Joseph Morrow, PhD, BCBA, President of Applied Behavior Consultants, received the Outstanding Service Award presented by Families for Effective Autism Treatment. Models are being developed for middle and high school students. May Center for Child Development Schools, Randolph. The academy provides a therapeutic educational environment where students develop skills to become effective learners, gain personal insight, and develop coping strategies for their social-emotional challenges. Tuition is covered by the sending school district for those who qualify. The center has licensed speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. The Groden Network is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in autism services. Allen J. Frances, MD, Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Duke Medical Center, has stated that "Imagine has developed a uniquely integrated approach that combines creatively what are usually seen as the two leading competing methods, Applied Behavioral Therapy and DIR/Floortime. 
The school believes physical structure, work systems, daily schedules, and visual organization help students transition successfully, organize time and space, build independence, increase flexibility, and obtain vocational skills.
Stan Heffner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, has stated that "The ranking list is a powerful tool we can use to see how local schools stack up with similar communities around the state.". The class teachers continue with a class from one year to the next throughout the elementary and middle school classes to develop close relationships with students and teachers. Pace School uses evidence-based practices. Psycho-educational and behavioral techniques are used along with a structured, developmentally stimulating curriculum appropriate to each student's level. The student's home school district pays the tuition. 
NewHope Academy serves students ages 11 through 21 in grades six through 12 with autism, emotional disabilities, learning disabilities, and other health impairments. The school has been recognized for innovation by the New Jersey School Board Association and ASAH, a nonprofit organization of private schools and agencies serving students with disabilities. Spectrum Charter School, Inc., is a two-year Partner of Duquesne University and The Autism Society of Pittsburgh's Transition Project---a grant originating from the PA Department of Public Welfare, Bureau of Autism Services. Connie Erbert, Heartspring's Director of Autism Research, received the 2011 Lindt USA Unsung Hero Autism Award. The institute offers a wide range of programs to support the inclusion of kids with special needs. The program was developed in collaboration with New York University and Hunter College, continuing with the partnership of Dorothy Siegel, Senior Project Director, NYU Stenhardt School of Education, and Shirley Cohen, Professor of Special Education, Hunter College, CUNY. She also serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors of the Autism Society of America. 
The Edutopia website, part of the notable George Lucas Educational Foundation, called the Virginia Institute of Autism "a leading private school for autism." The academy provides an appropriate foundation in the areas of academics, daily living skills, behavior, independence, and vocational skills. We strongly encourage parents to thoroughly research any of the schools on the list they're considering. thebestschools.org is an advertising-supported site.
All referrals are required to come through the home school districts's department of special education. The programs consist of highly structured, consistent-behavior-based instruction, combined with opportunities to generalize new skills and behaviors through being involved in community-based outings. Alpine Learning Group received a resolution from New Jersey assembly woman Joan Voss recognizing its outstanding program for students with special needs. Kennedy Krieger Institute educational programs include a K--8 program, the Kennedy Krieger High School, the LEAP program, the Montgomery County campus, the public school partnership program, and the physically challenged sports and recreation program. The school reports being frequently recommended by the faculty and staff of Duke University's Autism program. The center uses applied behavior analysis. The New York City Department of Education provides the ASD Nest program at 23 locations, serving more than 500 children on the autism spectrum.
Teachers use the SCERTS framework in every class. Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA), Fishers. She co-authored Relaxation: A Comprehensive Manual for Adults, Children, and Children with Special Needs. The May Institute received the 2007 Award for Enduring Programmatic Contributions in Behavior Analysis from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis. When a student is placed at VIA through an IEP team decision, the tuition is paid by the local school district. Children receive seven hours of intensive, hands-on educational training, behavior modification, and cognitive-sensory-based activities. Integrated multidisciplinary teams of psychologists, counselors, social workers, and therapists work with professional educators to develop relationship-based behavioral and cognitive plans, and to design tracking and reflection systems which support the student's work through the school's Level System. The students receive individualized behavioral, academic, and vocational programming. The classrooms provide a 1:1.5 technician-to-student ratio for students ages three to nine and a 1:2 ratio for students ages nine to 12. Professionals, neurologists, and pediatricians within the community also host monthly workshops for parents to learn about the newest approaches to help children with autism. Individualized preacademic as well as academic programs are provided to children and youths ages three to 21.
