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Autism is a cognitive disorder affecting approximately one out of every 110 children in the United States. And the prevalence of the disease is increasing. Whereas 20 years ago one in 5,000 kids in America was diagnosed with autism, now 80 kids a day equaling 30,000 a year.
So how can we better serve these children? A group of parents who all had children with high-functioning autism met to discuss this very issue back in 2005. The group convened to discuss how their children were doing in school and if their needs were being met. Most felt it was tough for their children to receive the appropriate accommodations. So, they decided to form a charter school designed specifically to help children with special needs. This became Spectrum Academy, which opened in North Salt Lake in 2006.
Every charter school must have a focus, and Spectrum Academy's is three pronged: first, it's dedicated to helping students improve academically; second, it aims to advance students' social skills, which can be a struggle for special needs children; and third, it's designed help students with their sensory integration needs in the classroom, which may include special arrangements to improve their educational experience.
Brad Nelson, Spectrum Academy's finance director, says the school has been so well received that it's grown to 340 students from all over the valley. Class sizes range around 15 students and have both a teacher and an assistant. The elementary school has grown into two buildings and, just last month, Spectrum opened a high school to continue serving its students. Extracurricular activities, including cheerleading, basketball and track, are also available.
Principal Jamie Christensen says the ultimate goal for Spectrum Academy is to assist the students in becoming productive citizens in our community. Jamie and Brad are also working on the business model so this niche of education can be duplicated across Utah and, eventually, throughout the country.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
