New Miami school to address the needs of students with Asperger's

From The Miami Herald:

After Giovanni Diaz (pictured), 17, graduated from High Point Academy ESE Center, his parents and the school's special education director began to wonder what the next step would be for him.

Giovanni, who lives in Miami, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism as a toddler -- and recently completed eighth grade at the Kendall school.

His parents and instructors wanted him to enroll in a high school that was able to handle his special needs.

''We couldn't find him a school,'' said Jiliann De Villiers, known as Dr. Gigi, director of High Point Academy's exceptional student education program. The Kendall K-8 center offers classes for children with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome.

Giovanni's dilemma inspired De Villiers to open a high school for students whose parents did not want them in either mainstream classrooms or traditional special education classes.

Schoolhouse Academy will open its doors this fall. The school, open to students 14 to 21, will have an open house at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdayat 3800 SW 108th Ave.

''IQ has nothing to do with high-functioning-autism or Asperger's. It's a communication and social disorder,'' said De Villiers.

Individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome typically have IQ's that are average -- or even higher -- but generally have problems with communication and socialization, said Brenda Smith Myles, chief program officer for the Autism Society of America.

''They can process information. It's their understanding of the social world that varies from individual to individual,'' Myles said.

Schoolhouse Academy will admit 30 students for the upcoming school year and will employ about half a dozen full-time teachers, said De Villiers.

''They benefit from being in a small class,'' she said. Students will be taught a standard high school curriculum, along with life skills.

''We make them comfortably uncomfortable,'' De Villiers said. ``The world is not going to adapt to them. They have to adapt so when they go to Publix and they don't have Boar's Head ham they can deal with it.''

Most children with high functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome are visual learners.

Because of that, De Villiers said, students will be given visual tools while in the classroom.

Suzanne Diamond, education consultant at Schoolhouse Academy, said the curriculum will be tailored to fit the students' needs.

''They can do a PowerPoint presentation or a cartoon of what they learned instead of writing a paper,'' said Diamond.

In addition to classroom lessons, the school will also offer speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and other resources.

Giovanni's mother, who is the program director at Schoolhouse Academy, said she's grateful for on-campus services.

''As a parent I used to take Gio every day after school from 4 to 6 p.m. to speech therapy and I would sit there for two hours,'' said Lorena Diaz, who began teaching special education 15 years ago as a way to understand her son's autism.

Students at the school should have a minimum fourth-grade reading level, be able to communicate verbally, and be starting ninth or 10th grade in the fall. Students cannot be older than 17 at the time of enrollment.

The school will have a partnership with Miami Christian School, which donated classroom furniture and library books.

Schoolhouse Academy students will also be able to use the sports facilities at the school and will go on weekend social events with students from Miami Christian's Booster Club.

De Villiers said potential students will be screened for cognitive and social skills -- and she said the school will help parents of students not accepted find alternative resources.

''Our kids don't have behavior problems. They don't have aggression. They're good kids,'' she said.