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New Monarch School for children with autism opens
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BY: MARILYN H. KARFELD, Senior Staff Reporter
When Bellefaire JCB's Monarch School for Children with Autism opened in 2000 in a former cottage, converted bedrooms served as classrooms. Storage closets became art and music rooms, and corridors were narrow with multiple turns. Every space, from the gross motor area to the lunchroom, was make-shift.
All that has changed.
This September, the spacious, light-filled new Monarch School for children ages 3 to 22 has opened on the grounds of Bellefaire.
“For parents of children with autism, it's so wonderful for them to see their kids be the beneficiaries of a beautiful building,” says school director Debra Mandell. “Usually they get the leftovers.”
From the soft lighting to the natural maple hall lockers, every element of the 22,000-square-foot, $5.5 million facility has been designed specifically to meet the needs of autistic children.
Children with autism, a neurological disease leading to a broad range of developmental problems, are unusually sensitive to environmental stimuli and are easily distracted.
Therefore, the new school features uplighting that does not buzz or cast dark shadows and wood lockers that do not clang when the doors are slammed. Environmentally healthy, tweedy brown carpeting in the corridors and some classrooms deadens the sound of footsteps. The bright white paint on the walls is odor-free.
The building, Mandell says, was designed with a logical layout to diminish anxiety. It's easy for students to recognize where they are and where they are going. Monarch also contains all the typical elements of any school, such as a gym, lunch areas, playground and homerooms.
“When kids transition back to public school, they'll have those (familiar) things there, too,” Mandell says.
Monarch, which this fall enrolled 43 children (with a maximum capacity of 56), also just opened its new preschool division. Currently, two girls are enrolled, but Mandell plans to gradually introduce new students this year until the preschool reaches its capacity of 14. The preschool classroom features an inviting corner with soft cushions for lounging, books, crafts, and a play area.
Monarch also offers an early intervention program for autism, in which specialists go into a family's home to work with the child and his or her tutors. Early diagnosis and tutoring prevent some of the difficult behaviors associated with autism from becoming deeply ingrained, Mandell explains.
This past summer, Monarch also inaugurated a summer camp for 7 to 12-year-olds that served a dozen children.
Monarch emphasizes language-based visual learning. Teachers use pictures and written cues in all instruction because children with autism have trouble with auditory communication.
The school's design reinforces these visual cues: Entrances are color-coded in red for the lower school and blue for the upper wing; the signage on each door is uniform, with a slot for the teacher's photo; each locker bears a student's name and picture.
Monarch has eight pods, each consisting of a large classroom plus two small adjacent spaces for one-on-one instruction such as speech therapy. There's a galley kitchen in the upper and lower schools so students and teachers can make lunches and a staff lounge in each wing.
The two occupational therapy rooms have wood floors to facilitate the use of exercise equipment and a walking track. Children with autism enjoy the back and forth motion of swinging, so swings will soon be added to the OT rooms.
One morning last week, a 9-year-old boy was working with an occupational therapist on his typing skills. To remember how to properly strike each key, he wore knit gloves with letters taped to each finger.
Children with autism enjoy technology, Mandell says, and they respond well to computer-based learning. Each classroom contains several computers, and a language lab awaits the addition of six more terminals. Being in the lab can teach kids to tolerate the sight and sound of other children, the director explains.
The upper and lower schools each have a gross motor room, a kind of mini-gym, with maple floors and skylights in vaulted ceilings. Teachers quickly discovered, however, that the skylights and raised ceilings allow sound to reverberate, which can disturb those in nearby classrooms. Mandell says the school is installing acoustic tile to minimize the noise.
A cheery lunchroom with an attached restroom in the upper and lower schools provides opportunities for children to socialize with others. Typically, eight students will eat lunch together. There's also room for a student to eat with only one or two others, if he's not ready for a large group.
