Contact Information
Peggy Britton
Director of Operations
(816) 229-3869
Marilu W. Herrick
Executive Director
(816) 229-3869
Day School
The Rainbow Center for Communicative Disorders, formed in 1976 and incorporated in 1977, was built on the principle of integrating speech and communication into every aspect of a child's learning. This philosophy was implemented in a private, non-profit school in Blue Springs that has become the Rainbow Center of today.
Our day school program is available for children between three and 21 years old who do not fit into the mainstream and/or would benefit from an intensive therapy program. Many of our students come from referrals through developmental clinics or school districts. Other times, it's at the parent's request.
The Rainbow Center serves a wide range of disabilities ranging from mild to severe in nature. Our clientele includes children with severe learning disabilities, behavior disorders and speech language delays, ranging from mild, moderate to severely cognitively disabled. Some of the diagnoses we serve currently at Rainbow Center are Autism (including Asperger's), PDD, Cerebral Palsy, Williams Syndrome, Oppositional Disorder, Educable Mentally Handicapped, Severely Developmentally Delayed, Seizure Disorders and Fragile.
One of the things that make our program unique is our small staff to student ratio (which is 1:3) with a strong emphasis on developing self-esteem. Feeling good about one's individual abilities and having confidence in our skills is the first step towards successful communication. Flexible structure also provides an opportunity to meet individual needs. A behavior team guided by two behavior specialists actively develops techniques and strategies to assist classroom teachers and therapists with children with behavior challenges.
Individualized programming also includes extensive Community Integration with opportunities such as swimming, volunteering at Harvesters and a nursing home. Creative teaching methods within an innovative structured learning environment are essential for children that have experienced frustration and school failure. Using 'cutting edge' methods such as the Orton-Gillingham multi-sensory method, Project TEACCH and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA-Discreet Trial Training) are incorporated into the individualized programming at Rainbow Center. Overcoming and reducing negative and oppositional attitudes is a common challenge for our well-trained staff.
Training is a very important part of keeping our staff familiar with the techniques and methods needed to work with our challenging students. Professional staff must be certified or licensed, as appropriate, in their field or discipline. Paraprofessionals are trained to work with special children and adults in support of the professional team. Many of our professional staff members also have multiple degrees/certifications with several Masters Degrees in our facility.