Chatham-Kent's (CK) Catholic school board has announced a new partnership that will ensure students of all abilities have access to the resources they need.
Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the Children's Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent (CTC-CK) will serve as the program partner for St. Clair Catholic's Autism Transitional Classroom (ATC) at St. Angela Merici Catholic School.
"Students entering the Autism Transitional Classroom need specialized programming built into every part of their instructional day to help them learn and maintain new skills," said Jen Morrow, Superintendent of Student Achievement for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board (SCCDSB). "This partnership will help ensure they receive the support they need through our shared commitment of helping students thrive."
Up to six students will be learning in the classroom at one time. They'll receive Speech and Language, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy from practitioners at the CTC-CK.
The program team also consists of a special education principal, a program resource consultant, a program resource teacher, and two education assistants, with consultation provided by a registered behaviour analyst from the SCCDSB.
CTC-CK's CEO Donna Litwin-Makey said the goal of both organizations is the same.
"We hope to help create opportunities for student success, within both the classroom and the broader school community," Litwin-Makey said. "By bringing together our specialized expertise and working collaboratively with educators and families, we can provide individualized supports that build on each student's strengths to help them develop the skills and confidence they need to reach their full potential."
