Academics

Autism Program

The Sussex Consortium Program offers services to a number of students with special needs.

We educate the Sussex County component of the Delaware Autism Program. We are an option for all Sussex County School Districts for any student with an educational classification of autism. Therefore, any school district can refer a child to us when the child’s needs exceed that which the local school district can provide. Since autism is a “birth mandate” we can provide services from when the child is first identified through the age of 22.
We have an integrated preschool program for three and four-year-old Cape residents who are identified with special education needs. Our team of specialists provides evaluations for three and four-year-old children whose parents/guardians have concerns for their child’s developmental progress.

Click here to read more about our Little Vikings program.

3. We offer services to Cape students with identified special education needs in kindergarten through twelfth grade whose needs exceed that which their home school can provide.

Family Supports

Parent Support Groups

This is an offering supported by the Consortium which recognizes that autism is a life-long and 24-7 issue for a child and their family. The Parent Support Group is facilitated by a staff volunteer and runs by the needs of the parents. This is a wonderful way to meet families and get support from fellow parents that are having or have had similar issues. This group is open to all family members of children with autism. We welcome the new perspective of those new to the autism diagnosis as well as the perspective of those family members who are well seasoned in the experience of autism.

For your convenience, the Parent Support Group is noted on the Cape Henlopen School District Calendar. You may request In-School respite for Parent Support Meetings in advance. SibShop runs simultaneously and does not require prior notice.

What is SIBSHOP?

“Sibshops”: for siblings of children with special needs are offered monthly on the same night as the parent support meetings at the Consortium building in Lewes.

More information can be found here!

Brothers and sisters of children with special developmental needs have concerns that have been well documented in research and clinical literature. These concerns include a need for information, feelings of isolation, caregiving responsibilities, guilt, the pressure to achieve, and concerns about the future. Although the sibling relationship is the longest lasting relationship in the family, brothers and sisters of children with special needs have far fewer opportunities for peer support and education compared to their parents. Brothers and sisters, like their parents, deserve to have their information and support needs addressed.

Follows the Sibshops model developed by Donald Meyer, Director of the Sibling Support Project of the Arc of the United States.

SIBSHOP Goals

The goals are:

To provide brothers and sisters of children with special needs an opportunity to meet other siblings in a relaxed, recreational setting.
To provide brothers and sisters with an opportunity to discuss common joys and concerns with other siblings, and
To provide brothers and sisters with an opportunity to learn how others handle the situations commonly experienced by siblings of children with special needs
To provide brothers and sisters with an opportunity to learn more about the implications of their siblings’ special needs.
To provide parents and service providers with opportunities to learn more about common concerns of siblings.

Resources for Families

In-Home Respite Information

What is In-Home Respite?

A service to our families
An opportunity for our employees

The Delaware Autism Program (DAP) operates a unique service of In-Home Respite, to provide additional support to families in our program. This service is summarized here, and described in detail in a separate document (In-Home Respite Guidelines) available from your local Facilitator, or from Jenn Brown, Assistant Principal for Extended Services

According to research studies, caring for a client with autism is very stressful for the siblings and family of the individual affected. Respite provides families with a break from that care, by placing the client with autism in the temporary care of a qualified provider. Respite may last as little as an hour or two (e.g., so the family can attend a sibling's school play), or can last as long as a week (so the family can literally take a vacation from the care of the client).

Respite is a supplemental service provided by DAP, but is not related to the client's IEP.
Depending on their preferences, Respite can occur in the family's home or in the Respite Provider's home.
Respite cannot be used to replace regularly scheduled activities like before- or after-school care.

Who Can Receive Respite?

Any family of a client with autism, enrolled in a district operating a state-approved affiliate of DAP - i.e., Christina, Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Capital, Seaford, or Cape Henlopen School District - is eligible to receive respite. Parents must register with a Respite Facilitator (a designated staff member within the local DAP program who processes requests and paperwork), and complete forms describing the client's needs and preferences. Families are eligible for up to 19 days of respite per year (1 day or 24 hours per month and 7 days vacation per year). The respite year runs from September 1 to August 31.

To be eligible to receive or provide respite:

Contact the Respite Facilitator in the Client's program. The Facilitator will give you a Registration Form, Guidelines, and Provider OR Client Profile.

Providers: The Facilitator will also ask your school district and principal to verify your employment status.2

2. Complete and Return the Registration Form and Profile

3. Clients are now registered!

4. Providers are registered once verification from the school district is received.

How Respite is arranged:

Parents submit a Respite Request Form to the Facilitator in writing or electronically, indicating when they seek respite and noting if they have a preferred provider

Submit the request 7 days in advance for respite of less than 24 hours, & 2 weeks in advance for respite of more than 24 hours.
The Facilitator contacts the preferred Provider. If unavailable, other Providers in the Client's program may be contacted

Before Respite occurs, the Parents & Provider must each have the Client & Provider Profile, & must have each signed the Respite Authorization Form. The completed Authorization/Verification form must be with the Provider during the respite period.
At the end of Respite, the Parent verifies that Respite was provided by signing the Authorization form, and paying the co-pay to the Provider. (Checks to DAP)
The provider submits the co-pay, Authorization form and accompanying bubble sheet to the Facilitator within 5 days, and typically is paid within 4-6 weeks.

Who Can Provide Respite?

Any qualified staff member currently employed by a state-approved affiliate of DAP can be a Respite Provider, as long as they have completed essential training in autism provided by their program, have ongoing meaningful contact with students with autism, and have a satisfactory employment record. Providers wishing to do respite in their own homes must also provide information to the parent about the safeguards in place. Because Respite is considered an educationally-appropriate activity, providers are covered by existing school district policies in case of an accident.

Who Pays for Respite?

Contact Information

To register for respite, contact the Facilitator for your school district. For more general information about In-Home Respite, please contact Jenn Brown, Assistant Principal for Extended Services (454-2202x205, email: brownj9@christina.k12.de.us )

Brandywine – Donna Mongelli (267) 738-9551, donna.mongelli@bsd.k12.us
Caesar Rodney – Tammy Brandner (302) 679-3103 x 9302, tamara.brandner@cr.k12.us
Cape Henlopen – Daralyn Meluney, (302) 645-1983, demeluney@cape.k12.de.us
Capital School – Margaret Iplenski
Christina – Janine Weisman – 454-2202 x4, respite@snip.net
Seaford – Michelle Perry - 454-2202 x4, respite@snip.net