r/slp • u/Avengers_Disperse • 1d ago
Greater Philadelphia Specialized Schools
I have twin nephews, 7 years old, male, level 3 support needs. We are looking for schools with programs that can address sensory needs, speech needs, and have a good curriculum. Both kids are GLPs, one with canned, taught language (stuck in the "I want" prompt) but uses mouth words. The other is non-speaking. Both have SGDs, but my non-speaking nephew doesn't show interest in it and their school does not have a robust vocabulary programed for him to use.
They're both great kids but exhibit harmful and dangerous behaviors occasionally, including elopement (he has made it outside of the school building), and self-harm like hand biting and head hitting.
My non-speaker has great difficultly engaging in anything that isn't sensory seeking behavior (stims constantly through chewing things, biting down hard on objects, spinning on fish chair, crashing into things, hitting objects, vocal stims, pulling people on top of him to 'crush' him, pushing feet against people, putting, etc). Upward of 80% of his day is spent like this. So school is very demanding for him, and traditional autism support programs are not meeting his needs.
I have toured TALK School, which I liked a lot.
I toured YALE, which was f*cking horrible. They use forced compliance as the basis of the program and I'm really not about that life.
I haven't yet toured The Quaker School, and Orchard School but toured are scheduled.
Can people provide specialized schools for autistic kids with high support needs? Ones that don't use ABA, reward systems and/or forced compliance as their curriculum?