Autism Schools in Arizona
ACCEL, Chrysalis Academy, Gateway Academy, and Pieceful Solutions
Jul 30, 2009
While many children on the autism spectrum are educated in a public school setting, some parents find that private school placement provides their children with better opportunities and a more specialized education. The Phoenix metropolitan area is home to several schools that cater to the unique educational needs of children on the autism spectrum.
ACCEL
Founded in 1980, ACCEL quickly grew from a center catering to the needs of developmentally delayed individuals to a full service organization with campuses across the metro Phoenix area. ACCEL provides educational services to more than 300 students from more than 40 different school districts.
ACCEL’s Metro Campus is located at 10251 North 35th Avenue, near I-17. Nearly 200 students attend the school and range in age from five to 22. A nearby location, the Early Learning Campus, is designed to meet the needs of children in preschool through third grade. The school uses ABA, occupational, speech, physical, music, and recreational therapies in its educational program.
ACCEL’s East Campus is at McClintock and Baseline in Tempe. Although the school serves individuals between five and 22, it is a smaller location and educates approximately 65 students.
The newest ACCEL location is a partnership with Murphy School District. Unlike the other locations, this campus is on the premises of an elementary school – Alfred F. Garcia Elementary School. ACCEL educates children in grades K through 8 in this South Phoenix location.
Chrysalis Academy
Located in Tempe, Chrysalis Academy is approved by the Arizona Department of Education as a private autism school. The school maintains a 2:1 student to staff ratio. The staff is made up of certified special education teachers, BCBAs, speech, music, and occupational therapists, and a reading specialist.
Gateway Academy
Unlike the other schools, Gateway Academy focuses on the educational needs of individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, high functioning autism (HFA), and PDD-NOS. The school, located in Scottsdale, focuses on both the educational and social needs of their targeted population. Additionally, the staff uses multi-age classrooms to encourage learning across age levels.
Pieceful Solutions
Pieceful Solutions is one of the newer autism-specific schools in Arizona. The school’s temporary location is on the campus of Red Mountain Community Church in Mesa. Pieceful Solutions serves students in preschool through fifth grade with both full and half time program options available.
Students in the full time program will attend school for six hours a day, five days a week. The half-day program option is available in the mornings or afternoons and students will attend for three hours per day, five days a week.
Pieceful Solutions’ preschool program serves children aged two through five that have aged out of the state’s Early Intervention program.
As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders continues to rise, it is likely that more specialized autism schools will open their doors in Arizona.
 |
