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Special Education and Day Treatment

CIRCLE Academy Day Treatment School

CIRCLE Academy has grown both in size and reputation since first opening in 1998. Named after the Circle of Courage, CIRCLE Academy provides special education and therapeutic intervention to over 70 Champaign County students ages 5-19.

Students are referred to CIRCLE Academy by their local (home) school district because of behavioral or learning disabilities that require the specialized expertise provided by CIRCLE Academy. Students receive individualized special education, small class sizes, individual counseling with a licensed social worker, support from behavior intervention specialists, and access to special programs in the arts, recreation, and vocational education.

CIRCLE Academy is approved to educate students ages 5 through 21. Space is limited, and all referrals must start at the school district level. To be considered for enrollment, students must be eligible to receive special education services in one of the disability categories for which CIRCLE Academy has been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Appropriate referrals include youth with special education needs that include Behavioral/Emotional Disturbance {B/ED}, Severe Emotional Disturbance {SED}, Learning Disabilities {LD}, or Other Health Impaired {OHI} (Autistic, PDD) as the primary disability. In most cases, the primary disability is Behavior/Emotionally Disordered. The student may have other disabilities which are secondary.

For more information about CIRCLE Academy, please contact Linda Fox at 217/367-3728 or click here to send us an email.


The Winfred Gerber School
The Winfred Gerber School is a safe and quiet place to learn. Located on the Cunningham campus, Gerber School provides special education for young people in our residential treatment programs.

Most Gerber students are significantly behind grade level in their education, and learning disabilities and mental health issues pose challenges to their catching up. Highly-skilled special education teachers and teaching assistants work as a team with residential program therapists and staff to provide coordinated educational support.

Occupational therapy techniques, small class sizes, and individualized educational planning are hallmarks of the Gerber School approach to education. An important goal of education at Gerber is to help students make the transition to public school.

Recognizing that higher education is an option for decreasing numbers of our students, Gerber School has also invested significant resources in providing a comprehensive vocational education program for students. Starting with classroom micro-enterprises for younger students, and leading to stipended and paid work experience, the Vocational Education program reinforces math, reading, writing, and communication skills while providing valuable experience in the work world. In addition to preparing students for their future, we have found that vocational education improves students self esteem while also improving school performance. For more information about Gerber School, you may call Sandy Cooper at (217) 367-3728 or click here to send us an email.

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