Why Families Choose Gateway Academy
Gateway Academy takes education to the next level, providing students with an all-inclusive, supportive school community that accepts them for their unique perspectives. Our state-certified teachers inspire creativity and dedicate themselves to finding each student’s passion and incorporating that passion into their learning. At Gateway, students feel safe, heard, and supported, which allows them to be the best that they can be!
Student Profile
Gateway Academy provides a unique educational environment for students eleven to nineteen years of age who are diagnosed with High Functioning Autism and struggle with poor social skills, high sensitivity to criticism, lack of organizational and study skills, discrepant verbal and performance skills, poor performance in one or more academic area, difficulty with written expression, or a stubborn, opinionated demeanor.
We meet the needs of students with:
- A superior vocabulary
- Advanced ideas and opinions
- High levels of creativity and problem-solving ability
- A curious, imaginative, and inquisitive wide range of interests not related to school
- Penetrating insight into a complex issue
- Specific talent or consuming interest areas
- A sophisticated sense of humor
Achieving the best for each student according to their needs and abilities
Our students thrive on intellectual challenges in their area of interest and ability. Many of our students do their best when given work that engages multiple senses and offers opportunities for hands-on learning.
Our Students Get:
Individualized Support
Because students have varying levels of difficulties and needs, Gateway offers the highest level of education and support. Proper support includes accommodations to allow students to develop and challenge their gifts. It is essential for our students to feel as though they are being noticed for their gifts rather than their struggles/weaknesses. Appropriate interventions address both their academic and social-emotional needs.
Support comes in several forms:
- Encouragement
- Compensation strategies
- Accommodations in the child’s academic and social gaps
- Lessons in time-management and organizational skills
- Extra time on tests
- Reduced homework
Individually Tailored Education Programs
We adopt a multidisciplinary approach to education with individually tailored education programs designed to meet the needs of the student. This team includes teachers, staff, therapists, educational psychologists, and psychiatrists.
Our students’ education is differentiated according to each student’s ability. The development of communication, personal, and social skills usually forms a large part of their plan, with an emphasis placed on establishing appropriate social and emotional behavior in school and community settings.
A Positive Structure
Many of our students have experienced difficulties in mainstream school settings. They may have been excluded from school or have had problems at home because of their complex and challenging needs. Later school start time allows students and their families to settle back into education at a more relaxed pace, while developing a positive structure and routine in a safe environment.
A Pathway Towards Independence
Almost every student we provide for has previously experienced difficulties in their education, which is why we intend to provide our students with stability and maximize their individual potential. Our school offers the highest level of integrated education and support in a safe, structured, and positive environment. This framework ensures security, develops self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-reliance to provide a pathway towards independence.
