Board OKs autism school expansion

A new charter school that is tailored to students with high-functioning autism got the go-ahead from state charter officials to expand enrollment after having an overwhelming number of applicants.

Spectrum Academy, which was approved last year, had planned on 150 students for its 2006-07 opening year. So far they have received 230 applications.

After an enrollment lottery last week, around 80 families didn't make the cut, so school leaders petitioned the charter board for an expansion approval. Now they only need the State Board of Education to sign off on it.

"We had a lot of upset parents because they were set on getting their kids in here — there are not a lot of options," said Hanneke Leonard, academy spokeswoman and a parent at the school.

"Parents have said, 'The school answer to our prayers, I can sleep better at night now knowing my child has a place to go.' "

Spectrum is being built in North Salt Lake and targets students diagnosed with high-functioning autism, also known as Asperger's syndrome.

Leonard said students with high-functioning autism often have normal to high IQs, but need special attention due to different learning styles and social difficulties.

Because it is a public school, non-autistic children can also be admitted and it will charge no tuition.

The curriculum will follow the state core but will be multi-sensory to accommodate all learning styles. Social skills training will be broken down into individual steps so that students can learn to better interact with people.

Leonard said sensory issues like lights, noise and smells can bother such students. The school's design will put the students on a "sensory diet" — soft lighting, natural tones, etc. — to protect them from sensory overload.

Classrooms will have 15-20 students, one teacher, one aide and two to three volunteers. The K-8 school will offer classes focusing on social skills training, ways of dealing with sensory issues and helping students develop a positive self-image.

Leonard said school leaders want to expand in the future into other areas to meet the needs of a growing population of autistic children.

The Carmen Pingree school, a private school for autistic children, is one of the only other institutions in the state that specifically addresses the needs of autistic children. But it charges tuition of more than $23,000 a year.

Leonard, who currently has a son attending the Pingree school, said her family has taken out mortgages and loans to fund his education.

"Parents will do anything to give their kids a good education and a head start in life," Leonard said. "There's nothing like (the Spectrum Academy), and most of these parents are coming to us frustrated and want the very best for their children."

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