Students with High-Functioning Autism
Enabling NYC Students with High-Functioning Autism to Thrive
Many well-known successful leaders in business, science and other fields have reported living with high-functioning autism. Their noteworthy achievements illustrate that students with high-functioning autism tend to be quite intelligent. However, it can be extremely difficult for them to live up to their full potential in a traditional school environment. Their unique learning patterns and singular ways of looking at the world deserve to be celebrated and supported, but many school programs focus on synthesizing standard reactions instead.
In standard programs, students with high-functioning autism often find themselves confused, their creativity crushed, and their enthusiasm for learning thwarted. They succeed best in a school setting that is set up to nurture their strengths and help them overcome the challenges that can hold them back. Despite their significant intellectual gifts, many students with high-functioning autism experience difficulties that can interfere with their ability to process and express information at the optimal level.
While they might perform adequately in a conventional school environment, they often suffer through day after day with anxiety, and they are unable to come close to reaching their full potential. Yet, typical educational programs specifically geared toward students with autism frequently do not provide adequate academic challenge and support for these adroit learners.
The best schools for high-functioning autism in NYC provide both therapeutic and academic support modalities to meet the full range of every student’s needs. At Academics West, we combine evidence-based clinical practice with research-based educational interventions to help students with high-functioning autism become strategic learners who find school to be an enjoyable, supportive experience.
Functioning with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Students with high-functioning autism used to be diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. The assumption was that, although they struggled with social communication, sensory sensitivities, or behavioral issues, these students had no impairments in language or intellectual performance and required no academic interventions. Although this diagnosis is no longer used, many of the assumptions remain.
However, all individuals on the autism spectrum can experience a wide range of symptoms and benefit from tailored support that may be different each day. For that reason, many mental health professionals reject the term “high-functioning autism” because it can fail to account for needs that can shift according to environment and other stress factors. The best schools for high-functioning autism in NYC address the specific needs of each individual student on a daily basis, providing support when necessary and allowing students the freedom to move forward independently when they feel comfortable doing so.
Learning Environments Tailored for Students with Autism Symptoms
To design and create an instructional environment geared to enable insightful students with high-functioning autism to succeed academically, teachers and administrators need to be fully cognizant of the ways autism spectrum disorder can manifest in classroom settings. Deficiencies in social skills are associated with challenges in functional academic skills, often requiring targeted intervention.
Educators working with these gifted students need to plan for the academic rigor of a college preparatory education, including high-stakes academic assessments. A dual therapeutic and academic approach is key to the success for students with high-functioning autism. By using a strengths-based approach to empower students with increased understanding, organizational strategies and enhanced problem-solving skills, our aim is to enable students to embrace in-depth learning experiences to the greatest extent possible.
High-functioning autism frequently manifests with executive dysfunction symptoms such as:
- Difficulty organizing and elaborating on ideas
- Expressive and receptive language deficits
- Trouble considering other perspectives and interpreting figurative language
- Problems discerning appropriate responses in different social contexts
Because students may excel in one academic area and struggle in others, their problems with executive functioning often get overlooked or misdiagnosed. The best schools for high-functioning autism in NYC address executive functioning, social skills, behavioral interventions, communication, and other key developmental needs.
Wrap-Around Support
Academics West is a high-support college preparatory school that aims to help students succeed in post-secondary education. To accomplish that, we provide a rigorous academic program that works seamlessly alongside emotional and therapeutic supports.
Our proprietary Clinically Informed Academics® approach is designed to address the needs of students in all areas by integrating clinical and educational skill development. Our dedicated and experienced team creates a specialized learning plan for each student to implement interventions that best support that particular student’s intellectual, social, and emotional needs.
We view our support programs as an evolving process rather than a static application. Together, we work with each student to build on successes and learn from shortcomings. As students progress, families are often surprised at their increased engagement academically, emotionally, and socially. Students who have felt isolated and misunderstood in other school environments often find themselves connecting with other students and feeling a sense of belonging they have not experienced before.
Academic Curriculum
Our team of special educators teaches from a comprehensive curriculum that ensures each student receives a rigorous education aligned with the Next Generation Learning Standards for New York State (formerly the Common Core standards). As part of this process, we engage in ongoing academic assessment, both formal and informal, to track the quality of our educational program and student progress.
Each student’s plan is unique, but may include:
- Differentiated instruction
- Project-based learning
- Cross-curricular activities
- Instruction driven by discussion
- Multi-modal lesson plans
- Literacy support and interventions
Students with high-functioning autism often enjoy a powerful intellectual curiosity that is viewed as a hindrance in traditional school environments. But we believe these interests should be used as a tool for learning executive functioning and other skills. We encourage our students’ passions and help guide them toward further growth.
Find Out Why So Many Families Rate Academics West Among the Best Schools for High-Functioning Autism in NYC
Finding the right school for your student can be an exhausting and stressful process. You have many factors to consider. We invite you to tour our school, learn about our programs, and see for yourself how our dual focus on academic and socio-emotional development has provided the right learning environment for so many students with high-functioning autism. We see our students as heroes overcoming struggles to become resilient, enthusiastic learners, and we invite you to be a part of the journey.