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Educational Services

APTS is a year round special education day school offering a highly structured classroom setting for students whose disabilities include Autism and other Developmental Disabilities, not limited to Emotional and or Learning Disabilities.   The program specializes in an intensive delivery of services to students who engage in self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) as well as aggressive behaviors.
 
The primary focus is to support and challenge students in becoming as successful as they can be by facilitating their availability to learn and grow academically, socially, emotionally and in other areas of their lives. With full implementation of students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), students engage in the learning processes at APTS through academic, vocational and life skills tracks. Students are educated daily from 8:10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
 
Among our array of educational services, APTS offers the following at each campus:
  • School-wide behavior plan;
  • Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs);
  • Occupational Therapy;
  • Physical Therapy;
  • Speech/Language Therapy;
  • Individual Counseling;
  • Group Counseling/Social Skills Groups;
  • 24-Hour Crisis Hotline;
  • Classrooms for advanced academic students;
  • Physical Education;
  • Adapted Physical Education;
  • On site Reading Specialist (Literacy Specialist);
  • Nursing/medical staff;
  • Assistive Technology (provided through the LEA’s AT specialist);
  • Distance Learning Services;
  • No Time Out Rooms;
  • No in-school or out-of-school suspensions.
 
Eligible students undergo the Standards of Learning (SOLs) assessments; other students are assessed using the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).   APTS’ students graduate from high school having earned Advanced, Standard and Applied Studies diplomas.
 
The school educates students ages 5-22 or PreK-12, and collaborates collegially with each local education agency representative in the transitioning of students back to their respective school districts. APTS is licensed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and is accredited through the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Facilities (VAISEF).

Related Services: Speech, OT, PT

APTS’ students receive speech and language, occupational and physical therapy services, as named in their respective Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). While Related Services clinicians collaborate around multidisciplinary practices, each service as outlined , is delivered to students on an individual basis to realize independent skill building. Our Related Services clinicians work tenaciously to improve students’ functional communication, social skills, sequencing, task tolerance, activity engagement, physical endurance and school access. Students are provided opportunities in school and community settings for generalization of skills into a whole function task. All clinicians are licensed by the state of Virginia.
The speech/language pathologist’s role is to aid students in need of this service in accessing communication (whether augmentative or other), in their hearing and comprehension of language, social skills and for some students, a focus in swallowing appropriately.   Students enrolled at each of APTS’ campuses, receive these services, as outlined in their IEPs.
APTS’ occupational therapists support students by working alongside teachers to advance students’ independence in functional, life skills on a daily basis. Students are assisted in areas of self-care, dressing, eating among others.   OT clinicians incorporate adaptive equipment in students’ routine of programming, employing best practices. General areas of occupational therapy include promoting self-regulation, assist students in social settings within the school setting.
Our physical therapists support students in need of this service by promoting functional mobility across school settings. Typical areas of support are not limited to increasing endurance, body mechanics, fitness, safety, balance and strength.   These health care professionals assist in improving the lives of our students; through their services, their services help to decrease or eliminate further impairments to the body or its functions. With their help, students gain benefit in their musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neuromuscular and pulmonary systems.

 

Other Educational Support Services

Alternative Paths provides individual and group counseling as identified in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Our counseling services are highly individualized and dynamic in its approach to remove emotional/social barriers which impede our students’ availability for learning. Our Counselors Liz, Stacie, and Danny maintain a critical role in providing access to early and ongoing interventions for students. They work diligently by employing best practices, ensuring that students receive individual and group services, as well as crisis counseling as the need arises.
 
Using a “world view approach” and by collaborating with other staff and stakeholders, our dedicated Counselors use multiple best practice theories to provide intervention to students based on their needs and presentation.
 
APTS’ counseling services also include psychosocial classroom lessons, social skills groups and conflict mediation. Services are implemented as delineated in the student’s IEP, and may be direct or indirect.
APTS’ students receive Assistive Technology (AT) supports through each local education agency (LEA). Through collaboration, designated district AT specialists support our students by examining and identifying needs whether they are in the areas of communication, reading, writing, math, computer access or, other areas such as seating, positioning, hearing, mobility, etc. The AT specialist’s role is to ascertain proper supports and tools needed by the student to access programming during their school day.