Services and Supports at Sheppard Pratt School in Cumberland

Therapeutic Supports and Services

When students come to Sheppard Pratt School in Cumberland, they may be struggling at home and school, and they need extra comfort and support. We have seen success creating an atmosphere in which our students are given tools to improve communication skills, navigate interpersonal relationships, and effectively problem-solve. Our program utilizes a variety of methods to keep therapeutic supports appropriate and engaging. Every student in our Cedar Court program receives individual and group therapy weekly. Additionally, we understand that our students need extra support, and we have a psychiatrist available to support our students as needed. We also have student support rooms where students can come when they need space or want to work quietly, and each program has sensory rooms where they can take breaks as needed. Our Birch Court students can often be found swinging, sitting on bean bags, enjoying video projections, or taking time in the “Sensahuts” found throughout the school. We continuously use creative arts, culinary arts, and recreational activities to teach social and coping skills. Our full kitchen, ceramic studio, greenhouse, and fish hatchery allow our students unique opportunities for learning, as well as creative outlets where they can express their emotions while learning valuable life and vocational skills.  

We are a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) school, and use this incentive program extensively throughout our school. We instill expectations of Respect, Safety, and Responsibility. When “caught” complying with these expectations, our students earn Jefferson Dollars that they can use for items in our school store, or for off-campus trips to places like Skyzone, the movies, or horseback riding. Through this program, we continuously enable and encourage our students to begin to understand their behavior and make positive choices. 

With the student-centric support they receive while at Sheppard Pratt School in Cumberland, our students reach goals that they may never have been able to achieve before. We work with our students to promote independence and learning, and most of our students stay with Sheppard Pratt School in Cumberland through graduation. However, some students come to us for extra support and then are ready to transition back to their home schools or other placements. 

We encourage parent participation and we regularly share information with families about our programs, Sheppard Pratt offerings, the programs held by Family Support Services, and resources throughout Allegany County. We also hold regular IEP meetings to determine if our facility continues to be the appropriate environment for each of our students.    

For those students who graduate and receive their Diploma or Certificate of Completion, we are fully engaged and work closely with each family to provide services and resources that make the transition to adulthood and independence smoother. We connect our families with information and agencies providing job placement services, housing options, and more. 

We provide the following related services:

• Speech and language therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Case management
• Psychological services
• Physical therapy
• Nursing services