ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

Children with Disabilities
Children with developmental delays or neuromuscular disorders make up our population of children with disabilities. Interested parties will be selected based on openings in the classroom, age of the child and the judgment by the school that the child's placement would help maintain 1) a balanced classroom, 2) adequate/required staffing and 3) an environment based on the "least restrictive" principles. When services cannot be provided due to availability, referrals are made, and children are placed on our contact list.

ACCESS INFANT, PRESCHOOL AND FOUNDATIONS PROGRAMS The ACCESS infant, preschool and Foundations programs are full-time education solutions for children with learning disabilities and are located in Little Rock, Arkansas. ACCESS admits children six weeks old to age 6 who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard for race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or disability. ACCESS accepts typical children up to age 4 and enjoys a roughly 50-50 population of typical children and those with developmental delays or disabilities in the infant and preschool programs.

ACCESS FOUNDATIONS

ACCESS Foundations criteria include:

• IQ of 65 or higher
• Total language age of 2.5 years or higher
• Chronological age of 4 to 6 years old
• Students cannot exhibit disruptive and aggressive behaviors
• Students who do not meet the criteria for ACCESS Schools kindergarten classroom
• Student must be independent, with no need for one-to-one assistance

ACCESS ACADEMY

ACCESS Academy currently admits students iages 5-21 who meet established criteria without regard for race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or disability. Each applicant is individually interviewed and tested by the admissions team. The test and interview results are used to determine the best placement for every student. If it is determined that ACCESS Academy cannot meet the educational requirements of a certain student, the admissions team meets with the parents to explain why the school cannot place their child.

ACCESS Academy criteria include:

• Language Age of the Student – A student must have a language age of at least three years when entering the kindergarten classrooms to participate in the teaching technique, The DuBard Association Method®.
• Behavior – ACCESS is not staffed to accommodate students who exhibit disruptive and/or aggressive behaviors. Any student whose primary barrier to learning is a behavior disorder will be referred to an appropriate setting to address those needs.
• IQ and School Achievement – Each student's records indicating intelligence quotient and school performance will be evaluated to determine if the student's profile meets the educational teaching style of this program. Students who exhibit an IQ lower than 65 may not be considered due to the intense academic nature of this program.
• Oral Expression – Due to the specialized curriculum that ACCESS Academy uses, each student must be a verbal communicator.
• Written Expression – Each student must have the ability to write with his or her hands.

Academy Classroom Placement

Although final classroom placement is determined by Candace Chappell, M. SPED., academy coordinator; Cheri Stevenson, M.S., CCC-SLP, director of operations; and Tammy Simmons, M.S., CCC-SLP, executive director, ACCESS teachers and therapists have input on student placement. Placement decisions are based on students’ abilities, teaching methods used in each classroom and students’ age.

Student Abilities

When considering classroom placement, the placement team considers intellectual abilities (full-scale IQ, memory and processing speed), academic performance (measured by a testing battery), classroom performance (level of instruction needed for reading) and language abilities.

Teaching Methods

The teaching methods used in each classroom influence placement. Students are assessed on whether they need small group versus large group instruction, whether they have independent study skills and which teaching methods are used in each classroom. (For example, a classroom may use The DuBard Association Method® more intensively than another; factors such as this determine whether a classroom is the best learning environment available for a potential student.)

Student Age

Although the Academy classrooms are not primarily grouped by student age, age is still a determining factor. Student birthdays, social maturity and peer groups are taken into account when determining placement.
Interested parties will be selected based on openings in the classroom and age of the child. Furthermore, a diagnostic session at the school will be used when a child's placement would help maintain 1) a balanced classroom, 2) adequate/required staffing and 3) an environment based on the "least restrictive" principles. When services cannot be provided due to availability, referrals are made, and children are placed on our waiting list.

ACCESS PEDIATRIC THERAPY

ACCESS pediatric therapy clients cannot exhibit disruptive and aggressive behaviors.