Are you considering Overbrook School for the Blind as an option for your child or a student you know?
We have provided a list of commonly asked questions and answers to help guide you through your decision making.
Please feel free to reach out to our Superintendent, Jackie Brennan, for any additional information on placement opportunities or the admissions process. Please also feel free to contact Christine Vanish, to set up a tour of our school and see for yourself if Overbrook might be the right fit.
QUESTION: How do I get my child into Overbrook School for the Blind?
ANSWER: Admission to Overbrook School for the Blind begins at the local level. All Overbrook School for the Blind students are referred for placement through their Local Education Agency (LEA)/School District. After a referral in writing from the local school district has been received, Overbrook School for the Blind's admission team reviews the referral, the prospective students Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and determines if the program described in the IEP can be carried out by Overbrook School for the Blind. Placement at Overbrook School for the Blind is always subject to availability.
QUESTION: How much does it cost to send a student to Overbrook School for the Blind
ANSWER: There is no tuition and no cost to the families of Overbrook School for the Blind students. Overbrook School for the Blind is an approved private school for the blind and deaf in Pennsylvania. A combination of funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, LEA/School Districts and Intermediate Units fund each student's tuition at Overbrook School for the Blind.
QUESTION: How does my child get to Overbrook School for the Blind?
ANSWER: The School District of Residency is responsible for providing student transportation to Overbrook School for the Blind.
QUESTION: Can my child live on campus at Overbrook School for the Blind?
ANSWER: A residential program is open only when school is in session. Students reside at their homes on weekends, major holidays and during and school closings. Qualified older students may apply for admission into White Hall, Overbrook School for the Blind's on-campus, independent living apartments.
QUESTION: What is the Expanded Core Curriculum?
ANSWER: The Expanded Core Curriculum is the total set of disability-specific skills which students with visual impairments need learn in order to lead full, independent lives. These skills have been determined by Pennsylvania's Approach to the National Agenda (PANA), which is the customization of the National Agenda to the educational needs and priorities of children and youth with visual impairments, deaf/blindness and visual and multiple disabilities in the Commonwealth. OSB is a national leader of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
The nine Expanded Core Curriculum areas include:
- Compensatory Skills such as Communications Modes
- Orientation and Mobility
- Social Interaction Skills
- Independent Living Skills
- Recreation and Leisure Skills
- Career Education
- Use of Assistive Technology
- Visual Efficiency Skills
- Self-Determination
QUESTION: What related services does Overbrook School for the Blind offer beyond academics?
ANSWER: Overbrook School for the Blind is committed to providing comprehensive education—and related support services—for all of its students. Therapies and related services offered include, but are not limited to, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, audiology, counseling and much more.
QUESTION: What counties does Overbrook School for the Blind serve?
ANSWER: The majority of Overbrook School for the Blind students come from the greater Philadelphia area's five-county region (Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties), but we also have students from South Jersey and Delaware in our student body.
QUESTION: Where should LEA/School Districts send referrals?
ANSWER:
Todd Reeves
Executive Director/CEO
Overbrook School for the Blind
6333 Malvern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19151
QUESTION: If I have questions about the admissions process, who should I contact?
ANSWER: Please address questions to:
Jackie Brennan
Education and Professional Development Director
Overbrook School for the Blind
6333 Malvern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19151
or
QUESTION: Are there additional resources available to parents?
ANSWER: Yes! Please visit:
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