Education

Licensed Private Academic Schools and classrooms

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders bring with them the special challenges of living in a world that is not always built to accommodate their unique needs. NHS has responded to that problem by creating the NHS Schools which incorporate the best of its existing Autism Services into the framework of an educational setting. NHS believes that combining behavioral expertise with a comprehensive educational program creates a stable, nurturing environment that can instill young people with the confidence and skills to reach their fullest potential.

The NHS Autism Schools are Licensed Private Academic Schools in Pennsylvania that specialize in the education of children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in grades K-12 (ages 5-21).  The nine current schools are located in Herminie, Ligonier, Altoona, State College, Chambersburg, Reading, Carlisle, York, and Philadelphia, and currently serve over 150 students.

The goal of the NHS Autism Schools is to provide academic instruction while increasing each child’s environmental engagement with a focus on the development of social skills, life skills, and pro-social behaviors. The success of the students will be demonstrated through personal growth and learning, development of peer relationships, and participation in their environment and community activities. Programming is based upon the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and the schools currently use Dr. Raymond Romanczyk’s “Individualized Goal Selection Curriculum” as a framework for program development.   Academic curriculum is determined by the child’s IEP goals, home school district, and academic assessments. Speech and OT services are available through the NHS Autism School as identified in the child’s IEP.

In-School (Classrooms)

NHS' Autism Support classrooms provide specialized educational and behavioral services for children/adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within the home school district. This maximizes opportunities for integration and embraces the Chapter 14 Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) expectations for special education students. A typical NHS classroom includes a minimum of one Pennsylvania certified Special Education Teacher, one Classroom Assistant, and one Integration Specialist to work within each class of eight full-time students.