Day Programs

League School for Autism > Programs > Day Programs

360° Instruction

Our day programs put the League School’s individualized, collaborative, and pioneering approach into action. We offer three distinct and unique day programs – Foundations, Transitions, and Pathfinders – that work together to meet the diverse needs of our student population.

Each program is designed around age, developmental communication stage, and support level, with curricula and instruction individualized to the learning style of each student.

Foundations provides moderate to intensive supports for students ages 3 to 13.
Transitions provides moderate to intensive supports for students ages 14 up to 22.
Pathfinders provides moderate supports for students ages 12 up to 22.

Students are placed into the best program based on their specific needs, required support, and age. They may transition to another program when they age out and/or their support needs change.

Each program has a dedicated team including a head teacher, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist or certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA), a clinician, and a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). Each student has access to specialists and services based on their unique needs. Most services happen in natural settings like the classrooms, job sites, and on community outings to help generalize learned skills. Students who require physical therapy receive those services through a separate contract.

Foundations

Ages: 3 to 13 years

Population: early childhood and elementary-aged students who typically need moderate to intensive supports from our educational and professional staff

Focus: designed to meet the individual needs of students who require a wide range of services and our highest level of support to fully experience and grow in the educational environment

Skills Development: communication skills, emotional and physical regulation, pre-academic and academic skills, and daily living skills

Transitions

Ages: 14 to 21 years

Population: students pursuing a vocational path in their postsecondary plans

Focus: development of vocational skills and independent living skills to prepare students for success in the world of work and adult living

Skills Development: functional academic skills, vocational training, social communication, emotional and physical regulation, independent living skills, community experiences, and safety awareness

Pathfinders

Ages: 12 to 21 years

Population: students at the elementary, middle, and high school level who may be working toward a high school diploma; students who are socially well matched but whose program may not have the same level of academic emphasis; post high school students who are transitioning to a work environment or post-secondary education

Focus: a balance of rigorous academic classes and vocational internships in the school and community to develop and practice skills needed for future education and employment success; students typically take the standard MCAS test

Skills Development: meeting graduation requirements, standardized test taking, vocational skills, independent living skills

Day Program Overview

Framework

All programs use the pioneering SCERTS^® Model as a framework for our multidisciplinary approach, which provides students with the program and services that best meet their individual needs. SCERTS – which stands for Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Supports – emphasizes these critical areas of skill development for all our students. Whether a student engages easily in conversation and needs support organizing their thoughts to convey meaning or shares their ideas using a communication device or other augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), our staff supports them in enhancing social communication skills. Emotional regulation skills are taught across the student’s day to promote generalization. When students are able to effectively regulate their emotions and internal energy states, they are more successful in coping with stressors, interacting with others, and engaging with their environment. Transactional supports include all of the ways in which educators and caregivers adapt the ways they interact, the environment, and the task, removing barriers to foster student success.

Schedule

The League School day program operates five days a week on a 12-month schedule for a total of 216 school days. The school day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m. Students are dismissed every other Wednesday at noon for professional development to keep our staff highly trained and current on the latest best practices in Autism education. The residential program provides services for our students 365 days a year. See the League School academic calendar.

Teaching

All day program classrooms have a head teacher and one or more teacher assistants to support a maximum of eight students. The teachers work closely with the specialists to meet the individual needs of each student.

Environment

Programs and class spaces are designed to provide a small sensory-friendly school environment with the flexibility to modify auditory and visual stimuli depending on the sensitivities of each student.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about our day programs, please reach out to League Admissions Coordinator, Lynne Goyuk at admissions@leagueschool.com or 508-850-3900 ext. 171.