North DuPage Special Education Cooperative

The Academic Life Skills Program serves students who are eligible for special education and require an educational environment with intensive programming. The program provides individualized interventions to support students across academic, communication, motor, social, behavioral, daily living skills, and pre-vocational/employment domains. Our focus is on nurturing the growth of the whole child by fostering independence throughout the learning process.

Characteristics of students typically referred to the Academic Life Skills Program:

• Students who function significantly below grade level across cognitive, academic, and daily living skills domains.
• Students who benefit from a functional academic curriculum as a means to reinforce and generalize traditional academic content.
• Students who require instruction in daily living skills, including community field trips to reinforce skills.
• Students who benefit from support to improve communication, including speech/language and assistive technologies, as appropriate.
• Students in need of support to develop fine motor and gross motor skills, as appropriate.

Program Model:

• Targeted instruction to develop academic and functional academic skills.
• Focus on functional skills development are embedded into daily instruction and activities to foster independence across daily living skills domains.
• Focus on language development and use that incorporates visual supports and communication systems, as appropriate.
• Attention to fine and gross motor development that incorporates sensory needs, as needed.
• Multidisciplinary team approach that includes a special education teacher, social worker, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school psychologist, certified school nurse, and other related service personnel, as required.

Elementary (Grades: K – 5)

1) DuJardin Elementary School
     166 S. Euclid Avenue
     Bloomingdale, IL 60108
     630-894-9200
Classroom Teachers: Nicolette Marino, Lauren Tarchala,  Melanie Bogue
Supervisor: Amy Ramsay  [email protected]

Middle School (Grades: 6 – 8)

1) F. E. Peacock Middle School
     301 E. North Street
     Itasca, IL 60143
     630-773-0335
Classroom Teacher: Stephanie Nicolella
Supervisor: Ryan Kozin  [email protected]

2) Westfield Middle School
     149 Fairfield Way
     Bloomingdale, IL 60108
     630-529-6211
Classroom Teacher: Cheryl Clark
Supervisor: Amy Ramsay  [email protected]

High School (Grades: 9 – 12)

1) Fenton High School
     1000 W. Green Street
     Bensenville, IL 60106
     630-766-2500
Classroom Teacher: Emma Kiel
Supervisor: Nicole Melquist  [email protected]

2) Lake Park East High School
     600 S. Medinah Road
     Roselle, IL 60172
     630-295-5210
Classroom Teacher: Maggie DiPietro
Supervisor: Nicole Melquist  [email protected]

3) Lake Park West High School
     500 W. Bryn Mawr
     Roselle, IL 60172
     630-295-5310
Classroom Teacher: Katie Richardson
Supervisor: Nicole Melquist  [email protected]

Transition (Ages: 18 – 22)

1) Transition Learning Center
     6 South Addison St.
     Bensenville, IL 60106
     630-980-3949
Classroom Teachers: Kim Molenda, Monique Nemes
Supervisor: Nicole Melquist  [email protected]

High Needs (High School & Transition)

 1) Lincoln Academy
      320 N. Lincoln St.
      Roselle, IL 60172
      630-529-4050
Classroom Teachers: Lisa Knight
Supervisor: Sue Zikuda   [email protected]