I. Who is the Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is a private special education school.
We have been working with students from the Southeastern CT region
for 16 years. We recently became fully accredited in February 2006.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is a successful business and school;
we are a creative organization that works as a team. We specialize in
working with and understanding all disabilities, mild to severe, in
people that range from 7 years to senior citizens.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center encompasses a private special
education school and DDS care center from 8:00-2:00 pm. We have 19
students and 13 DDS clients that we work with on a daily basis. In
the afternoons, we provide an after school program for children and
young adults with all ranges of disabilities. We serve 70 students from
local public schools across the region. At night, we offer a wide variety
of social programs that are customized for each group’s age, interests,
and level of need. Clearly, the Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is highly
qualified in the area of working with people with special needs.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center currently serves students and clients
from the following 30 towns: Groton, Pawcatuck, Stonington, North
Stonington, Uncasville, Waterford, Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Niantic, East
Lyme, Lisbon, Killingworth, Norwich, Preston, Colchester, Quaker
Hill, Mystic, Old Lyme, Bozrah, New London, Old Saybrook, Noank,
Hadlyme, Salem, Essex, Watertown, Higganum, Oakdale, Franklin
and North Franklin as well as Hope Valley, RI.
II. The Need for a program for 18-21 year olds with Asperger’s
Syndrome and Autism
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center along with Teacher Vita Wayman, and
Speech & Language Pathologist Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager, began a pilot
program called Summer Friends in the summer of 2006. Summer
Friends is a 5 week summer program for young adults at the middle
to high school age with Asperger’s Syndrome. The program focuses on
building social skills and the use of pragmatic language. The pilot was
successful and expanded to a program called the Beckwith Brigade
(now called Friday Friends)on Friday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. during
the school year to continue working with these students.
While creating Summer Friends, the need for a transitional program
for these young adults was realized. The Summer Friends and
Beckwith Brigade currently service 23 students from the following 12
towns: Stonington, Mystic, Norwich, Niantic, East Lyme, Old
Saybrook, Preston, Pawcatuck, Old Lyme, New London, Ledyard, and
Groton.
There are no other programs designed for young adults with Asperger’
s Syndrome between the ages of 18 and 21 in our region. This period
is critical for these students. They need to work on social skills as well
as build other skills needed for life in adulthood and in the working
world. Our transitional program will better prepare all of our students
for adulthood and help them to become functional, working adults
within our communities.
The diagnosis of children on the Autism Spectrum is on the rise. Over
the last decade, reports have shown that the numbers are steadily
increasing throughout the nation. Further, just 5 years ago, the rate
of diagnosis was 1 out of every 166 children was diagnosed. Currently,
the rate of diagnosis is at 1 out of every 150 children. The need is
high within our own backyards and nationwide.
III. Transitional Academy
Dr. Patricia Phillips, Vice Principal of East Lyme High School, brought
to our attention Taft College, located in Taft, CA. Taft College has a
program called Transition to Independent Living that aids students
with disabilities to better prepare for adulthood. We have decided to
use this as one of our models for our Transitional Academy. We will
develop a model similar to Taft but tweaked to better fit the needs and
opportunities within Southeastern CT and possibly the entire state of
Connecticut.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is a private special education school.
We have been working with students from the Southeastern CT region
for 16 years. We recently became fully accredited in February 2006.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is a successful business and school;
we are a creative organization that works as a team. We specialize in
working with and understanding all disabilities, mild to severe, in
people that range from 7 years to senior citizens.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center encompasses a private special
education school and DDS care center from 8:00-2:00 pm. We have 19
students and 13 DDS clients that we work with on a daily basis. In
the afternoons, we provide an after school program for children and
young adults with all ranges of disabilities. We serve 70 students from
local public schools across the region. At night, we offer a wide variety
of social programs that are customized for each group’s age, interests,
and level of need. Clearly, the Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is highly
qualified in the area of working with people with special needs.
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center currently serves students and clients
from the following 30 towns: Groton, Pawcatuck, Stonington, North
Stonington, Uncasville, Waterford, Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Niantic, East
Lyme, Lisbon, Killingworth, Norwich, Preston, Colchester, Quaker
Hill, Mystic, Old Lyme, Bozrah, New London, Old Saybrook, Noank,
Hadlyme, Salem, Essex, Watertown, Higganum, Oakdale, Franklin
and North Franklin as well as Hope Valley, RI.
II. The Need for a program for 18-21 year olds with Asperger’s
Syndrome and Autism
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center along with Teacher Vita Wayman, and
Speech & Language Pathologist Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager, began a pilot
program called Summer Friends in the summer of 2006. Summer
Friends is a 5 week summer program for young adults at the middle
to high school age with Asperger’s Syndrome. The program focuses on
building social skills and the use of pragmatic language. The pilot was
successful and expanded to a program called the Beckwith Brigade
(now called Friday Friends)on Friday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. during
the school year to continue working with these students.
While creating Summer Friends, the need for a transitional program
for these young adults was realized. The Summer Friends and
Beckwith Brigade currently service 23 students from the following 12
towns: Stonington, Mystic, Norwich, Niantic, East Lyme, Old
Saybrook, Preston, Pawcatuck, Old Lyme, New London, Ledyard, and
Groton.
There are no other programs designed for young adults with Asperger’
s Syndrome between the ages of 18 and 21 in our region. This period
is critical for these students. They need to work on social skills as well
as build other skills needed for life in adulthood and in the working
world. Our transitional program will better prepare all of our students
for adulthood and help them to become functional, working adults
within our communities.
The diagnosis of children on the Autism Spectrum is on the rise. Over
the last decade, reports have shown that the numbers are steadily
increasing throughout the nation. Further, just 5 years ago, the rate
of diagnosis was 1 out of every 166 children was diagnosed. Currently,
the rate of diagnosis is at 1 out of every 150 children. The need is
high within our own backyards and nationwide.
III. Transitional Academy
Dr. Patricia Phillips, Vice Principal of East Lyme High School, brought
to our attention Taft College, located in Taft, CA. Taft College has a
program called Transition to Independent Living that aids students
with disabilities to better prepare for adulthood. We have decided to
use this as one of our models for our Transitional Academy. We will
develop a model similar to Taft but tweaked to better fit the needs and
opportunities within Southeastern CT and possibly the entire state of
Connecticut.
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