By Bryanna Valderrama
Herald Intern
No child left behind. The Arbor School of Central Florida, located at 1010 Spring Villas Point in Winter Springs, is not only a school that serves children with special needs but is also a creative space that therapeutically guides students towards transition to independence, relationship building and social development.
Originally started in 2002, The Arbor School is a nonprofit that helps K-12 students with special needs such as: high-functioning autism, dyslexia, Down Syndrome, ADHD, SLD and any sensory processing disorders. According to The Arbor website, the Greenspan Floor time and Sensory Processing are two approaches prevalently used in the classroom. Executive Director Wendy Blair, who has been with The Arbor School since 2005, explains what each of these approaches mean.
“Greenspan is all about relationships,” said Blair “It’s all about developing that relationship with the student and then helping them to expand socially.”
Blair explained that for younger students, floor time is a great way to do a lot more with play therapy. Speech and occupational therapists can get down on the floor with the students and play and allow them to direct the game. This allows the student to develop the relationship, the interaction and the language. Blair emphasized that these components are important for socialization.
In terms of sensory processing, there are multiple factors that come into play. The student could be focused on how hungry they are, how loud or quiet certain sounds are, how bright the room is and multiple sensory overloads that distract them from their learning.
“We help to mitigate some of those sensory issues by creating a classroom that is sensory friendly,” explained Blair. “We help them to recognize that I can see your body needs a break so let’s go take a break.”
Whether it's needing to get up and walk, fidgeting or playing with something, students at Arbor can work with those additional sensory needs to develop their learning.
The Arbor School also offers many learning experiences and integrates programs like job training, transition to work/college and STEAM into the primary through high school curriculums. Blaire explained that the programs aren’t necessarily set up a certain way as the student advances to high school rather its more so catered to the individual student and their family's preference.
“We sit down with parents every year and ask them what their five goals are for their child, their five goals become our five goals,” said Blair.
Blaire finds that it’s important to understand this trajectory so that when they start entering middle school and high school, they can get a taste of different classes that could spark interest in future career paths. An example that Blair shared was that a student could take a CNA course and exam to be a certified nursing assistant if that’s what they wanted.
The programs are set up to give students the time to figure out what works for them and give them the resources to expand on those interests.
Since The Arbor School is parent driven, feedback is crucial when forging the learning path for their children. For mothers, Brittany Jones, Kayla Epifanio, Meriah Theisens and Mackenzie Anderson whose children have attended The Arbor School for more than a couple years the mothers share that it's not about what their children must do to be in Arbor but what Arbor can do for their children.
The mothers feel like their feedback is heard and they notice each child thriving in the classroom and community that Arbor provides that they weren’t seeing in a public-school setting. Anderson, whose daughter has been at the school for four years shares her family's commitment to the school.
“All of us live farther away from here or at least half an hour away and we are committed to take the drive to help our children,” said Anderson. “We would drive hours if we had to.”
The Arbor School not only serves its students and families but also its staff as well. Blair emphasized the importance of creativity and development for students and how that coincides with letting the teacher have creative liberty over their classroom.
Elizabeth Douglas, a speech therapist assistant and teacher, who's worked in public schools in both Seminole and Orange County, explains that what makes The Arbor School so unique is freedom and access.
“I would have times at other schools, where kids are just a number and they are lost in the crowd. Even staff feel alone sometimes. I would walk around and not know who to ask for help,” said Douglas. “However, at Arbor we are so open with each other and so on the same page because all hands are on deck.”
Whether it’s students, their families or staff, everyone has a place, a home, at The Arbor School of Central Florida. At this school community and creativity mean a great deal and laughter can be heard around every corner.
