Wissahickon High School sees positive results from new autistic support classroom

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 February 2012 22:11

LOWER GWYNEDD — Wissahickon High School debuted its new autistic support classroom this fall, and the district is already seeing positive results from the program.

Wissahickon High School sees positive results from new autistic support classroom

By THOMAS CELONA
tcelona@journalregister.com
Posted: 02/08/12 02:53 pm

http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/120209617&;;pager=full_story

LOWER GWYNEDD — Wissahickon High School debuted its new autistic support classroom this fall, and the district is already seeing positive results from the program.

The school board received a report on the new classroom during its Jan. 23 meeting.

“The district is very proud of our special education programs and most notably the autistic support program,” Assistant Superintendent Christopher Marchese said.

While there are autistic support classrooms at the elementary and middle school levels, the high school opened its first classroom this September, according to Kelle Heim-McCloskey, director of student services.

Previously, students with autism had received academic support outside of the district. The district made the decision to return an autistic support program to the high school both because it believed it could provide better education in-house and could provide services at a lower cost than an outside provider, according to district officials.

The classroom opened with four students taught by a certified teacher and two classroom aides, according to Heim-McCloskey. The district estimates two to four students will enter the high school program each year.

Classroom programming centers on academics, vocational training, transitional living skills, community-based learning and related special education services through the use of applied behavioral analysis and direct instruction, according to Heim-McCloskey.

“The program has received a warm welcome from the students and staff alike up at the high school,” Heim-McCloskey said. “The students are truly experiencing being a part of the high school community through the academic participation of ceramics, ballroom dancing, social studies, physical education, as well as through real job exploration programs that are internally and externally at the high school.”

She said students can choose from a variety of jobs, from setting up the high school science labs or the cafeteria to working at HomeGoods or Montgomery Hospital.

“The main objective of the program is to focus on transitioning the students to be as independent as possible upon turning 21,” Heim-McCloskey said.

To that end, the program focuses on daily living activities and includes trips to the grocery store, post office and restaurants for real world instruction.

In addition to benefiting the students in the classroom, the program has benefited the general education students by having students with autism back at the high school, according to Heim-McCloskey.

“They’re building a friendship,” she said. “They’re seeing the kids as part of the community, and they’re welcoming them.”

In the future, the district hopes to further develop the program with increased job training opportunities and continued professional development for teachers, according to Heim-McCloskey.

“The program yielded many positive results this year, and we hope to continue to build on the program to be a model classroom as our classes are at the elementary and middle school,” she said.

“It’s been a win-win for the district,” Superintendent Judith Clark said. “This was a big undertaking bringing these classrooms back. ... I think that the program is going to continue to blossom.”

http://www.timesherald.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/120209617&;pager=full_story

Wissahickon High School sees positive results from new autistic support classroom

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