How the “STAR Autism Program” Helps our Students Excel

All students who attend our Academy for Autism (AFA) are engaged in the evidence-based STAR Autism Program that closes the gap for students who are unable to access traditional general and special education curricula. We’re here to tell you all about this special program and why we love it so much.

What is the STAR Program?

The STAR Autism Program uses strategies from the research-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorder critical skills needed to succeed in school and beyond. The program targets expressive, receptive, and spontaneous language, functional routines, pre-academic concepts, and play and social interaction skills.

Benefits of the STAR Program

The STAR Autism Program uses evidence-based instructional practices and is research validated. One of the biggest reasons we use the STAR Program in our classrooms is that it’s both aligned with Common Core State Standards and meets the individual needs of students at various developmental levels. There are three different levels that can be used with students to meet them where they’re at and reach their goals.

Successes We’ve Had at AFA

Since we began using the STAR Autism Program, we’ve seen so much educational growth in our AFA students. Each student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that lists their goals – last spring, 56% of our students needed an IEP amendment due to two consecutive quarters of having achieved IEP goals. On top of that, we had one student who was able to return to his home school district after showing tremendous improvement, as well as two non-verbal students who began using words to communicate.

Our team at AFA works tirelessly to ensure our students receive the best possible education and that they continue to reach their goals every semester.