The upper school also contains a functional living classroom complete with a washer and dryer and several kitchen appliances so students can learn how to live independently. Students also learn how to make purchases, fill out questionnaires, and apply for a job.
Both the upper and lower schools share the art room and music room, each featuring maple cabinetry and large windows. The art room boasts two sinks and stainless steel counters, while the airy music room has a piano, guitar, keyboards and some brass instruments.
When the art teacher and music therapist first walked into their new classrooms, they cried with joy, Mandell relates.
The school's Wuliger Family Playground features lots of swings and a climbing environment. Mandell also hopes to acquire more challenging equipment for older students.
“We're looking for sensory experiences outside, such as a music area,” she says. A sensory garden is planned, where students will help plant flowers this spring.
Both upper and lower schools also have sensory rooms, which are still awaiting more equipment. Vibrating chairs, fiber optic lights at the ceiling, and music provide a calming atmosphere for children with autism. When funds permit, Mandell hopes to install a soothing and stimulating multisensory Snoezelen (snu-c-lin) environment developed by Dutch therapists, which costs about $10,000.
Mandell is especially thrilled with the large media center, where specialists create individualized teaching materials. “Spoken language is not enough for kids with autism,” she says. “Visuals, both stills and animations, really help.”
The school's media specialist is also creating software of Monarch's teaching methods which parents and other schools will eventually be able to use. The beta version of the software will be available by December.
“It's now so labor-intensive and time-consuming to create the visuals,” Mandell says. “The software will revolutionize the way teachers are educating autistic kids. We'll be able to reach out to all children with autism.”
The new Monarch School was built with $3.5 million from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland's Centennial Initiative; $500,000 of that total is earmarked for scholarships.
The Centennial gift includes $1 million from Amy and Lee Handel and Marjorie Stonehill for the Marjorie Handel Stonehill Lower School. The Handels have a long history of involvement with Bellefaire.
“Autism is becoming an epidemic, and the cost of educating a child to his or her full potential is very expensive,” Amy Handel says. “Building a space from the ground up specifically designed to help these kids made complete sense to us.”
Robert Steinberger has given $1 million for The Steinberger Upper School. In addition, Bellefaire received $1 million for the new school from the state of Ohio's capital fund.
Ultimately, Bellefaire's plans for Monarch include two additions: one to serve the preschool and another to facilitate individualized, one-on-one instruction. Upon completion, the entire Monarch project will cost $10 million, officials estimate.
mkarfeld@cjn.org
All that has changed.
This September, the spacious, light-filled new Monarch School for children ages 3 to 22 has opened on the grounds of Bellefaire.
“For parents of children with autism, it's so wonderful for them to see their kids be the beneficiaries of a beautiful building,” says school director Debra Mandell. “Usually they get the leftovers.”
From the soft lighting to the natural maple hall lockers, every element of the 22,000-square-foot, $5.5 million facility has been designed specifically to meet the needs of autistic children.
Children with autism, a neurological disease leading to a broad range of developmental problems, are unusually sensitive to environmental stimuli and are easily distracted.
Therefore, the new school features uplighting that does not buzz or cast dark shadows and wood lockers that do not clang when the doors are slammed. Environmentally healthy, tweedy brown carpeting in the corridors and some classrooms deadens the sound of footsteps. The bright white paint on the walls is odor-free.
The building, Mandell says, was designed with a logical layout to diminish anxiety. It's easy for students to recognize where they are and where they are going. Monarch also contains all the typical elements of any school, such as a gym, lunch areas, playground and homerooms.
“When kids transition back to public school, they'll have those (familiar) things there, too,” Mandell says.
Monarch, which this fall enrolled 43 children (with a maximum capacity of 56), also just opened its new preschool division. Currently, two girls are enrolled, but Mandell plans to gradually introduce new students this year until the preschool reaches its capacity of 14. The preschool classroom features an inviting corner with soft cushions for lounging, books, crafts, and a play area.
