Apparo Academy, Inc.

Apparo Academy is a non-profit, Christian preschool where children with special medical and educational needs learn and interact alongside their typically developing peers. Our model is built on learning through play utilizing the Creative Curriculum and comprehensive therapeutic treatment interwoven for the children with special needs. Inclusive learning is a valuable approach for all children who learn about empathy, compassion and adaptive thinking. Multiple programs will be available:

- Play-based curriculum delivered by certified teachers from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm, five days a week throughout the school year for children 13 months to six years old.

- 60% of enrollment for children with special needs and 40% with typical developing peers
Teacher to student ratios will not surpass 1:5.

- Early care beginning at 7:00 am and After-care until 6:00 pm to assist working parents.

- Adaptive after-school options, such as tutoring, ballet, yoga, cycling, gymnastics, art and music for children 13 months to twelve years of age.

- Speech, Language, Feeding, Occupational, Sensory and Physical therapies during the school day from licensed therapists.

- Nursing care on-site for medically fragile children requiring advanced care and for those with additional medical needs.

We will be a support system to these families where they can come for advice, therapy services, respite and much more. We will also provide a child care facility for their typically developing children. Many families with children of special needs must take their children to different facilities due to the requirements to care for their child. Our facility will have inclusion services so that all children can learn along side each other. We will offer parents free training monthly on all aspects of the medical community and the education community. We will also offer them respite services once a month so that they can spend time together as a couple without the distractions of children. Our preschool is much more than a school. We will spend time with families and listen to their trials and then offer a possible solution.

Our organization employs teachers who are certified in special education and/or early childcare, certified and well-trained therapists, nursing and multiple assistance to be on hand as needed. The program director has over 25 years of training in providing therapy services and over 10 years of running a non-profit with a therapy focus.

Apparo Academy has completed our first year in operation with over 36 children enrolled our first year. We graduated 7 students this year to various public and private schools around our community. Our second year has begun with full enrollment and many lives are being impacted. We are excited to serve 42 students in our classrooms and over 50 students in our outpatient clinic this year. Apparo Academy is in the process of designing an expansion building of 16,000 square feet in order to accept more children into our amazing therapeutic preschool.