Are you an Ohio parent looking for the best education for your child on the autism spectrum? Education Alternative’s Coral Autism Program may be the answer.
Like every parent, you want your children to have positive school experiences that build their academic skills, contribute to their overall well-being, and pave the way for long-term success and happiness.
Finding the right place for your child to learn is step one in making this happen, but when your child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this task can feel much more challenging.
If your child isn’t getting the education they deserve in a traditional school setting, a specialized autism school, might be the best choice for them.
But where do you start?
If you’re an Ohio parent, you can begin by finding what your child needs at Education Alternatives.
While many public or charter schools simply don’t have the expertise or resources to support students on the autism spectrum, EA recognizes your child’s strengths, addresses their unique challenges, and provides a nurturing and inclusive environment for them to learn.
Our innovative Coral Autism Program combines education and ABA therapy to support the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of ASD students (grades K-12) in the greater Northeast Ohio area.
Keep reading to learn how a specialized autism school and our Coral Autism Program can help your child succeed!
Is a special school better for autism?
To us, the best school for children with autism is the one that provides them with the necessary support, resources, and opportunities to learn and grow.
While autistic children can go to a normal mainstream school, these traditional settings make it difficult for neurodiverse students to learn effectively.
The barriers autistic children face in conventional schools include:
- teaching methods that are not flexible enough to accommodate their diverse learning styles
- sensory stimuli that are present in traditional classrooms, such as background noises, crowded spaces, or fluorescent lighting that can be overwhelming and make it difficult to focus and learn
- educators who may not have the proper training or understanding to adequately support their social and emotional needs
- a lack of resources or comprehensive therapeutic support that students and their families may need
Autism schools, or ASD schools, are learning environments specifically designed to offer more individualized attention, specialized learning techniques, and social/emotional support to students on the autism spectrum.
These schools open up a new world of opportunities for neurodiverse students, creating an environment where they can truly grow and thrive.
EA’s Coral Autism Program
Our Coral Autism Program is tailored to support the social, emotional, and academic needs of K-12 students on the autism spectrum in Ohio. This school-day program is instrumental in setting our neruodiverse students up for success.
We achieve this by:
- creating individual learning plans for our students
- providing physical spaces that serve the unique needs of our ASD students
- encouraging students to use the skills they learn in the classroom outside of school
Keep reading to dive deeper into some of the key components of our approach to autism school.
Personalized learning experience
We take an individualized and comprehensive approach to providing the best possible autism school education. This involves creating personalized learning plans customized to each student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
These plans go beyond the student-teacher dynamic, involving collaboration with the student’s families and any external service providers they may require, such as speech therapists or occupational therapists. By fostering a team-oriented approach, we make sure that every aspect of the student’s development is supported and nurtured.
Our Coral Autism Program is designed to teach the Ohio State curriculum in a small group setting, with no class having more than eight students. Having small class sizes helps to regulate stimuli and ensures that students can concentrate better in a comfortable environment. Students can engage with the material and learn more effectively with fewer distractions, predictable routines, and frequent breaks.
Sensory rooms for autism
While it is essential to create classroom environments that are conducive to learning for our students on the autism spectrum, we also prioritize providing safe spaces where they can process their emotions in a healthy way.
Sensory rooms are an excellent tool for helping our students regulate and process their emotions through visual, auditory, and tactile aids. This is especially beneficial for students with ASD, as they may struggle with sensory overload.
Students who feel over-stimulated can use the sensory rooms as a safe place to escape and regulate their emotions. They are also an excellent tool for students to learn coping mechanisms to take into the outside world with them.
Developing skills for life
It is vital for our students to be active outside of the classroom to develop the skills they will need to live a happy adult life. We incorporate daily group activities that allow students to practice peer interactions and develop functional life skills. Our students also go on community outings and participate in student-run businesses through our VisionQuest Program to help them practice the skills they are learning in class.
Our therapeutic approach to ASD school
In the Coral Autism Program, our aspirations for your child’s education go far beyond academic achievement. That is why we integrate education and therapy to provide a holistic methodology for your child’s education.
At the heart of our therapeutic approach lies a deep understanding that highly qualified educators and the right treatment methods can make all the difference in our students’ lives.
Expert staff
Our fantastic team of educators is equipped with comprehensive therapeutic knowledge to better support students on the autism spectrum.
The teachers, therapists, and support staff who work with our neurodiverse students are all certified through OCALI’s Autism Certification Program. They are also trained in trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectic behavioral therapy.
ABA therapy
Incorporating applied behavioral analysis (ABA) Therapy into our classrooms is integral to our therapeutic approach to autism school. This type of therapy is especially beneficial for children with ASD because it focuses on the science of behavior.
With the help of our teachers and classroom aides, we work to understand students’ behaviors and identify their triggers. We can then work with students to develop new, healthy behaviors through positive reinforcement. This therapeutic method has helped many of our neurodiverse students thrive and achieve greater independence.
Finding the right autism school in Ohio for your child
Choosing the right place to learn for your child with autism spectrum disorder goes beyond ensuring their academic success. Finding the best school for your child lays the foundation for a happy, fulfilling, and more independent adult life.
If your child’s current public or charter school isn’t setting them up for this kind of prosperous future, our autism school in Ohio could be the change your family needs.
At EA, we understand that transitioning your child on the spectrum is a big, and often stressful, change for both you and your child. That’s why we are here to support you every step of the way.
If you’re an Ohio parent and think our Coral Autism Program could be the right fit for your child, contact us to find out more.
Our team will happily answer any questions you have about our autism programs.
Want to know how to enroll? Take a look at our enrollment page for the essential information you need to take the next steps toward your child’s success!