12749 nettles drive, newport news, va 23606 established 2011
TRANSCRIPT
12749 Nettles Drive, Newport News, VA 23606
Established 2011
Mission
Peninsula School for Autism is committed to providing evidence-based educational and behavioral support programming in an innovative learning environment to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and related disorders.
History
Peninsula School for Autism was founded by two families, Abbitt and Kim, in 2009.
PSA’s founding Board included three members and one advisory member.
PSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit, private day school facility licensed by the Virginia Department of Education in July 2011 to serve students with autism.
PSA established a partnership with Navigation Behavioral Consulting, an in-home ABA provider, in July 2011.
The school opened its doors on September 6, 2011 with two enrolled students in 1,200 square feet of the Boys & Girls Club.
Today… PSA’s Board of Directors has expanded to ten members and four advisory
members.
PSA is currently licensed by the Virginia department of Education to serve up to fourteen students with autism, intellectual disabilities and speech-language impairment.
PSA has established partnerships that allow for collaborative programming for students with the following organizations:
Hampton Roads International Montessori School
Williamsburg Montessori School at the Waterman’s Museum in Yorktown
Boys & Girls Club of the Virginia Peninsula
The Virginia Living Museum
Peninsula Fine Arts Center
Services
PSA serves students ages 5-22 with autism, intellectual disabilities and speech-language impairment in the day school program.
Programs include year-round ( days) educational and behavioral support programming in the day school facility.
Student-teacher ratio is 1:1
Individualized student programming developed by a specialized team.
PSA offers related services in collaboration with Tidewater Physical Therapy (PT) and Dominion Physical Therapy (Speech and OT).
Wrap around services include 1:1 intensive after school programming, social skills programming and parent coaching and in-home training.
Related Services
Tidewater Physical Therapy --> Physical therapy
Dominion Physical Therapy --> Speech therapy and occupational therapy
Adaptive PE --> Planet Fitness
Programs in development:
Recreation --> Gymnastics, swimming, horseback riding
PSA’s Commitment
PSA strives to uphold its mission and core values through dedication to quality programming and commitment to the following goals:
Intensive, individualized instruction using teaching strategies based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to target a broad range of academic, language, behavior, and life skills goals
Opportunities for each student to learn to communicate effectively, become increasingly independent, interact appropriately with others, and be active participants in a positive learning environment
Components of Student Programming
PSA’s Commitment continued…
Community partnerships providing opportunities for students to engage with diverse student populations to practice and generalize social and academic skills
Access to training for parents, caregivers, and professionals working with individuals with autism outside of the school environment
PSA’s 3-pronged approach to student success
Goals for PSA Students
Return to the least restrictive learning environment
Develop missing capabilities in language and communication repertoires
Increase socially meaningful and adaptive behavior
Decrease interfering and maladaptive behavior
Increase rates of responding, fluency, and skill acquisition
Generalize new skills across environments
Become active participants within the school and local community
Increase independence across all environments
Student Programming: Lower School
Day school services for students ages 5-13 include program goals in the following domains:
Academic readiness Motor skills
Communication Recreation and fitness
Language: Reading Social skills
Academic content areas Play skills
Self-help: ADLs Enrichment: music, art
Student Programming: Upper School
Day school services for students ages 14-22 include program goals in the following domains:
Communication Vocational
Language: Reading Recreation and fitness
Academic content areas Motor Skills
Life Skills Social Skills
Self-help: ADLs Enrichment: music, art
What informs student programming?
Components of Daily Schedules
6 hours school day; 8:30 arrival, 2:30 dismissal
3.5 hours of intensive, academic instruction
1.5 hours of enrichment activities to include: social skills programming, peer buddy program, recreation and fitness, cooking, community–based instruction, music and art
30 minute group lunch in the PSA café (meals not provided) and 30 minute recess and/or leisure skills
Partnership Programs
Community Partner Program
Crossroads Village: Boys & Girls Club
Recreation and Social Skills
Hampton Roads International Montessori School
Life Science: Oyster Gardening
Williamsburg Montessori School at the Waterman’s Museum/Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Life Science: Aqua Culture
Virginia Living Museum Life Science
Peninsula Fine Arts Center Art lessons
Parent resources
PSA is currently developing a parent coaching and in-home training and support program.
Coaching sessions will be offered monthly on-site at PSA and in the home environment.
PSA parent’s will be required to participate in an 8 session coaching and in-home training and support program beginning in the 2013-14 school year.
Monthly parent resource workshops will begin February 2013.
Regional Mentors
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Carolyn Hodgins. Educational Specialist, Compliance Officer
Commonwealth Autism Service (CAS), John Toscano, President and CEO
Virginia Institute of Autism (VIA), Ethan Long, PhD, BCBA-D
Ronald B. David, M.D., FAAP, FAAN, Pediatric and Adolescent Neurologist, Child Development and Cognitive Neurology
Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Carrie Roylance, MS, CCC-SLP
PSA Student Placement
Program Public Private Tricare
Day school 5 6 2
After school 2 1
Public Placements
Placing district # of students
Gloucester County Public Schools 2
Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
1
Poquoson City Public Schools 1
Chesapeake City Public Schools 1
PSA Team Members
Student Team Supervisors
Behavior Analysts
Special Education: Teachers and Co-Teachers
Behavior Specialist
Lead Instructors
Instructors (1:1)
Enrichment: Music Instructor, Adaptive PE Teacher
PSA Team Member Credentials
3 Licensed Behavior Analysts, BCBAs: 1 Staff, 2 Consultants
3 Virginia Department of Education Licensed Special Educators
3 Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) supervisees (Masters) – pursuing BCBA licensure
1 Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst supervisee (Bachelors)– pursuing BCaBA licensure
What’s new for 2013?
Intensive Behavior Program (IBP): A day school program to support students with intensive behavioral needs; student-teacher ratio = 1:1.5, anticipated start date May 2013
Commonwealth Autism Service (CAS) 2-year collaboration for Competent Learner Model (CLM) implementation to begin March 2013
Parent training on-site course to begin Spring 2013
Questions?
For additional information please contact:
Sydney Mrowiec, M.S.
Executive Director
757.223.0558
Thank you!