Empower Each Student

Our program emphasizes small group instruction for students between the ages of 5 to 13. The education themes for all students within this program are: communication, basic skills, social development, self-help, and overall learning readiness.

The Autism Center Difference:

• Personalized classrooms assign 4 to 5 children per room with an average 2/1 student/staff ratio
• Structured Teaching designed to make information meaningful
• Ongoing new concepts and skills instruction that is predictable thanks to an organized environment
• Visual schedules provide a core set of routines to promote independence
• Collaboration on individualizing instruction to motivate the student between their teachers and therapists
• Enrichment activities, such as swimming, horseback riding or trips to the local library, that promote generalization of concepts and skills

Children diagnosed with autism and their families are welcomed as new members into The Autism center family. It is not just the time spent in our classrooms that make a difference for the student, it is the community of support that maximizes the learning opportunities for our students to adulthood.

Our program builds upon the skills developed at the elementary level and serves middle school students between the ages of 14 to 16. As our student continue to develop confidence and skills, our teachers and specialists concentrate on the unique needs of adolescents. The functional academic classroom program is departmentalized and supplemented by instruction in the Daily Living Center, located within our campus, to emphasize skill generalization to real world experiences.

The  Autism Center Difference:

• Development of skills to support independence within the home
• Integrated instruction in communication skills with emphasis on pragmatics
• Application of basic skills to promote authentic learning in areas such as money management and meal preparation
• Work individually with teachers on housekeeping tasks to learn skill generalization and responsibility for maintenance of the Daily Living Center
• Smart Board instruction, video modeling, and daily use of iPod Touches for their schedule access, ongoing skill development as well as a personal leisure time activity
• Fitness training twice a week at a local community center
• Monthly planned community experiences like grocery shopping and dining out that encourage student independence in their daily live

Our program centers on the needs of young adults, aged 18 to 21 years old, to function independently within the home and workplace. We begin with a  comprehensive vocational assessment for each student. We work individually with students to emphasize how skills they learned in middle school can be applied to everyday life situations. Students’ interests and aptitudes guide instruction in vocational training, recreation and on the job training.

The Autism Center Difference:

• Instruction in a simulated onsite worksite utilizing the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES)
• Authentic Work – our bakers courner  Bakers learn both  baking and business skills!
• Placement in work study programs within the community
• Implementation of the JOB TALK curriculum emphasizing communication skills and practical knowledge needed for workplace success.