PROGRAM OF THE
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PROGRAM OF THE
Neurodiversity Education Research Center At Science Prep Academy, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is one of our most important and effective strategies for creating a supportive learning environment and preparing neurodivergent middle school and high school students for college and careers.
Autistic individuals are at increased risk of significant stressors and may have limited coping skills to respond to these experiences. We do not fully understand how traumatic stress impacts autistic individuals, and there is limited research on the treatment of trauma symptoms in this neurodivergent population.
We support students by creating a positive learning environment by encouraging sociable behaviors and reducing problematic behaviors by teaching them healthy functional skills. We teach and reinforce our school’s core values and skills to enhance our students’ quality of life.
Using a trauma-informed approach we support students to achieve a greater quality of life by maintaining a positive and structured school environment.
Trauma-informed means understanding how past trauma may impact our student’s brain, body, emotions, and behavior. It is a commitment to learning more about trauma and viewing the individual as a person and not their behavior. Without being trauma-informed, a teacher may misinterpret a child or teen’s behavior in the classroom.
Positive Behavior Support, which is a core approach for Science Prep Academy, is a behavioral intervention gaining in popularity for use for autistic students for encouraging success in the educational environment. Children are supported in adopting socially meaningful behaviors, avoiding inappropriate behaviors, and learning functional skills as a replacement for problem behavior. PBS is based on principles regarding the rights of all children to be treated with dignity and have access to educational opportunities. PBS helps to:
