Spectrum Disorder Program
Asperger’s, NLD, PDD
- Separate dorm
- Patient, knowledgeable staff
- High staff to student ratio
- Daily written feedback for each boy
- Individual, group, & family therapy
- Skills development & training
Our approach coordinates therapies that address three core symptoms of spectrum disorders: communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and social skills. Our program builds on established interests, offers a predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps, provides structured activities, and offers consistent and timely reinforcement of behavior in a nurturing setting.
- social skills training teaches the skills needed to interact more successfully with other people;
- cognitive behavioral therapy helps to manage emotions and reduce obsessive interests and repetitive routines;
- medication may be indicated for co-existing conditions such as depression or anxiety;
- physical activities develop sensory integration and motor coordination; and
- parent training and support teaches parents behavioral techniques to use at home
We are passionate about working with boys on the Autism Spectrum. Here at Logan River Academy we have a specific dorm, Dorm 3, designated for these boys. Our vision is to provide the ideal school, living conditions, and therapy for an adolescent with a Spectrum disorder such as Aspergers, NLD, or PDD NOS.
Dorm 3 is a structured, predictable, and consistent environment that is well suited to help students on the Spectrum. We always have at least two trained staff on the dorm to help coach, process, mentor, problem-solve, and work with these boys. We have a structured life with predictable schedules and activities. Our goal is to balance school, skill building, work, therapy, and leisure.
Our boys on dorm 3 have paid jobs while they are here which can involve kitchen duties such as cleaning floors and washing dishes as well as janitorial duties around the school. They keep a time card, get paid every two weeks, and learn to budget. They then can use this money to pay for off campus activities.
These boys have regular and frequent off campus activities and remain active in our community. They volunteer weekly at the Humane Society. They have a Wednesday and Saturday activity each week that they can earn. These activities are enjoyable, leisure activities and can include going to movies, sporting events, ice skating, going out to eat, etc. The boys also have weekly opportunities to participate in our adventure learning program which involves skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, going to the gym, white water rafting, rollerblading, laser tag, tennis, disc golf, hiking, camping trips, and so much more. Our goal is to provide opportunities that expose our boys to a wonderful variety of safe and healthy activities.
We also have 2 chocolate lab dogs here on campus. Some of our dorm 3 boys love playing with the dogs, taking care of the dogs, and just being with the dogs. We use the dogs as a method to help our boys learn responsibility, empathy, and cause and effect.
The boys attend school from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day. Our school has a realistic feel with traditional looking classrooms and full-time, licensed teachers. The classroom size is small and the instruction is both verbal and visual. We track our student’s progress in the classroom very closely with parents, students, teachers, staff, and therapists all knowledgeable of current grades and progress. We provide extra assistance to our students who struggle academically and discover individualized plans to help them succeed.
Our dorm 3 boys all have individual, group, and family therapy each week. Many of our dorm 3 boys attend up to 5 groups per week including dorm group, theme group (social skills, anger management, sand tray, healthy relations, family issues, rational emotions, DBT), adoption group (when applicable) and recovery group (when applicable). Our individual therapy approach is to use a flexible approach that best meets the needs of each student.
Our focus in treatment is to help these boys mature, grow, and develop. We work with them on hygiene, reading social cues, motor skills, affect regulation skills, learning tools to become more flexible in thinking and behaviors, learning to listen better and be a better communicator, grasping big picture concepts instead of narrowly focusing on the details, organization skills, learning to manage anger, learning to generalize from one experience to the next, becoming more resilient and not giving up, and adjusting to new situations without getting overwhelmed.
We understand that these boys will have to continue working on these issues throughout their lives. Our goal is to help them make progress in each area in order to build a strong foundation and be able to cope with the normal demands of life as well as find enjoyment in life through being successful.
Our staff, therapists, and teachers are passionate about these boys and thoroughly enjoy the challenge and opportunity to work with them each day. We invite you to consider using Logan River Academy as an option for a student with Aspergers, NLD, or PDD NOS.
