Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) today announced the opening of the CARD Academy schools in Phoenix and Chandler, Ariz. They are opening two private day schools for individuals with autism that use applied behavior analysis in the approach.
CARD Academy is a place where children and families can learn, play and thrive. The curriculum is based on the Department of Education standards and is enhanced by CARD’s own assessment and curriculum called SKILLS®, a technology used by teachers and administrators to organize lesson plans, track progress, identify trends and allocate resources such as extra training. SKILLS® is aligned with the Common Core curriculum.
“We are thrilled to open schools in Arizona that will offer students with autism an individualized education where they can grow and thrive,” said CARD Academy senior managing supervisor, Mary Ann Cassell, MA, BCBA, LBA.
CARD Academy is designed after the CARD home-based therapy program for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has developed an institution focused on teaching excellence. Students receive a personalized curriculum based on their performance on several assessments. Once the assessment process is completed, teachers and administrators work to create a dynamic Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Student/teacher ratios range from 1:1 to 4:1 based upon need.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that one in every 68 children in America is diagnosed with ASD, with one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls diagnosed. This is more than a 30 percent increase since the 2008 report.
As the prevalence of ASD has increased, services for children with ASD have not always kept pace with demand. As a result, families affected by ASD may encounter challenges when trying to access the services that are crucial to their child’s development, such as an individualized education in the classroom.
