Special Ed Therapists Won't Be Returning Next Year

Special education students at Troy and nine other area districts will see new faces next year.

Hillmann Pediatric Therapy, the occupational and physical therapy firm that served the schools in these districts for 19 years, will not be returning for a 20th year.

Owner Brenda Hillmann read a seven-page letter to the Troy School Board for 10 minutes last week. She fought back tears as she explained that she did not understand why. 

"It is a budgetary and business decision from my lens," said District Superintendent Don White. "It has nothing to do with the quality of service."

Based on the same number of students as currently enrolled, the new provider, Educational Based Services quoted a $40,000 savings, White said. That does not include the savings that other districts also may realize. 

Troy is a member district of the Southern Will County Cooperative for Special Education. The other nine districts are Channahon, Rockdale, Laraway, Union, Wilmington, Reed-Custer, Beecher, Elwood and Peotone.

Southern Will County Cooperative for Special Education Executive Director Bill Roseland explained that compared to state averages these districts last year had substantially more students in occupational and physical therapies. 

"SOWIC cooperative has 60 percent over state average," Roseland said. "Troy 30 C is 73.48 percent over state average." 

In light of the state's dire financial circumstances, he explained that they are required to take a look at everything. Hillmann is by far SOWIC's largest outside contractual arrangement, he said. 

"Last year, SOWIC member districts paid Hillmann Pediatric roughly $1.5 million," he said. "Special education is one of the most expensive parts of our education system."

According to Roseland, SOWIC approached the over-representation in several ways. They reviewed how SOWIC evaluated the students, as well as how long Hillmann kept the kids in therapy. 

Another way was what White described as a philosophical shift. During the past year, many teachers have been trained to provide certain types of therapy in the classroom setting. These changes resulted in a reduction from 70 Troy students receiving therapy in 2009 to 24 in 2010.

Roseland said another reason Educational Based Services is more desirable is their affiliations with university professors and the Association of Occupational Therapy. 

Educational Based Services offers "some in-service opportunities and training opportunities that cover a wide breadth of educational topics," Roseland said. "We felt these were certainly things we could use and things we could take advantage of."

Hillmann questioned Educational Based Services' ability to find adequate staffing in the occupational therapy field. This is one of the rare industries that has a shortage of professionals. 

Although Educational Based Services had not hired anyone yet to service the SOWIC contract, they had the pool down to 29 candidates, Roseland said. Both he and White said they were confident the staffing would be ready. 

"I really believe that the students won't see really any disruption at all," Roseland explained. "It will not be without its bumps in the road, I am sure. This will not in any way provide some kind of lesser service."

White concurred. Five northern Illinois school districts provided SOWIC with positive references, according to Assistant Superintendent Anne Gmazel's quick report to the board.

Occupational and physical therapy includes a wide variety of services, Hillmann explained. Examples may include hand strengthening, such as manipulation of scissors, crayons, buttons or zippers.

Student who have sensory processing problems may have difficulty transitioning from one activity to another without having a meltdown. Other students may not like to get their hands dirty.