Jerry is a very energetic and happy boy. When he was first enrolled in our autism preschool program at age three, he was nonverbal and unable to communicate. Since being introduced by his speech therapist and teachers at the Achievement Centers to the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), his whole world opened up. His mother, thrilled with his progress, said “he transitions between activities easily now, his interactions with other classmates have improved, and he has friends to play with.” He recently took another giant step. He is excited to be learning to use a speaking application on his iPad. Now five years old, Jerry will start kindergarten at the Achievement Centers in the fall and his parents look forward to his continued growth and progress!

Due to the continuing rise in the incidence of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and the need for help for children and their families, in 1998 we expanded our expertise in autism throughout all our programs and services. In 2015, 7th and 8th grade autism classrooms were added at our Westlake site so our students could continue to progress in our program.