Autism Early Learning

Hanna Perkins School accepts children, 4-6, who are ready to be integrated into the traditional classroom despite difficulties in social communication and emotional regulation associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Informed by Hanna Perkins’ relationship-based approach to supporting social emotional development, our work in this area fills an important gap in serving young children who occupy a high-functioning range of the ASD spectrum. By integrating these children into our small preschool and kindergarten classes, we provide a patient, developmentally minded environment where they can get the attention and special help they need in developing social-emotional controls.

Focus on emotional development
and inner motivation

A child’s behaviors are expressions of feelings that need to be understood, respected and responded to. This applies to all children regardless of limitations or differences in the way they communicate.

Often children on the spectrum show their feelings in dramatic ways that are confusing to those who don’t understand their language. In all Hanna Perkins programs, our specialists work closely with parents and teachers to facilitate better understanding, and to support a child’s gradual ability to know, manage, and appropriately express his or her feelings.

Hanna Perkins School focuses on developing each child’s inner motivation, with particular attention to creating an environment that supports self-regulation. This includes purposeful use of visual cues and social stories, as well as appropriate levels of sensory stimulation. Teaching strategies are chosen with empathy and respect for the individual needs of each child, and exercised with humor and flexibility.

Academic growth is guided by the goals of the Ohio Department of Education, Teaching Strategies Gold and each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Teachers integrate these goals to meet individual needs.  Academic growth is structured by individual daily activity contracts.