Special-Needs Students to Enjoy Better Facility

Because he has autism, 11-year-old Vincent Giannini cannot go to just any school.

“He needs a lot of one-on-one teaching,” said Vincent’s father, Steve Giannini.

What Vincent did not need was a daily commute to the Easter Seals Therapeutic School in Waukegan – or even much further.

But the elder Giannini and his family took turns making the long drive from Mt. Prospect to Waukegan until the school closed last summer. Their alternatives were institutions in southwest suburban Tinley Park or even Rockford. A series of connections, though, led the family to in Des Plaines. Vincent enrolled Aug. 29.

Earlier:

The Giannini’s daily stress of getting Vincent to school will lessen even more in December. Camelot school is moving from , 1455 Prairie, to a retrofitted one-story building just a few blocks from their home in a Mt. Prospect office park. School officials showed off the facility, still under construction, via a tour and lunch for school administrators and media on Monday. An open house for parents and students is scheduled for Oct. 5.

Enrollment could increase from 45 to 120

Vincent is one of 45 students at the Des Plaines location, but Camelot could serve up to 120 students once the new building is finished. Camelot provides academic instruction and therapy for developmentally disabled youths ages 3 to 21 who have been unable to succeed in a public-school setting.

The public schools refer prospective students to Camelot and pay for their tuition through government programs. About four students live in Des Plaines itself, while the others commute from up to an hour away from the northern and western suburbs, and Chicago’s North Side.

“We were renting that space (at St. Mary’s),” said Theresa Smith, vice president for Therapeutic Day Schools for Camelot. “There were several floors to that versus what we intend to do with this building—one level, very open. This new school is designed for kids with special needs, everything from flooring to lighting.”

Giannini was relieved to get his son into Camelot in Des Plaines, but he’s even happier to switch to the close-to-home location, and not just because of distance.

“We’ve had all good feedback,” he said. “It should be great. It will be a lot easier for [Vincent]. Getting in and out is hectic. Pulling in cars is tight at the church.”

In addition to classrooms and offices, the school will have a modern vocational center to prepare students for adult job opportunities. Also included will be a computer lab, a training kitchen, a sensory and comfort room, play therapy rooms and a grooming area.

The classrooms were largely empty and under construction during a Monday tour. But the common theme was spaciousness. The school also will have several special mirrors where teachers can observe students in classrooms without being observed themselves.

One-story school removes drawbacks

Several layout drawbacks of St. Mary's are being removed while making the building more wheelchair-accessible compared to the church.

“We have a lot of kids who have peripheral vision issues, so going up and down the stairs is difficult,” said Camelot principal Sheila Deal. “The (new) gym doesn’t have posts in the middle.”

Deal does not expect to increase teaching staff immediately when the new building opens. However, additional teachers will be gradually hired in upcoming years as the enrollment grows.

Camelot already has developed a reputation for teaching excellence. Teacher Crystal Lanski was one of this year’s 16 “Heroes in the Classroom” in the Chicago area. Lanski recently was honored by Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey. Symetra Financial sponsors the award in partnership with the Bears.

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