When students walk into a school, the environment makes a statement about what is expected of them. When students who live with severe autism, emotional/behavioral disorders, or a developmental cognitive disability walk into most schools, understanding that expectation is complicated. Faced with a world that is at times both rigid in its environment and chaotic in its transitions, students can struggle to navigate this world that can be hostile to their heightened senses.

Creating a school specifically for this special student population who lives with disorders that shape their daily lives didn’t begin with, “How do we make it safer?” It began with the vision to make their daily school experience better. Read the full article or watch the video featuring Superintendent Hayes.