Summit’s Therapeutic Programming approach addresses the students’ physical, emotional, adaptive, structural, and social effectiveness needs. As these needs are addressed, our students are transcended to higher levels of learning equaling their non-disabled peers. In short, Summit students will begin to catch up as their comfort level and confidence improves.
The following are a listing of the therapeutic program components included in the Summit Academy model.
Academic Delivery: Courses in math, reading, social sciences, language arts, science, and computer skills are delivered in a comfortable and safe learning environment. Highly qualified teachers direct the use of essential software programs while continuing to provide classroom instruction, individualized and small-group tutoring, and interventions. Advanced computer programs such as NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Systems) help us monitor each student's individual progress and accurately assess their growing skills.
Therapeutic Martial Arts: The Therapeutic Martial Arts Program emphasizes a strong sense of integrity, a positive mental attitude, and a belief in the potential of oneself and others. It is important that these students develop a viable value system that will enable them to successfully progress in the world at large and take their place as responsible, productive members of society. Students are taught to set realistic goals, and are guided in the steps to reach those goals. The result is that the students’ self-esteem grows. In turn, positive attitudes replace negative attitudes. Over time, students develop an overall pattern of positive self-expectation.
Outdoor Experiential Education Program: The Outdoor Experiential Education Program challenges teams of students, led by highly qualified Summit staff, to become involved in an experience-based approach to learning and interpersonal communication skills. Each school year begins with a camp experience, with subsequent opportunities for outdoor experiential learning provided throughout the year. These experiences provide opportunity for students to develop and practice not only self-reliance, but also teamwork and cooperative problem-solving. In the process, students conquer their fear of failure by successfully handling challenging situations, both on an individual basis and on a group basis. In addition to social, emotional, and personal development, the Outdoor Experiential Education Program is designed to foster academic growth and to facilitate the development of an inquisitive mind.
Scouting in Schools: Scouting is a key component of the Summit Academy Therapeutic School Model. All students, both boys and girls, actively participate in Scouting in Schools and are members of school patrols. This fosters group participation, interaction with others, positive values, respect for self and others, leadership skills, and development of a world-view larger than oneself. By engaging in group-based Scouting activities, students learn to break down a goal into sequential component parts or activities. They also learn planning and time management skills. From an academic standpoint, working on individual merit badges and participating in Scouting activities are proven vehicles for experiential academic and social learning to occur.
Sign Language/ Chinese Instruction: The learning of sign language and Chinese by students, and the use of it as a supplementary means of communication on a teacher-student and student-student basis, offers a multi-modality, combined-hemisphere means of increasing the development of receptive and expressive language abilities. Sign language is incorporated into the classroom as a means of engaging both sides of the brain, thereby strengthening the communication process. Frequently, when sign language is used, this is done so in conjunction with speaking, by student or teacher, as an additional source of receiving or expressing information. Also, a teacher may have a student read a short passage, briefly discuss it with the student, then have the student express it in sign language as an aid to facilitating comprehension. Our use of sign language and Chinese instruction is based on research in the fields of neuroscience and cognition indicating that simultaneous use of both hemispheres results in increased learning and retention.
Brain Gym: Brain Gym is a set of brief physical activities that facilitate the coordinated use of selected parts of the brain, offering practice at attention and concentration, emotional regulation, listening skills, sequencing, verbal and non-verbal information processing, and integration of sensory input. Students enjoy doing Brain Gym exercises. Moreover, because they are so brief, Brain Gym exercises fit easily into the activities of the classroom and are used on both a planned basis and on a spontaneous basis.
Social Skills Training: Summit Students must develop an adequate repertoire of skills for interpersonal success. The inability to accurately perceive and interpret non-verbal social communication cues and signals, coupled with poor emotional intelligence skills, along with failure to grasp behavioral norms and social graces, leaves many Summit students socially disabled. Crucial training needs to be provided in order to overcome these deficits in social skills. Summit uses role-playing activities and games, videotaping, group discussion, and individualized conferences to teach the social skills necessary for our students’ success.