Trident Academy Launching Asperger's School

Trident Academy will be launching the Lowcountry's first school designed specifically for children with Asperger's Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism in the fall.

The independent Mount Pleasant school, located at 1455 Wakendaw Road is holding an open house for parents interested in the School for Asperger's/HFA program at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 16. The School requests that interested parents RSVP through its website for the open house.

As the school hits its 40th anniversary its Board of Trustees decided to expand its mission beyond helping students with language-based learning disabilities like dyslexia, and create the Asperger's/HFA program. The program will begin in the 2013-14 school year with a kindergarten and first and second grades. Trident Academy plans to add another grade level each year until the program extends to eighth grade.

The Asperger's/HFA program will run parallel to the existing School for Language Based Learning program for students with learning disabilities like dyslexia, which is one of only 11 Orton-Gillingham accredited programs. All classes at Trident Academy follow the Common Core Curriculum and incorporate a specified social skills curriculum focusing on language, social interaction and "school-ready behavior," with the aim of ensuring a successful transition to a conventional school.

Trident Academy is also creating the Center for Learning Differences Education, which will include tutoring or academic therapy, an accredited Orton-Gillingham training program for teachers and a parent education component. The new Center will allow Trident Academy to centralize all of its community outreach programs.