The EXCELS (Excellence in Community, Employment & Life Skills) classroom provides transition and functional skills support for students in grades 6-12+ at our Killingly location. EXCELS offers staff expertise and quality programming in explicit instruction, data-based decision-making, team collaboration, tiered behavioral supports, and transition supports and services. The goal of EXCELS is to maximize students’ independence as they prepare for the transition to adulthood and life beyond the classroom.

EXCELS Offers: 

• Strong family collaborations that help guide the development of individualized student-centered plans for post-secondary education, employment and independent living skills
• Explicit instruction in functional skills development, tailored to individual student needs in health and safety, independent living, personal finance, prosocial skills, activities of daily living, transportation and self-advocacy
• Functional skills training in structured environments and community settings
• Opportunities for on-campus and community-based vocational training
• Support from an experienced transition coordinator, who collaborates with community agencies and other support services on behalf of each EXCELS student
• The option of continuing EASTCONN services for 18- to 21-year-olds, as needed

Other EXCELS Benefits Include:

• Small class sizes (fewer than seven students per class) with desirable staff-to-student ratios aligned with each student’s needs
• Highly skilled, experienced staff whose specialized training, kindness and devotion to their students is evident every day
• On-site Related Services, including speech and language, occupational/physical therapy, Assistive Technology Specialists and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
• Strong collaboration between special education case managers, related services providers and transition coordinators through a multidisciplinary team approach
• Support from EASTCONN Psychological & Behavioral Consultation Services, which includes a licensed psychologist, school psychologists and BCBAs who provide specialized assessment, intervention and consultative services

EXCELS Students: 

• Are in grades 6-12+
• Have a previous diagnosis of intellectual disability or other developmental disability with significant impact on functional living skills
• Are young adults who will benefit from functional life skills programming, rather than a strictly academic approach
• Include young adults who may need continued supports until age 22