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Giant Steps

Secondary Education

The Secondary Education Program at Giant Steps provides programming for students diagnosed with autism on the levels of Junior High, High School, and Transition. Secondary provides individualized programming focusing on functionality and independence through the integration of functional academics, life skills, vocational skill development, community readiness, and leisure/recreational development.

 Junior High

 

  • 4-9 students per class
  • Multi-disciplinary team includes occupational therapist, music therapist, social worker, and speech pathologist
  • Structure based on individual learning accommodations, sensory needs, support structure, and peer groups
  • Includes both individual and small group (2-4 student) based instruction
  • Curriculum is based on functional academics
  • Embedded throughout the classroom and academic sessions are Special Rec, Technology, and Creative Media/Arts
  • Junior High students participate in weekly classroom half day Community Outings in an addition to an all junior high field trip
  High School
  • 7-10 students per class
  • Multi-disciplinary team includes occupational therapist, music therapist, social worker, and speech pathologist
  • Individualized programming focused on increased independence in a variety of environments 
  • lncludes both individual and small group (2-4 student) based instruction
  • Curriculum is based on functional academics, living skills and pre-vocational skills
  •  Embedded throughout the classroom and academic sessions are Special Rec, Technology, and Creative Media/Arts
  • High School students participate in weekly classroom full day Community Outings in addition to an all high school field trip

Staffing Each classroom has 1 Special Education Teacher and 1 Senior PA.  The number of program assistants per classroom range depending on the level of need per class.


Student Community Outings:

  • Students participate in Community Outings every week. The length of time increases as students get older.
  • Outings focus on introducing and practicing functional money skills; appropriate social and communication skills, and specific IEP goals
  • Students are exposed to a wide variety of community environments
  • Community outings are designed to increase our students’ ability to be safe, active participants in the world around them
  • Students in the community continue to work on specific IEP goals, such as communication, appropriate social interaction, greetings, waiting, transitioning, money skills, referencing a schedule, academics, and safety
  • Examples- Various types of outings include:
    • Vocational (Hyatt Hotel, We Grow Dreams, food banks, pet stores)
    • Volunteer (Animal Shelter, Nursing Home, Habitat for Humanity)
    • Community Resource (Library, grocery stores, police/fire station)
    • Rec/Leisure (Pump It Up, ice skating, zoo, swimming)