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Elementary School

We offer a unique, individualized education with an emphasis on social skills in a nurturing, therapeutic environment with a full comprehensive team approach!

The curriculum is highly individualized, hands on, and designed to address the specific needs of each student. Class sizes are small with high teacher to student ratio. The program is based on the current research and best practices in the field. Teaching strategies and reinforcement methodologies are reviewed on an ongoing basis to maximize each student’s success.

Most classrooms have 4-5 children per teacher ratio staffed by a Master’s Level Degree, Florida Special Education Teachers with vast experience in integrating many various therapeutic programs for children with autism and other developmental delays, and one to two highly trained teacher assistants per classroom. These small class sizes enable us to provide individualized instruction and meet each child’s individual goals.  Children, who require a smaller teacher-student ratio, may opt for three to seven hours of additional one to one therapy per day.

Our program is based on a traditional ABA method (Applied Behavior Analysis), yet we integrate various practices and have adapted many approaches to teaching including the following: The Pyramid Approach to learning, whereby reinforcement plays a key role in motivating the child to learn; The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to increase expressive communication for those who need it; and Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s well known “Floor-time Approach” to enhance play and interaction. Additionally music therapy plays a key role in our program to promote and enhance expressive language through song, while teaching children to make requests, follow directions, share, and take turns and increase joint attention skills.

How is the Carrie Brazer Center for Autism Unique? What sets us apart from all the others?

Our staff is incredible! Using energy, excitement and enthusiasm to engage the child each day, we inspire a continuous love of learning and interaction. We are so much more than group of talented professionals. We are a family!

For nearly 10 years, our CBC family has been dedicated towards helping students overcome the challenges they confront in their day-to-day lives and to help them to make significant strides toward productive and rewarding futures. Students develop their self-esteem and a sense of achievement as they master each new skill. In this structured, individualized, nurturing environment, students experience school as positive and fulfilling. Just wait and see, your child will actually be excited to come to school each day!

Families are an integral part of the students’ programs to ensure that their needs are met beyond the school day:

• A daily communication book between the school and home provides ample opportunities for parents to communicate with teachers and therapists.
  

• We have an open door policy. Any parent or member of the community can come by and observe the program and the work we are doing at any time. No appointment is necessary. We encourage both parent and community involvement.

• Educational clinics are held with teachers, parents and helpers to address any learning changes or concerns. This helps to provide consistency between the home and school environments
  

• Monthly observation hours by family members of their children are encouraged during the school day.

• Parents and family members are welcomed to volunteer in the classroom, during therapy and on field trips to help teach their child and facilitate learning between school and home.

• Home visits are provided by the Carrie Brazer Center for Autism team to develop specific skill acquisition and behavior reduction programs to increase the quality of life of the child and the family.
  

• Parent and care-giver education workshops are scheduled on a monthly basis.

• We provide assistance in referrals to community resources.

• Participation opportunities are encouraged in school and community-wide fundraisers, speaking engagements, walk-a-thons, trainings & seminars.

Community Based Instruction Program

All of our classroom students participate in the Community-Based Instruction (CBI) program on Fridays where they learn real-life skills in their natural environments. Social skills training is taught through community based instruction on our wonderfully stimulating weekly field-trips such as swimming, sailing, and horseback riding, visits to the museums, zoo and much more. These activities allow the children to become aware of the community in which they live while promoting generalization of each new skill learned: including riding a bus, engaging in social interactions, following directions, purchasing food in a restaurant, changing clothes and eating independently. In multiple environments, students practice their social and communication skills, and their independence.

We’re open all year long!
On Saturdays and on most holidays and teacher workdays, the Center is open for field trips to local attractions including the zoo, bowling, horseback riding, swimming with dolphins and other fun-filled locations. During winter, spring and summer breaks from the regular school calendar, the Center operates a Day Camp which includes activities at the Biscayne Nature Center in Key Biscayne and stimulating field trips. After school programs are also available at the Carrie Brazer Center. We have full scholarships available for camps funded by the Children’s Trust.

Admissions
The pre-admissions and admissions process includes a tour of the facilities and program orientation, submission of an application, an interview with the child and family, and a review of the educational and related records by the admissions committee. For further information, please contact
305-271-8790. The Carrie Brazer Center for Autism admits students from the greater Miami, Florida, Pinecrest and Cutler Bay areas and other neighboring communities. Door-to door transportation is available.

How can I pay for the program?

We accept the McKay Scholarship for Student’s with Disabilities for full payment based on a sliding scale fee, if your child’s Matrix score is 254 or 255. (Website www.floridaschoolchoice.org.) Lower Matrix scores are also considered. Parents who receive Title One, Med Waiver of SSI funding will not need to pay any additional costs for bus, field trips, books and other fees. We accept Medicaid & Private Insurance as full payment for Speech, Physical and Occupational and Speech Therapy sessions.

Generous Scholarships for Summer Camp and other Out-of-School programs are available from the Children’s Trust. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need of the family. Annual tax returns and letters to the board must be submitted with each application. Please see our summer camp and Out-of-School brochure and ask for current price list, if not enclosed.