Aaron O'Neil, Program Director of the High Road School of Wright City, recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Warren County Record entitled "Preparing Students for Independence." In this letter, Aaron discussed the importance of the work he and his staff do to prepare their students for life beyond the classroom. "We work to ensure our students have the resources, knowledge and confidence to enter the workforce. Individualized career assessments, mock interviews, training programs and assistance with local job placement are integrated into our curriculum. Our team strives to help our students become happy, productive members of society [...]

Thomas Roberts, Program Director of the Sierra School at Main Street, recently wrote an opinion piece in the The Daily Camera entitled "Learn About Individuals With Autism." "April marks Autism Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise understanding, beyond the statistics, about people who are differently abled. It is about real people — children, adults and families affected. As a community, it’s important to take time to pause and learn more about this integral part of our population. Inclusion is important for everyone and individuals with autism should not be left out." – Thomas Roberts, Program Director, Sierra School of Main [...]

Amy Farmer, Education Director at <a href="https://catapultlearning.com/schools/best-academy/">B.E.S.T. Academy</a>, recently wrote an opinion piece in the <em>The CT Mirror</em> entitled "Helping Students With Autism Reach Their Goals." <div class="subscriber-only"> <blockquote>"While our students might interpret the world differently, their thoughts, fears and hopes are no less important. It’s part of our job to ensure they reach their goals. Our students aged 18 to 21 are about to enter the real world. That can be very scary to the families we serve. To help our students prepare, we encourage participation in our Transition program, which provides the opportunity to gain real jobs skills [...]