Fuller Middle School serves a diverse population of students with Low to Above Average intellectual abilities, who may present with one or more of the following disabilities: SLD, Autism, emotional, health, neurological, intellectual impairment, physical. The community of Fuller Middle Schools is committed to the academic, social, physical, and emotional development of every student. This commitment is supported by a philosophy based on differentiation, participation, high expectations, cooperation and respect for all.

Special education at Fuller offers inclusion and substantially separate Programs.

The following related services are available:

• Guided Academics class
• Reading instruction using sequences of structured phonics-based program
• Speech and Language Therapy*
• Counseling
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Adaptive Physical Education
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst support
• Applied Behavior Analyst support
• Orientation and Mobility 
• Teacher of the Visually Impaired

*social skills groups, lunch bunch included

GUIDED ACADEMICS:  The primary purpose of Guided Academics class  is to provide support for individual learning needs and learning strategies, as well as supporting the core subject classes. The class:

• supplements instruction and provides support for students’ specific areas of need
• provides strategies for study skills and organizational skills
• monitors student progress and provides support for core subject classes.

Mini-lessons in study skills and organization are given weekly.  

Topics include:

• Planning and Organization
• Study Habits
• Test taking strategies
• Goal setting
• Learning strategies
• Self Advocacy
• Motivation
• Writing Skills

Special educators work with students throughout the year in small groups (up to 8 students). Through small group explicit instruction, students gain confidence and master academic skills.

Language Arts: Students receive explicit instruction in reading (decoding, comprehension, fluency) and writing skills.  Personalized learning to ensure IEP goals are met is emphasized and strategic instruction is incorporated into specially designed instruction.

Mathematics:  Math lessons are designed to reinforce daily instruction in class and work towards meeting the IEP goals. Students have the opportunity to preview and review math concepts, remediate skills, acquire skills previously taught using a specialized approach.  Often, kinesthetic activities using manipulatives and models are implemented. In addition, lessons are consistently framed along with real world applications. One example would be beginning an order of operations lesson by having students discuss real world order of operations examples (getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc.).  Then that real world application is related to the math idea of order of operations. There is a conscious effort to teach for understanding versus algorithm/procedural memorization.

Science/ Social Studies: Students have the opportunity for an explicit instruction of the vocabulary, preview concepts, receive support for the project,  or have a review prior to the test.

Study Skills:  Students are explicitly taught organization and study skills, including quiz/test taking, note-taking, and developing timelines for longer projects.