This school year, parents of middle school children with autism have a new option when deciding where to enroll their children. Pathfinder Inc., a longstanding non-profit organization in Jacksonville supporting those with developmental disabilities, recently opened a new school, Pathfinder Academy, for students with autism in grades 6-8.

According to Tim Thomas, director of the Academy, the community has been voicing the need for such a school for some time. Many students, he said, were being expelled or suspended from their public schools for behavioral problems, when in reality, their problems were communicative and were being misinterpreted. Pathfinder Academy, Thomas said, will meet the unique needs of these children.

The school opened earlier this summer with its nine-week Summer Program, designed to teach academics along with “summer fun activities.” According to Thomas, the summer program includes such activities as gardening and harvesting, visiting water parks and museums in the community, and learning skills for family vacations like how to pitch a tent. The final part of the summer curriculum includes transitioning back into the regular school year and getting back in a structured routine.

Thomas explained that the Academy’s school year curriculum is similar that found in any public middle school, with focus on the core subjects of reading, writing, arithmetic, science and history. In addition, school instruction will focus on social skills, the use of technology and a lot of hands-on student involvement.

The instruction at Pathfinder Academy  is much more individualized than in public schools. “It’s not like a typical classroom where all the children receive academic instruction from one level,” Thomas said. “As we meet these children, we see where they are academically. We’re able to take and start where they are able to show us their skills and then progress from that level.”

According to Lisa Bamburg, mother of the Academy’s first enrolled student, Joel, the school has been exactly what she and her family were looking for for their non-verbal 14-year-old. “Joel began to thrive immediately in his new environment and the progress was obvious,” she said. “He loves his school, his teachers and his new routine.”

Bamburg said she has been especially impressed with the Pathfinder Academy staff. “In just a few short months, they have made great strides with Joel both academically and with his learning of daily living skills. Joel is becoming more and more independent with each passing week. They know when to be stern, when to re-direct and are quick to praise him all day long.”

Pathfinder Academy, located at the Pathfinder Inc. headquarters in Jacksonville, is currently taking applications. At this time, the school will house eight students for its school year and summer programs. Tuition for a full calendar year from August through August is $7,500. For more information, contact Tim Thomas at 982-0528.