Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Jul 21, 2010
Electives in the fine arts are what most schools offer their students. But PACE is not like most schools.
Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education, located in Charleston, South Carolina will soon be the home of elective classes like dance, art and science. This school was created for students in grades K-8 who have a wide range of mental and physical disabilities. Activities like these electives that were sometimes difficult or impossible to do at other schools can now be a possibility.
Because all students possess the ability to learn and grow, the school wanted to give them more options in doing so. The charter school, which was used as a summer camp for these students over the past five years, was approved as a charter school for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.
Each student will be taught based on their specific and individual needs. Teachers and assistants are planning on working carefully with all students to ensure they get the best from the school and for their education. With occupational, speech and physical therapists there to work with the students, they are sure to get the most from their school days.
The school will help students learn skills they can use inside and outside the classroom. Parents who are enrolling their children in the school are excited to have them become more functional and learn things that will help them doing everyday tasks at home, too. They are also happy that their children will be able to learn and flourish in a place that is specifically catered to their needs and their growth.
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Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
As most parents and educators know, students should not miss the opportunity to keep learning through the summer months when school is out on break.
At the Pioneer Education Center, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they value this belief. This school, one of many of the Pittsburgh Public Schools in Brookline, serves students from ages 5-21 with severe physical and mental disabilities. These students need an extended year of schooling because with a long summer break, they may lose valuable learning time.
In this summer's program, they have started making use of a sensory garden, which is designed to be especially appealing to people with special needs. Making use of senses of smell, sight and tough offer students a new perspective on learning.
This garden is unique. There are wheelchair-accessible swing sets, fragrant and touchable plants, a bubbling rock fountain and overhangs for shade against the sunlight. Areas for play and reflection are also included in the garden. Throughout the summer more additions will be made, like raised planters, vine-covered tunnels and outdoor musical instruments and picnic tables.
Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust, the garden offers students a place to learn things outside of the classroom. Since all students qualify for summer sessions of school, they will take full advantage of this new place.
Because the summer days are shorter and focus more on physical, occupational and language topics, the garden provides a great amount of opportunity for the students. Spending time outdoors and walking through the gardens and enjoying nature give students more to look forward to during their summer days.
Free Teacher Resources | Special Education by MangoMon
Picture By: tastybit
Posted by Lauren Grossberg on Wed, May 19, 2010
A place where students can excel is necessary for all. For those with special needs, it is even more important.
Gateway Academy, an alternative school in Houston, Texas, serves 7th-12th
graders with special needs. The disorders of the students range from autism, Asperger's, dyslexia and ADHD.
Many of the students of this school had recently left their traditional public schools because they were teased or bullied. That, in addition to their learning disabilities was leading many of the students towards failure, with a slim chance of ever graduating.
This small private school recently celebrated its six graduates with a small ceremony. Since its start only 4 years ago, the campus is already expecting to move into a $1.4 million facility by the fall.
Even though the school has only 40 students and 15 staff members, the small size makes it more intimate and focused for the students. With intense social-skills training and daily study skills classes, there are more opportunities for students to succeed at this school.
There are some differences in the way the school is run. For example, students are required to exercise for at least 30 minutes each morning and some are given small breaks throughout the day to help with concentration problems. Students are given a different environment that is geared towards their different lifestyle behaviors.
Gateway Academy graduates are confident that they will leave the school prepared to enter the workforce or continue with their education in colleges, options that may have not been available to them from other schools.
You can read more about the Gateway Academy by clicking here.
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