THE HOPE SCHOOL

The hope learning academy spfld/edw - established in 1957 as a groundbreaking concept for children with multiple disabilities, hope learning academy in springfield has evolved into a center combining excellent teaching, state -of-the-art technology, and a specially designed facility to allow students with autism and other developmental disabilities to achieve their maximum potential. Today, our learning center educates hundreds of students in a creative environment that supports a variety of programs designed to meet each child's needs. Our students also benefit from various programs designed to promote independence, growth, and joy. These programs include therapeutic education, independence learning, community integrated classrooms, and our robust vocational academy, which has a focus of teaching students meaningful job skills that can be used in the adult world through training at the vocational academy training center and eventual placement into competitive jobs in the community. The hope therapeutic day academy (htda) is also part of the hope learning academy springfield. Established in 2004, htda is a therapeutic, empirically based and data driven, educational program designed to support students grades k-8. Hope supports those who are not thriving in the traditional school setting because of emotional and behavioral difficulties related to mental health concerns. Our licensed therapists work closely with our students to teach skills to grow academically, socially and emotionally. An integral piece of our program is parent and referring school participation in order to return the student back to their home school as quickly and safely as possible. We meet on a regular basis with all parties involved and encourage feedback and collaboration to foster student independence and a successful transition. Furthermore, we provide a positive environment where we celebrate the students' successes and seek to recognize their abilities and accomplishments on a daily basis.