Middle School
We recognize the unique needs of middle schoolers with learning and behavior differences and structure our program to help them become independent learners and engaged community members.
Teachers and clinicians partner with families to develop an Individualized Transdisciplinary Educational Plan (ITEP) for each student. This identifies the student’s specific needs, objectives, strategies and experiences for the school year.
Middle School Academics
School Life
Students participate in a daily homeroom pod, where they check in each morning and bring closure to each day to provide consistency and routine. This system helps establish community among the students, increases socialization and strengthens organizational skills. Throughout the day, students may be paired with students from different pods and pathways.
With parental input, students learn on one of two pathways:
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The Diploma Pathway for on-grade-level instruction leading to a traditional high school diploma.
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The Skills and Achievement Pathway for functional skills and a certificate of completion.
Middle School Electives
To expand learning beyond core academics and provide a rich program, BSA offers the following electives:
Daily Living
Skills
To promote independence and generalization, students are taught daily living and hygiene skills. These include but are not limited to making a bed, washing their face, brushing their teeth, washing and folding laundry, cleaning skills, basic kitchen training, and more.
Music Education & Therapy
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Research has clearly demonstrated the benefits of music in the education of students with autism and other neurodiverse conditions. Music therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps reduce stress, improve self-esteem and more.
Art Education & Therapy
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Art activates different parts of the brain than other classes and gives students a creative outlet. It can improve communication and concentration; help reduce feelings of isolation; increase social interactions; and increase self-esteem, confidence and self-awareness.
Extracurricular Clubs & Activities
Clubs and activities are a crucial part to student engagement and socialization. At BSA, these are student-driven, based on their interests and individualized schedules with a staff sponsor for guidance.
Therapeutic Services
The BSA unique transdisciplinary approach differentiates us from other schools. Every student has a team of teachers and clinicians with a lead person who oversees the student and all planning. This team collaborates daily to integrate therapeutic services and educational lessons throughout the day. Therapeutic services include:
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Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
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Speech and Language Pathology
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Occupational Therapy
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Social/Emotional Support
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Mental Health Counseling
Ongoing Assessments
The BSA ITEP team meets weekly to review progress, recognize successes and make program adjustments where necessary to ensure goals are met. Our team communicates regularly with parents to ensure the student’s needs are being met. In addition, two ITEP meetings are held yearly with the entire team and parents.
Quarterly progress reports are issued for students, and parents can see more frequent updates in the parent portal.