NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS FOR Summer 2008 and Fall 2008-09 Classes

What is Montessori and why is it the right model for an Autistic child?

The founder of the Montessori Method, Dr. Maria Montessori, began a career as a medical doctor over one hundred years ago, and discovered on her way that “education” is not a matter of stuffing information into the empty brains of children.  Rather, children have an innate need to fulfill themselves.  They have periods of time when they are “driven” to acquire certain skills, knowledge, and experiences.  These sensitive periods for acquiring and processing knowledge have since been documented and are well established by the scientific community. 

Dr. Montessori studied the way children learn by observingh those children thought to be least able to learn.  In the institutions of Rome, she found that the “incompetent” children would seek out any opportunity to interact with their environment, take in their observations of it, and act on that information. Montessori was so fascinated by this observation that she began to seek out the leading thinkers of education of her day.  She studied Piaget, Froebel, Skinner, and other leading educators and psychologists of her time.  She translated and copied their works out by hand so that she would absorb their understanding fully.  Working in the asylums putting these techniques into practice and observing the progress, of the children, she put to the test her theories about education.  The progress of these children was so remarkable that she gained national attention in Italy. 

If these children then can make such progress, she said, “How much more efficiently and effectively would ‘normal’ children learn, given the same materials and environment?”  She was given an opportunity to put her theories to the test when the landlords of the housing projects in Rome, asked her to set up a day program for the children of the working poor who were running rampant through the projects.  Thus began the first “Children’s House” and the Montessori Method of education.

What Montessori found was that every child is a spiritual being who desires most to form himself according to energies and drives that already exist in him at birth, without the aid of an adult (in fact, are often hindered by adults).  She went on to train “guides” not TEACHERS.  She believed in the “Prepared Environment”.  A place with materials that call to the child, where a child can learn from the materials through self-exploration, where they never experience failure before success, where they learn to discipline themselves, to care for the environment and others.  

The role of the guide or “directress” (as she called them), was to follow the child, observe his interests, prepare the environment to enable his progress along a continuum of success, to model the social graces, to give “perfect” lessons, but allow the child to correct his own errors, to open to him the world of science, geography, math and language, to assist in the refinement of the senses through the lessons in taste, touch, smell, sight, sound and silence. 

At Broad Horizons we believe that the Montessori model is the best approach to meet the needs of all children, including those on the Autistic Spectrum. We have learned much about the natural “spirit” of the child, the function of the brain (both neuro-typical and autistic), about the roles of medication, physical therapy, sensory integration, play therapy, diet, structure and nurture in helping autistic children to overcome the hurdles that so often  hinder or prevent them from developing as spontaneously as their neuro-typical peers. 

Like other Montessori schools, we have Montessori certified teachers in charge of the classroom. We use the Montessori curriculum and materials for refinement of the senses, practical life exercises, and development of language, mathematics, science, geography, art and culture.  The classroom is comprised of multiple age groups which allows for children to observe their best teachers (older children), to learn social skills with peers, and to develop the leadership skills that come while serving those younger than yourself.  A sense of community and responsibility is inherent in this program on all levels.  The “teacher” acts as an observer in the classroom who is responsible for following the child.  The environment is prepared to be appropriate for the individual development of each child in the classroom.  All children are given the opportunity to succeed BEFORE THEY EXPERIENCE FAILURE.  They are supported to succeed on an individual level.

Our classrooms are modified to offer a smaller teacher: student ratio than traditional classrooms.  This is critical to support the autistic child who faces many difficulties in the early years with transitions, anxiety issues, social and communication lags, and behavior concerns.  We have the flexibility to follow each individual in our school and provide a truly individual education plan.  We will be able to offer mainstreaming into larger classrooms as the child is ready, while minimizing the transition challenges by keeping the basic programming identical in both classrooms.  We are building the elementary program and will continue to grow our grade level offerings up to the high school level as the need exists.  This way children can remain at one school from the beginning of preschool through his Junior High years whether he is able to function in a traditional classroom or continues to need more intensive teaching in a more supportive environment. 

We will also have the ability to access typical peers to assist in the teaching of social skills, without disrupting the programming of either group.  We will rent space at our location to private therapists who practice speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy,ABA therapy, music therapy, art therapy, etc.  In this way, parents who now have to make many separate trips, and coordinate complicated schedules in order to serve their child’s individual therapy needs can get these needs met under one roof.  The children will experience less transition time/difficulties and the parents will experience less stress and wasted time in travel.