If you have a child with autism, you know they have some unique challenges when it comes to education. This tuition free charter school is set up to help autistic children succeed.
Amy Baker, with Spectrum Academy, shares how their staff is working to help these students, and how your child can get enrolled.
For more information, visit www.spectrumcharter.org.
If you have a child with autism, you know they have some unique challenges when it comes to education. The tuition free charter school, Spectrum Academy, is set up to help autistic children succeed in and out of the classroom.
By design, Spectrum Academy is outfitted with resources that directly address the challenges that come with the mild to moderate needs of a student with autism. Small class sizes, specially trained teachers and paraprofessionals, and occupational and behavior therapists on staff at every campus set the stage for a learning environment that fosters growth.
In addition to equipping each campus with the proper staff, the curriculum is catered to every age and stage. Social skills are part of every student’s daily schedule plus sensory development and employment preparation classes to help prepare students for life outside of the classroom.
One unexpected hurdle the school has faced is the COVID-19 home schooling mandate. While it’s a challenge for parents across the state, Development Coordinator Amy Baker says it has proved especially tricky for her student’s parents to navigate, “It’s such a struggle for parents, for our teachers who do everything they can for them and it’s hard from a distance. It’s hard for parents now to step in as special educator, therapist, and deal with all the behaviors and keep up with different requests they need, plus what they already do as a parent. It’s a crazy time.”
Speaking to the expertise and training of her staff, Baker says Spectrum Academy has risen to the challenge, “They go through intense training on how to help these students with autism and even more training on how to help them from a distance. They are sending out letters to their students and of course see them on Zoom. They care about them so much.” More than that, Baker says it’s the compassionate demeanor and sheer determination of the teaching staff to see these students succeed that sets Spectrum Academy apart normally, but especially right now.
If you would like to learn more information about Spectrum Academy or enter their enrollment lottery, visit their website www.spectrumcharter.org.
Add comment