Today autism spectrum disorders, such as Asperger’s, are growing much more prevalent. For this reason, educators are starting to realize the need for a dedicated educational environment for these students. This is great because parents no longer have to agonize over inclusion, self-contained classrooms or mainstreaming their child.
Instead it is now a matter of finding the right specialty school for their aspergers child instead. While there are now schools like this in every state throughout the United States, three schools are leading the way and they are all located in California.
Orion Academy For Aspergers Syndrome
Orion Academy is located in Moraga, California. They provide a high quality college preparatory program for secondary education students whose academic success is compromised by a neurocognitive disability such as Asperger’s syndrome.
Founded in 2000 they currently have 50 students enrolled within their school, which has more than 35 classes that are geared towards preparing students to attend college. There are also a lot of different extracurricular activities available for these students to choose from, such as an active Student Council and a chess club. Of course, there are certain criteria that your child will need to meet in order to gain admission to this school. A few of these guidelines include:
- The child cannot have any behavioral problems
- They must have at least an average, if not an above average, verbal IQ.
- The student must have basic self-care skills.
You can get more information about the Orion Academy either online or by calling them and possibly enrolling your aspergers child and educating them.
Passageway School For Aspergers Children
The Passageway School has a student to staff ratio of 2:1. This school utilizes the TEACCH approach (this places a focus on skill development and fundamental human needs such as dignity and engaging as a productive member of society) as well as the ABA Discrete Trial System (a.k.a. the applied behavior analysis discrete trial system that teaches basic and complex skills through a reward system) to help its students succeed while getting a good education too.
This works well for students who have a variety of different types of autism spectrum disorders, which is why there are a variety of students from different parts of the spectrum in attendance at this school that is located in Newbury Park, California. All of the teachers who work at the Passageway School are certified in special education. For enrollment information you can view the school online or contact them by telephone.
The Springstone School For Children With Aspergers
The Springstone School is located in Lafayette, California. This school is actually geared towards middle school students. It focuses no only upon children who have Asperger’s Syndrome, but also on children who have Nonverbal Learning Disorder, ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
They understand the special needs of these children. Therefore all of the instruction that is done within this school actually integrates pragmatic language, occupational therapy, organizational skills and life skills both within the classroom and within the community at large too.
This school is equipped with laptop computers in all of the classrooms, as well as wireless Internet and a shared network that is accessible by all of the students who attend this school. Besides teaching academics, the school also has a classroom that is dedicated to acquiring and implementing social skills. You can learn more about this school by checking it out online or by contacting them directly.
California’s Schools For Aspergers
Orion Academy, Passageway School and the Springstone School are all special schools for those who have Asperger’s or another type of autism spectrum disorder. They allow these students to obtain a high quality education in an environment that is comfortable for them. While peer pressure, bullying and an over-stimulating environment are all barriers to a positive educational experience for these students whenever they attend a traditional school setting, these schools have done away with all of these things. In doing so they ensure that these children get the best possible education.
In Conclusion To Finding Schools For Aspergers Children
There are many schools for children with aspergers syndrome. Finding the aspergers schools in your local area may be very difficult since they may not exist yet. Look around to see if you can find schools for kids with aspergers syndrome in your local area. If not, find what resources are available for teaching your child with aspergers. You may have to relocate to find the best schools for aspergers children.
There are boarding schools for aspergers children, but this may not be the correct option, although it is one. Be patient to find the right school for your child who has aspergers syndrome. Sending your child to the wrong school for aspergers syndrome could be more damaging to them.