Summit Academy

We employ a unique team approach that includes special education teachers, speech-language professionals, and other specialized providers working together to help students acquire the communication, social, motor, and academic skills necessary for kindergarten. Our teaching methods incorporate applied behavior analysis (ABA), an evidence-based instructional approach based on the science of learning and behavior. We carefully monitor each student’s progress to ensure they are achieving new milestones.

Summit Academy offers both full- and half-day programs depending on a child’s needs. In addition to our traditional special education classroom, our school offers integrated classrooms when appropriate.

Integrated Preschool Program

Summit Academy operates an integrated preschool program that serves children with and without developmental disabilities. This allows children with developmental disabilities to play and learn together with typically developing children from our Discovery Kids Child Care Center. As a result, students with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to absorb important language and social interaction skills with support from their special education team. The program blends the best practices of early childhood education and special education so that all children maximally benefit from the experience.

Summit Academy’s school-age program consists of classrooms of six, eight, or 12 students. Each student has a team of professionals which includes a special education teacher; instructional assistants and aides; behavior support professionals; speech, occupational, and physical therapists; curriculum coordinators, and more. Faculty and staff members have specialized expertise in applied behavior analysis, an evidence-based therapy grounded in the science of behavior and learning. This allows them to build the skills and confidence of each student while promoting academic, social, and functional growth.

Summit Academy offers a range of services which reduce behaviors that interfere with learning and foster self-help, self-management, and daily living skills. Intensive supports, including functional analysis and intervention development, are available for students who display severe problem behaviors. Implementation of all procedures, as well as the students’ progress, are monitored and reviewed regularly.

Throughout the school year, students have robust opportunities for academic instruction, leisure activities, creative arts, and adapted physical education. Depending on the needs of the students, academics and related services may be delivered in a highly-structured setting with a rich ratio of staff to students, or in a naturalistic or generalized situation.

Our on-site nursing staff are available to communicate with parents/caregivers and deliver and track medical information.

Older students need abundant opportunities to build greater independence and experience real-world daily living. At the secondary level, our educational program is centered around post-school placements and opportunities.

The curriculum at Summit Academy Hazelwood and Summit Academy Elmwood focuses on the development of functional academics, leisure, domestic, and self-help skills in a very of settings, including a simulated home environment at school. Students might practice functional academics by creating a budget or develop their domestic skills by preparing a favorite food. A highly qualified team of special education teachers, transition specialists, and related professionals work together to determine a schedule and individualized education program that meets the needs of the student and the family as they plan and prepare for adulthood. When appropriate, this may include vocational training, which could take place on-site at one of our various business partners.

Students in the Summit Academy Paddock Vocational Training Center program have many strengths and take great pride in their work. When they are ready, our students benefit from 1:1 instruction and on-site training, and the business benefits from the student’s desire to learn while using this cost-effective solution.

SummitUp is part of a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to help Summit Academy achieve high quality instruction for our students.  It is web-based software designed, developed, and testing by experts at The Summit Center.

Because children with autism and related disabilities learn differently from non-disabled children, they typically do not benefit from published curricula for reading, math, science and other academic areas. With SummitUp, teachers spend less time on paperwork and can reinvest that time with their students.

SummitUp Benefits at a Glance

• Individualized lesson plans. Teachers can access an extensive library of lesson plans that includes definitions, instructional steps, and strategies for teaching.
• Differentiated instruction within groups. Teachers can individualize their approach for each student and their ability while instructing a group of students.
• Progress monitoring in real time. Data are collected and graphed as it’s input, so teaches and supervisors can monitor progress.
• Individual historical data are stored. Teaches and administrators can see each child’s academic progress history on one page.
• Consistency from year to year. New teaches can quickly see which lesson plans have been achieved in the past and those that come next.
• Alert notifications. The system enables users to set alerts that notify the user when certain standards and conditions haven’t been achieved (e.g., progress on lesson plans).