The Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) is now enrolling for the upcoming school year for its Community School. SARRC’s Community School emphasizes kindergarten readiness by fostering a rich social environment that supports social, emotional and academic growth for every child.
Daniel Openden, President and CEO of Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the Community School and how it fosters inclusivity.
“It’s an innovative program in that our kids with autism are getting treatment in an inclusive environment alongside their piers without autism,” Openden said.
The school is for both kids with autism and those who do not have it, and they learn in a blended classroom environment. They have campuses in Tempe, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa, where each campus serves students ages 15 months to 5 years old, with the process of learning being through “play.”
“For kids with autism we are using play to motivate kids to learn to talk, to communicate,” he said. “For typically developing kids we are using play as a way to motivate them to want to interact with the kids with autism, but also to learn all sorts of academic skills.”
A unique idea that the program brings is the benefits towards the typically developing kids, and it is not focused on only the inclusivity of the kids with autism.
There ratio for the classrooms are very small, having just 3-4 students per 1 teacher, which develops the relationships and immersive learning experience. It also has really low tuition rates, extending its days by an extra 4 hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) compared to other schools (9 a.m.-1.p.m.), with cost at around $900 a month.
“At SARRC, we are as committed to improving the behaviors and skills of people with autism as we are the behaviors and skill of the communities they live,” Daniel said. “That’s why Phoenix has been named the most autism friendly city in the world and it starts in preschool where the typical kids learn aside the kids with autism.”
