance in acquiring equipment for assessment purposes; staff training; and consultation with teachers, speech & language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and parents about assistive technology devices. In addition, BCIU staff provide troubleshooting services and training on best practices. Mounting systems and information on specific equipment are available to schools.
contact: Rod Zerr
610-987-8523 ~ rodzer@berksiu.org
Berks County Transition Coordinating Council (BCTCC)
BCTCC is a partnership of educators, service providers, students and families, employers, consumers, and the Berks County community whose mission is to plan and facilitate successful transition of students with disabilities from school programs to adult life. BCTCC's objectives include promoting involvement in community transition services; developing models for transition that are clear, concise and usable; promoting interagency collaboration; using information from follow-up of graduates to assess needs and adjust programs; establishing participation and awareness of business and industry; and ensuring opportunities for participation in school to career initiatives. For more information, please visit our resources page.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ thoeng@berksiu.org
Chapter 14
Professional development, technical assistance and consultation regarding Pennsylvania's Chapter 14 are available. Aspects of Chapter 14, which go beyond the requirements of IDEA in supporting students with disabilities, are highlighted.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ thoeng@berksiu.org
Chapter 15
Pennsylvania's Chapter 15 addresses a school district's responsibility to comply with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as it relates to nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap in programs and activities receiving or benefiting from federal financial assistance. For students identified as protected handicapped students, school districts are required to develop service agreements along with parents to address what related aids, services, or accommodations should be or should no longer be provided to the student. Professional development, technical assistance, and consultation are available.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ thoeng@berksiu.org
Cordero Court Order
BCIU provides placement services in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Central/Eastern Instructional Support Centers. Students who are at-risk of placement are tracked to ensure Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) due to the Cordero Court Order. This process includes the CASSP (Child and Adolescent Service System Program) members and delegates all members to build local capacity for the good of the individual child and the future improvement of the "class action" services across all human service delivery systems. An attempt to place students in appropriate educational sites with necessary supports is the goal.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ thoeng@berksiu.org
Diagnostic & Assessment Services
Audiological testing and psychological evaluations and reevaluations are services provided to students of school districts that choose to contract with the BCIU on a fee-for-service basis.
school age contact: Brian Hocking
610-987-8504 ~ brihoc@berksiu.org
early intervention contact: Ann Bierman
610-987-8543 ~ annbie@berksiu.org
Early Intervention
Berks County Intermediate Unit provides a variety of special education services to children, 3 to 5, who demonstrate a 25 percent developmental delay, along with a need for specially designed instruction. Please call for referral information.
contact: Ann Bierman
610-987-8543 ~ annbie@berksiu.org
Early Intervention Transition Services
For children who are moving out of an early intervention (EI) program or are moving from one EI program into another, BCIU early intervention transition services can help. Transition support is provided to children and families moving from the mental health/mental retardation (MH/MR) Early Intervention program (for ages birth to 3 years) into the BCIU preschool program. Support is provided also to children and families moving from the BCIU preschool program into kindergarten programs operated by Berks County school districts.
contact: Ann Bierman
610-987-8543 ~ annbie@berksiu.org
Extended School Year (ESY)
The ESY program serves students who demonstrate regression and limited ability to recoup academic information during planned school breaks. The program typically runs three hours per day, three days per week for a six-week period during the months of July and August. Students attend summer programs in a variety of settings and receive services as determined by their IEP team.
contact: Tom Engelman
610-987-8512 ~ tomeng@berksiu.org
Itinerant Services in Speech, Vision, and Hearing
Itinerant staff members provide services to students with special needs in the areas of vision, hearing, speech and language, and transition. They also provide prescriptive motor training, adaptive physical education, and social work services. Itinerant teachers assess students to determine their eligibility for special education services. If eligible, students are provided the appropriate service(s) in an individual and/or group setting as determined by the IEP team. BCIU provides these services to school districts on a contractual basis.
contact: Brian Hocking
610-987-8504 ~ brihoc@berksiu.org
Preparation for Adult Life (PAL)
Located at Berks Career and Technology Center, East Campus, the PAL program offers secondary students with special needs a school-based vocational training education. Community-based vocational training and community-based instruction are key features of the program. The dedicated staff includes two teachers, two teacher assistants, and five job coaches. Part-time speech and language assistance, psychological services, transition supports, and adaptive physical education services are provided to life skills/learning support students.
contact: Brian Hocking
610-987-8504 ~ brihoc@berksiu.org
Services to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Berks County Intermediate Unit provides programming and services to students who are deaf or hard of hearing at two locations: 13th & Union Elementary School, Reading, PA for K through 5th grade students, and Southern Middle School, 931 Chestnut Street, Reading for students in grades 6 through 8. High school students receive hearing itinerant support and interpreting services in their regular education setting.
Students receive instruction in both self-contained and mainstreamed settings with the support of educational interpreters. All classrooms are staffed by a teacher of the deaf and a minimum of two educational interpreters. Part-time speech and language and psychological services are provided also.
contact: Brian Hocking
610-987-8504 ~ brihoc@berksiu.org
Special Education Services at Alsace
Secondary emotional-support classes help students to develop positive self-esteem, improve problem-solving strategies, exercise self-control, build pro-social skills, and improve academics. A system of behavior modification levels provides structure and support to positive behavior, academics, and attendance.
contact: Michael Furman
610-987-8656 ~ micfur@berksiu.org
Special Education Workshops
Berks County Intermediate Unit presents professional development workshops on a variety of special education subjects. Topics include standards and assessments, speech/language support, learning strategies, content enhancement routines, conflict resolution, student motivation, IDEA, transition planning, etc. more
contact: Lori Swenk
610-987-8543 ~ lorswe@berksiu.org
Transition House Program
Established in August 2004, BCIU’s Transition House Program assists high school seniors with mild-to-moderate disabilities transition from the familiar environment of high school to employment and independent living. The program provides hands-on learning opportunities to students who seek competitive employment after their last year of high school.
BCIU staff members, including a certified special education teacher and a community coordination specialist, work with students daily to develop skills necessary for vocational teamwork and communication; socialization skills for job seeking, job retention, and community living; financial and household management skills; and self-advocacy skills. more
contact: Brian Hocking
610-987-8504 ~ brihoc@berksiu.org
