Cynda Mehlert

At Benton Community, we know that in order for all students to be successful in the general education setting there has to be consistent collaboration between the general education teachers, special education teachers, interventionists, and para educators.  This year at Atkins Elementary, we have worked very hard to not only collaborate on a weekly and sometimes daily basis in order to determine accommodations and modifications for special education students, but have also made it a priority to collaborate with others within our system and outside of our system who support our students as well.  Many students with disabilities are also supported by members of our Grant Wood AEA team and outside services such as Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists.  We know that collaboration is essential for supporting students within an inclusive environment and we have made it a priority within our system to ensure that this is a focus.