Breaking Down the Barrier

I read this amazing article about a school in Georgia that is specialized for teenagers suffering from autism. The school is run by a parent whose son has autism, and completely revolves around making sure that the students can learn and grow. It is one of about ten schools that specializes in students with autism. Anyone is allowed in as long as they can communicate. There are ten students currently enrolled, and all of them have moderate to severe autism, but are at different stages.

The schools has actually helped many students. Some that could not control their outbursts, can now go through an entire day without blowing up. Parents are also finding that their children are communicating more and are able to relay what they are thinking easier.

The school starts out each day with an assembly. Each student can express anything that they are feeling and share what they did the night before. Many of the students discuss something that they are exasperated about or what they dreamed about that night. For autistic teens this is a huge breakthrough. Many started with little communication skills when they entered the school.

The students are also able to choose what classes they want to take. At the end of each semester, the students vote on what new elective they want to take. These classes have ranged from “The History of Meat” to “How to Take Things Apart”.

Overall, these types of schools have helped many families with their children with autism. Each parent interviewed for the article expressed how amazed they were about the improvements that they have seen. There should be more of these types of schools throughout the nation. With the amount of children with autism rising, we need to learn to embrace this approach and try to integrate it into the public school systems. These students are like special education children.