Heartspring believes all individuals with autism spectrum disorders deserve and require evidence-based interventions and services which allow them to reach their full potential and participate as fully as possible with family, communit,y and school life. Camphill Special School, a nonprofit, nationally recognized school, is a Waldorf school, serving children with a variety of autism spectrum disorders and other cognitive and developmental disabilities. The knowledge the institute's educational professionals have acquired through their unique experiences is shared through the institute's individualized educational training and consultant programs and its work with the Maryland State Department of Education. We realize there are some very good schools worthy of consideration not included in the list. The programs include a wide array of opportunities, including individual, small-group, and large-group instruction; home visits, family resources; community exploration; integrated experiences; sensory integration activities; as well as assistance with school and other programmatic transitions. The academy provides onsite occupational and speech therapy and has a 1:1.5 student-to-staff ratio. The Land Park Academy provides services to Sacramento Valley school districts. In many of our articles here at TheBestSchools.org, we rank schools and provide positive recommendations about programs; and even though we check and double-check our facts, if we've made a mistake or missed something, it's unlikely to have drastic consequences. The dedication serving children with the most significant challenges is experienced the moment one steps into the building and feels the warmth, caring and commitment to help each child realize his or her potential.". Mariposa School for Children with Autism, a non-profit organization, provides intensive instruction year-round to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Not so with this article.
Classes have one teacher and one teacher assistant per six kids, with additional support from clinicians and aides, including one-to-one programs, where needed. BACA has two buildings in Fishers, as well as facilities in Zionsville/Whitestown and Elkhart, Indiana. The academy has multiple Sacramento campus locations.
The school's mission is providing school-to-work transition instruction in the classroom and on-site business and community-based work sites for students ages 13 to 21.
New England Center for Children (NECC), Southborough. The center has received praise from Michael Slutsky, Executive Director of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation. The VB-MAPP combines the procedures and teaching methodology of ABA with Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior. Please read the description of the May Center for Child Development Schools located in the Massachusetts section of the list. The program includes intensive one-to-one sessions and small group sessions which teach children to relate to their classmates and participate cooperatively in group activities.
The schools provide physical, occupational, and speech therapists, as well as family support services and training, including counselors, family therapists, and social workers. The programs help students become aware of their social skills difficulties and teaches students how to compensate and overcome them. So, as you read this article, please do not take it as the final word.
The Monarch Institute received the Mental Health Association Award 2010 for outstanding community leadership. The school received a resolution from New Jersey assembly woman Joan Voss recognizing its outstanding program for students with special needs. The school provides individualized student-focused programming using research-based procedures. Our list includes nationally recognized schools, as well as schools which have received special recognition from an expert or organization, a notable award, or a ranking from a notable organization. Preschool and school-aged children attend school five days per week. The schools offer full-day, year-round educational services to children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. Krapes stated "People move here for the quality of the programs.
The Institute for Educational Achievement has a 1:1 staff-to-student ratio. The school serves students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders from three to 22 years of age. The academy offers intensive, individualized educational programs developed for each student based on assessments to determine skill deficits, general adaptive functioning, and behaviors interfering with learning. The Children's Institute promotes self-determination in every student to help him or her become independent and productive members of the community. The Monarch School serves students in Pre-K through 12th grade and provides a post-graduate program. The decision may have a profound and lasting impact on the child's life and family.
The programs are provided through their nationally recognized day schools and partnership programs in public schools across Maryland.
