ACCESS is located in Little Rock, Ark., on the 36,000-square-foot Stella Boyle Smith campus at 10618 Breckenridge Dr. It is a 501c3 nonprofit center serving children and youths with learning disabilities.

Founded in 1994, the center comprises an infant stimulation program, ACCESS Preschool; ACCESS Academy (for kindergarten-age students through grade 12); ACCESS Therapy (including outpatient pediatric speech, physical and occupational therapy programs), ACCESS Academic Therapy (specialized tutoring for children with learning disabilities) and ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center (offering developmental, psychological and psycho-educational evaluations – cognitive testing – as well as technology training for students, parents and teachers).

ACCESS was founded by two speech therapists, Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP, and Cindy Young, M.S.E., CCC-SLP, and a special educator, Monika Garner-Smith, M.Ed. The center’s mission is to expand individual potential through innovative instruction.

ACCESS serves more than 150 preschool and academy students annually and more than 300 individuals through its outpatient pediatric therapy program, evaluation and resource center and training for parents, educators and other professionals. The center employs more than 65 employees.

Children and youths are referred to ACCESS for a variety of concerns. Some of the learning disabilities the center addresses are ADD/ADHD, apraxia, autism, developmental delays, Down Syndrome, dyslexia, feeding disorders, hearing impairments, language delays, learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, reading disorders, sensory integration disorder and written expression disorder. ACCESS serves individuals ages six weeks old to 21 from across Arkansas and surrounding states.

ACCESS is a private pay center and works with parents, educators and medical professionals to make clients aware of state and federal funding options (often applicable to early childhood intervention therapies once criteria have been met), health insurance coverage and tuition assistance. ACCESS relies on support from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund its programs.

ACCESS employs proven methods; a nationally recognized curriculum; learning within real-life settings; professional, experienced staff; small student-teacher ratios and comprehensive services to achieve success.

The ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center, opened in June 2005, is the only center of its kind in a five-state area, serving the southeastern United States. The center offers parents and educators an on-staff clinical psychologist for expert developmental, psychological and psycho-educational evaluations. Evaluations can include rule-outs and diagnoses for autism, Asperger Disorder, PDD-NOS, ADHD, anxiety, depression and a variety of other mental health issues. Thorough educational testing highlights learning styles, weaknesses and/or disabilities. Additionally, the Evaluation and Resource Center’s licensed speech, physical and occupational therapists administer comprehensive assessments.

The ACCESS vocational education program incorporates two retail enterprises, ACCESS Gardens, a horticulture program, and ACCESS Ceramics. Both benefit students by incorporating project-based learning, social skills development and coping strategies. Similarly, The Apartment, a high school class setting where students learn to cook, clean and do laundry, as well as an applied home economics program provide opportunities to practice essential job skills like time management, work efficiency and maintaining a good work ethic, all in a supportive educational environment. ACCESS is a member of the American Horticultural Therapy Association.

ACCESS is a demonstration center for four nationally known companies that produce educational software for individuals with learning disabilities. Through its in-house technology training center, ACCESS offers software training to children, parents and professionals.

ACCESS student activities include swimming, track and Special Olympics participation, as well as student council, prom, monthly community outings and the ACCESS Adventure summer program.

ACCESS was named Arkansas Business Nonprofit Organization of the Year in 2001. The organization was recently honored as Favorite Special Needs Services provider in the 2011 Little Rock Family Favorites awards. ACCESS was recognized as Best Childcare Facility in the 2010 Savvy Kids Awards and took home the silver for tutoring services and special needs services in the 2010 Little Rock Family Favorites awards. It is an honor to be among this short list of the best special needs service providers in the Central Arkansas area.