Lionsgate Academy: A new school for older autistic students
Lionsgate Academy is a new charterschool for autistic children in grades 6 to 10 in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and is set to open its doors in fall of 2008, as noted today’s Star Tribune (subscription only; the school’s website provides more information). Currently, Lionsgate Academy is searching for a location; according to its newsletter, it is seeking a site and building that will be best suited for the learning and sensory needs of autistic children. Some of the criteria include “sufficient flexible indoor space, with minimal distractions”; proximity to “other community resources (such as businesses, sites of worship, or other schools) that can serve as places of integration and inclusion for our students with the greater community at large”; and access both “bus lines for our older students to arrive at school independently” and to “sufficient outdoor space for the students to have sensory/physical breaks to be in the right physical state for learning.”
While some of the students were able to attend classes with non-disabled students, parents felt that this sort of school setting—separate, yes, but where their children were not the ones without friends struggling through the potential jungle of the cafeteria and passing period—was preferable, and I am reminded of a discussion last week about some parents who feel that inclusion is not for every student. What sort of opportunities will be created for Lionsgate students to interact with typical students? Is it ever possible to make a “separate” school truly “equal”?
9 opinions for Lionsgate Academy: A new school for older autistic students
Marla
Dec 10, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Inclusion has never worked for Maizie. Her best classroom experiences were in special need classes with children of similar levels. The best school and teacher were when we lived in New Jersey.
I think there is no one fits all answer when it comes to schooling. I would love to have a school here that is specifically designed for autistic children. Of course, I wonder how the child gets accepted and cost is a huge issue. I suppose, ideally public mainstream schools would be designed to fit the sensory needs of autistic children to begin with. Most children would benefit. But, I guess that is a pipe dream.
Kassiane
Dec 10, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Theres a chartered school in one of the mountainy states for autistic kids that is apparently wonderful. I know the mom of one of the kids who goes there…he’s jumped a grade and a half in a year because everyone believes he can do the work (as opposed to giving him stuff 2 years behind him), he has friends, he is less overwhelmed, he constantly says he prefers the new school.
Sometimes the least restrictive environment ISN’T the one with “one’s typical peers”.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Dec 10, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I’m very curious about this school—we used to live in St. Paul and I don’t know if Charlie would have been a candidate. I like that the directors are seeking a site for the school in the community, rather than somewhere “out of the way.”
Becca
Dec 11, 2007 at 4:55 pm
We live in the area where the Academy will be, and I am relieved that this might be a choice for our son when he reaches that age. I remember how cruel kids are at that age to any kid who stands out from the crowd, and if there comes a time when the positives of inclusion (e.g. social interaction) outweigh the negatives (misery from being picked on, singled out) I would certainly consider a dedicated school an option.
It seems to me that elementary school kids are kinder and more accepting up until junior high, that there is that difficult period in between, and that by late teens and into early college the kids have matured enough to once again be more accepting of one another — and it’s easier for “different” kids to find their niche.
I’m confused about why many think that social skills can only be learned in mainstream/inclusion classrooms. Wouldn’t autistic kids learn the same skills from each other? e.g. sharing, learning to listen to each other, accepting each other’s strengths and weaknesses, etc. Isn’t it a firmly held belief amongst “autism parents” that each kid is unique, different, despite having the same diagnosis? So what can’t they learn from each other that they’d learn from “typical” kids? Even in an autism school, they’d certainly be exposed to many different kinds of kids, with different aptitudes. How would this be different from, say, a science school or an art school? For the sake of this argument, I’m taking for granted that the autism school would be academically sound…not just a “holding pen”.
Melanie, Bobby's mom
Dec 13, 2007 at 12:58 am
Hmm - inclusion. It would be nice in theory, but we’re not ready yet. Bobby can do the academics of his peers and a little beyond, but he’s too distractable and distracting at the same time. I like the side-by-side model that Bobby’s current school uses - he’s in a self-contained little pre-k but field trips, music, art, PE, recess and other special stuff are all held with the “typical” kids in the other pre-k class in the building. It seems to be good exposure for both groups of kids. The “typical” kids get used to kids who are different, whether in behavior or in physical abilities (leg braces don’t hold one little kid back at all!) and Bobby’s little class gets interaction with and modeling from the other kids. I hope we can get a kindergarten with the same set-up for next year! The Atlanta area has a few autism-specific private schools, but they are all a LONG drive away.
Deborah
Jan 29, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I just heard about this school today from my son’s social skills teacher. I live in St. Paul. I’m going to find out all I can because I think it’s a great idea. I’m exploring the idea of going back to school to get either a teaching certificate in Special Ed or a Master’s in Autism so I can work with kids on the spectrum. I might apply for a job at Lionsgate. I’m fairly happy with where my son is now, in a Lutheran high school with a social skills class at a nearby public school, but it’s not ideal. I think he would do better with teachers and fellow students who understand his special needs.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jan 29, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Great to hear from you—–we lived in St. Paul (near Macalester College) when Charlie was diagnosed in 1999. That sounds great about getting a certificate to teach autistic kids; my son still needs 1:1 teaching and there’s never enough teachers and instructors. Best wishes—
Michelle
Feb 26, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I am THRILLED they are opening and praying hard that my daughter gets in. She will be in 9th grade next year and is miserable at school this year, in fact the last three have been very tough on her - I have to go in and call mtg’s all the time to ensure they are even teaching her or not pressuring her to do things that cause extreme anxiety for her. I wish for everyone who has an ASD child that they had an option like this for school if they needed it! Hooray for Lionsgate Academy!
Melody
Jun 8, 2008 at 7:59 am
I plan to get a degree in special education and to open a school specifically geared toward autistic students, to make sure that it includes autistics of a wide range of abilities and interests. If it weren’t for the arts school that we found, I would’ve been very interested in a school such as I imagine.
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