The school has about 150 students. The institute teaches students ages three through 21. The Forum School, founded in 1954, is a nonprofit day program for developmentally atypical children from three through 16 years of age. The Edutopia website, part of the notable George Lucas Educational Foundation, reports that the Kendall School has received praise for its program. The school has 105 students. The institute uses the organizational model and curriculum created, tested, and refined by the Princeton Child Development Center Institute. The school received national recognition in Newsweek's "Kids Who Don't Fit In," by Lorraine Ali (2007). Instruction is presented via activity schedules consisting of one-to-one instructional sessions. The school reports that the verbal behavior programming supported by the Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Initiative has proven to significantly increase language acquisition and functional use of language. Discover schools with the programs and courses youre interested in, and start learning today. Kendall School & Therapeutic Pathways, Inc., is an agency and school serving students with autism spectrum disorders. Alpine Learning Group, a non-profit education and treatment program, specializes in serving individuals with autism. The school provides therapeutic education for individuals with neurological differences such as those associated with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, mood disorders, and others. They're the co-creators of The Ziggurat Model, a book on designing interventions for students with Asperger's Disorder and high-functioning autism. According to the Autism Research Institute, Dr. June Groden is regarded as one of the pioneers in the field of autism and developmental disabilities. He is a PhD, and Mark and Carl have co-authored a number of studies.". For over 50 years the Children's Institute has developed the academic, behavioral, social, communication, career, and life skills of children, adolescents, and young adults on the autism spectrum and with related disabilities. Ascent plays an integral role in writing curriculum for New York State's only Master's in Autism Education program. The school uses scientifically developed teaching techniques and a curriculum individually tailored to build upon each student's strengths. The program, offered in supportive neighborhood schools, helps kids learn how to function well academically, socially, and behaviorally in school as well as in their community. Students are grouped together by abilities, not by grade level.
The tuition is covered by the state. The Kendall Schools are located in Elk Grove, Modesto, Sacramento, Stockton-Lodi-Galt, and Tracy, California. The Groden Center, part of the Groden Network, offers day and residential programs to children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. All educational costs are covered by the Autism Scholarship or directly by school districts. Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a dissemination site of the Princeton Child Development Institute, uses the organizational model and curriculum created, tested, and refined by the Princeton Child Development Institute. The program consists of highly structured, consistent-cognitive and community-based instruction based solely on the principles of positive reinforcement through the school and camp curriculum. Teachers are certified in special education by the New Jersey Department of Education. The full-day school program serves middle school and high school students and runs for 40 weeks. The Mariposa School for Children with Autism reports that they reassess every student's skills on a daily basis to monitor and modify teaching strategies as required. Students participate in various activities which encourage them to interact with their peers, while promoting communication and social skills. There are excellent schools that have not received recognition from notable sources, awards, or rankings. The school provides a full-day, year-long academic and behavioral treatment program for students ages three to 21, preschool through 12th grade. The education program at the Rebecca School fosters a child's ability to communicate, relate, and think. Students in the upper-school classes participate in a work-readiness program called SKIL (Seeking Knowledge for Independent Living). The academy was named a School of Excellence in 2010-11 and 2011-12 by the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). The program uses art as a context for learning, introducing students to a wide array of artistic opportunities using hands-on creative processes tailored to maintaining academic and behavioral progress---returning to school ready to learn. Autistic Services offers full-year school services to students ages five through 21. The staff includes teachers, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and social workers. Institute for Educational Achievement (IEA), New Milford. The ASD Horizon program is provided in self-contained classes in community schools to kids on the autism spectrum who work well in a classroom with a ratio of six students to two adults. The Monarch Institute has trained more than 5000 administrators, teachers, and religious educators at Monarch training, presentations, and consultations. Applied Behavior Consultants trains staff members nationally and internationally. May Center for Child Development schools are part of the May Institute, an award-winning nonprofit active center for research and training. The school provides visual, dramatic, movement arts, musical, and practical skills. Also, the school reports having a low staff-to-student ratio. The school serves students from 18 months to 12 years of age.