Stein Education Center – Special Care Services

Special Care Services (SCS) is a welcoming place for young people with intellectual and developmental delays. Our programs are designed for the unique needs of boys, girls, and young men and women between the ages of 5 and 25. SCS focuses on raising our clients’ quality of life through opportunities to grow and develop social, physical and behavioral skills in our fully licensed programs.

Services include:

  • Community-based instruction
  • Behavioral support
  • Skill development to encourage language, social interaction, independence
  • Positive behavior intervention methods
  • A wide range of activities that include adaptive sports & play, individual and group experiences
  • Music, art and dance
  • Bike riding
  • Equestrian (certain days only)

For More Information

Please contact us at 619.281.5511 ext. 221. We are open from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM.

6145 Decena Drive, San Diego, CA

Who is Eligible?

Intellectually and developmentally disabled children, teens and adults referred by the San Diego Regional Center.  Fees may be paid by the San Diego Regional Center or private pay, or a combination of both.

Client Spotlight

JilmaWhen Jilma (age 12), began attending the Stein Special Care services (SCS) after-school program in March of 2011, staff immediately recognized that she had distinctive qualities along with many special needs.  Initially, Jilma displayed frequent drawn-out tantrums whenever her needs could not be immediately met.  An additional significant issue, which prevented Jilma from participating in many activities, was her fear and inability to use public restrooms.

With a great deal of creative thinking and patience, over the course of her first year at SCS, staff gained Jilma's trust and helped her overcome her fear of public restrooms—a major accomplishment which improved her overall quality of life, both within SCS and at home with her family. Jilma has also learned a number of self-calming skills during her years at SCS.  Today, instead of "tantrumming", Jilma will "take deep breaths" or "count to 10" or "use her words." After initially being terrified of horses, Jilma also overcame this fear and has become an enthusiastic rider in SCS's equestrian program. Jilma has become more tolerant of her peers, and will seek out select peers to play tag and other games on the playground.

All the staff at SCS admire the progress that Jilma has made over the past several years! They love her smile and welcoming demeanor, and look forward to continuing to assist her in excelling in her social, personal, behavioral, and community needs in the years to come.