6
SanTan
July 2014
FAMILY FUN
Parents have school choice for children with autism: Pieceful Solutions By Tracy House
Kami Cothrun, owner/director of Pieceful Solutions, saw a need for a safe and caring place for children with autism. Cothrun has a background in speech and language, working with autistic children on habilitation, earned a master’s in special education then opened a respite agency. She started Pieceful Solutions in Mesa in 2008 after seeing the frustration in the parents and children with the school system, “having a passion and a love for these kids, and really wanting to offer something that was different and that no one else did. Just give them an opportunity to be themselves.” Cothrun says parents are relieved to have an option for their autistic child other than the traditional public schools. “For so long parents just went with their only option, being the public school, and so for them to have options is crucial...They’re relieved to know there is a place that their child can be themselves, where they are understood, not only by the teachers, but their peers, is huge. So many of our kids come with anxiety because they haven’t been able to be themselves, they’ve had to hold it together while they’re at school and then they get home and they totally crash and melt down. So many families have told me how much better their family life is...they’re not fighting the battle to get their kids to school every morning.” Robin Rollando can relate to the parents at Pieceful Solutions. The new chief operating officer is a parent of a 20-year-old autistic son who went through the public school system. “I don’t know how many times things would get bad with the bullying and he didn’t have any friends and he’s quirky, a little bit different.” Rollando looked for other schools for her son, but wasn’t able to find a good fit because he was high functioning. “As a parent finding and having this opportunity is huge I think…they can be here and be themselves. They have to work so hard to try to fit in to that regular classroom.” From humble beginnings with six students in a church portable, there are now three Pieceful Solutions schools serving the autism community: the Chandler campus is a kindergarten
small settings, allowing for more through fifth grade charter school individualized instruction. with 80 students; the Mesa Junior and senior high students campus is a kindergarten through have lockers to store their personal 12th grade private school; and belongings. “The kids love it,” the Gilbert campus is a sixth Cothrun says. “They like that experithrough 12th grade private ence and going and keeping their school with about 75 students. stuff in there.” Classrooms have a maximum of Each campus provides the core 14 students. Each school has a subjects and the curriculum includes dedicated director. yoga, karate, music therapy, different The Chandler campus follows specials and electives. Students have the Mesa Public Schools calendar the opportunity to learn life skills with classes starting Aug. 6. The such as cooking and laundry as well two private campuses, Gilbert and Mesa, follow the Chandler OFFERING CHOICES: Pieceful Solutions offers a choice in schooling as social skills; each campus does Unified School District Calendar for parents with autistic students. Three campuses serve the autis- community outings weekly. tic population in a safe and caring environment. Submitted photo Occupational therapy is also with classes beginning July 21. available at Pieceful Solutions. There is a tuition for the private “We service both the sensory needs of the students as well as schools, but Cothrun explains there is a scholarship program available. “We don’t have anybody who private pays. There are the fine motor needs,” Cothrun explains. “We’ve got a definitely scholarships options. We help them with all of that.” fulltime speech/language therapist, and each campus has a fulltime speech/language assistant. So the kids get lots of Staff is available to help with the paperwork. speech and language. It’s crucial.” Students are grouped by grade, age and then also ability An advocate for the autism community, Cothrun is the grouped. “We service the entire spectrum,” Cothrun says. chairwoman of the Resource Fair for Autism Speaks. “Any “So we’ve got some students who are nonverbal who have time there are autism related events, we promote it, we attend high sensory needs and then we have students who are as a school community, so that we can band together and get choice, exceptional, gifted more on the Aspergers side, to know each other.” She mentions, “The ultimate goal is to so we service the whole range. The majority of our students be here for the kids and to provide resources for the families.” are the higher end, but we do service both.” Parents interested in more information about Pieceful Learning takes place through direct instruction and small Solutions are invited to call and schedule a tour of the faciligroup instruction enhanced with computer-based learning. ties to speak with Cothrun or a director. There is information “The biggest piece is that small group where they can get available on the website at www.piecefulsolutions.com or some individualized help. It really helps our kids be able to call (480) 309-4792. focus better. Our class sizes are small and when we break up into those smaller groups, they really get a lot more attenTracy House is the news editor for the SanTan Sun News. tion,” Cothrun says. In addition to the special education certiShe can be reached at tracy@santansun.com. fied teachers, para-professionals work with the students in
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