BEST Academy staff and students participated in our Fall Festival this October. Ms. Dirzius and Ms. Williams greeted everyone as Mario and Luigi. Students picked pumpkins from our patch and were able to decorate pumpkins. Classrooms did fall themed read aloud and did some crafting that allowing students an opportunity to work on social skills within the classroom. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS!
This fall in Speech and Occupational Therapy, we embraced all things fall with festive, hands-on activities! Students participated in edible crafts, games, reading comprehension exercises, multi-step direction tasks, and engaging fine and visual motor activities. One of the highlights was creating Pumpkin Patch Pudding Cups in small groups. Small group activities encourage social interaction and peer engagement while reinforcing both speech-language and occupational therapy goals. For this fun project, students used Oreos, candy corn, sprinkles, and pudding cups to build their pumpkin patches. They followed a visual recipe that guided them step-by-step through the process. [...]
Families with children on the Autism Spectrum face unique challenges and experiences. Each family’s journey is different, filled with both struggles and triumphs. We want to share their stories, insights, and advice to help and inspire other families going through similar experiences. As part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Mary DiCarlo. Mary DiCarlo is a mom of two daughters, Sabrina, 27, a special education teacher, and Summer, 19. She has devoted to her life to being a stay-at-home mother to care for Summer who has autism and other medical issues. Mary lives in East Haven, [...]
Table of Contents Finding the Right Fit Unwavering Support and Preparation for the Future When Mary enrolled her daughter, Summer, at BEST Academy in 2017, she hoped for a supportive environment where Summer could thrive. Today, nearly seven years later, Mary reflects on how BEST Academy has exceeded her expectations, providing her daughter with the tools to grow academically and socially. From her very first visit to the school, Mary said she recognized BEST Academy was the right choice. "Immediately I could tell it was the school for us,” she [...]
Ms. Dirzius has been a constant emotional and educational support over the past month to both staff and students. She entered the remote learning environment with energy, enthusiasm and an immediate focus on problem solving. She has actively been involved in all levels of this new educational process: gathering materials, participating in synchronous learning events, assisting with technology issues, creating new documentation systems and mailing asynchronous packets. Our whole team has benefited from her expertise and support. She responds to their needs and questions without hesitation and never has a limit on her ideas and solutions. She tackles any [...]
Kyle joined us in the Fall of this year, entering the Special Education field for the first time since completing his BA in Psychology. He has a strong commitment to youth with special needs, having been involved in adaptive karate locally. He quickly has become an integral part of the BEST Academy community. He is willing to work with any student, building strong connections with even the most complex students. He is eager to learn and constantly active and involved. Kyle’s coworkers have recognized his willingness to learn and support in any situation. He responds quickly to any area of [...]
Adam had many sensory challenges when he joined BEST Academy. Over time, he has accessed coping mechanisms to assist with visual and auditory stimulation. His favorite activities are washing dishes, finding the water soothing, and taking walks. For his comfort, we have purchased He has taken these skills and been able to transition to a new classroom recently, readily accepting new peers, new sounds and sights. Adam has taught us a great deal. He let us into his unique world and allowed us to share our world with him. He has a smile that will light up a room! This [...]
Amanda is always happy to assist with any need at any time, exuding confidence and kindness. She never seems hurried or concerned, making each student feel special and important. These traits were increasingly evident this month as she was more active throughout the school building as she filled in for Nurse Mike’s absence. This Fall, she accepted an additional responsibility as one of our three Qualified Professionals. This role supports our campus RN by addressing basic first aid needs, assisting with medication regimes and generally being a constant voice of calm and positivity. In the past month, Amanda has been [...]
Andrew was chosen as student of the month for November in yellow room. He entered transition at the beginning of this school year and moved with us in the month of October. He has handled these many changes so well. This month he has attended gym with our class and for the past two weeks, he has worked at 99 Restaurant. He washes the tables and is even beginning to set up the silverware. He demonstrates a willingness to work hard there. Andrew has demonstrated such an improvement in his patience and understanding when those around him say [...]
Kyli is a dynamic, creative and energetic staff member. She assists students gain coping mechanisms for times of difficulty, allowing them to increase their confidence and independence. She orchestrates Social Skills, creating environments in which friendships can grow. She provides professional developments for our staff, so all members of the team can expand their knowledge base and more competently educate our very unique students. She is also a constant support to our families emotionally, while connecting them to community resources for long-term guidance and enhancement of their quality of life. She is an endless bounty of energy and [...]
Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), a division of FullBloom, is a premier provider of special education and alternative education services for K-12 students. SESI partners with 600+ districts across the country to meet the needs of 7,000+ students with learning disabilities and behavioral challenges through day schools and in-district classrooms.
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