Monarch also offers an early intervention program for autism, in which specialists go into a family's home to work with the child and his or her tutors. Early diagnosis and tutoring prevent some of the difficult behaviors associated with autism from becoming deeply ingrained, Mandell explains.
This past summer, Monarch also inaugurated a summer camp for 7 to 12-year-olds that served a dozen children.
Monarch emphasizes language-based visual learning. Teachers use pictures and written cues in all instruction because children with autism have trouble with auditory communication.
The school's design reinforces these visual cues: Entrances are color-coded in red for the lower school and blue for the upper wing; the signage on each door is uniform, with a slot for the teacher's photo; each locker bears a student's name and picture.
Monarch has eight pods, each consisting of a large classroom plus two small adjacent spaces for one-on-one instruction such as speech therapy. There's a galley kitchen in the upper and lower schools so students and teachers can make lunches and a staff lounge in each wing.
The two occupational therapy rooms have wood floors to facilitate the use of exercise equipment and a walking track. Children with autism enjoy the back and forth motion of swinging, so swings will soon be added to the OT rooms.
One morning last week, a 9-year-old boy was working with an occupational therapist on his typing skills. To remember how to properly strike each key, he wore knit gloves with letters taped to each finger.
Children with autism enjoy technology, Mandell says, and they respond well to computer-based learning. Each classroom contains several computers, and a language lab awaits the addition of six more terminals. Being in the lab can teach kids to tolerate the sight and sound of other children, the director explains.
The upper and lower schools each have a gross motor room, a kind of mini-gym, with maple floors and skylights in vaulted ceilings. Teachers quickly discovered, however, that the skylights and raised ceilings allow sound to reverberate, which can disturb those in nearby classrooms. Mandell says the school is installing acoustic tile to minimize the noise.
A cheery lunchroom with an attached restroom in the upper and lower schools provides opportunities for children to socialize with others. Typically, eight students will eat lunch together. There's also room for a student to eat with only one or two others, if he's not ready for a large group.
The upper school also contains a functional living classroom complete with a washer and dryer and several kitchen appliances so students can learn how to live independently. Students also learn how to make purchases, fill out questionnaires, and apply for a job.
Both the upper and lower schools share the art room and music room, each featuring maple cabinetry and large windows. The art room boasts two sinks and stainless steel counters, while the airy music room has a piano, guitar, keyboards and some brass instruments.
When the art teacher and music therapist first walked into their new classrooms, they cried with joy, Mandell relates.
The school's Wuliger Family Playground features lots of swings and a climbing environment. Mandell also hopes to acquire more challenging equipment for older students.
“We're looking for sensory experiences outside, such as a music area,” she says. A sensory garden is planned, where students will help plant flowers this spring.
Both upper and lower schools also have sensory rooms, which are still awaiting more equipment. Vibrating chairs, fiber optic lights at the ceiling, and music provide a calming atmosphere for children with autism. When funds permit, Mandell hopes to install a soothing and stimulating multisensory Snoezelen (snu-c-lin) environment developed by Dutch therapists, which costs about $10,000.
Mandell is especially thrilled with the large media center, where specialists create individualized teaching materials. “Spoken language is not enough for kids with autism,” she says. “Visuals, both stills and animations, really help.”
The school's media specialist is also creating software of Monarch's teaching methods which parents and other schools will eventually be able to use. The beta version of the software will be available by December.
“It's now so labor-intensive and time-consuming to create the visuals,” Mandell says. “The software will revolutionize the way teachers are educating autistic kids. We'll be able to reach out to all children with autism.”
The new Monarch School was built with $3.5 million from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland's Centennial Initiative; $500,000 of that total is earmarked for scholarships.
The Centennial gift includes $1 million from Amy and Lee Handel and Marjorie Stonehill for the Marjorie Handel Stonehill Lower School. The Handels have a long history of involvement with Bellefaire.
“Autism is becoming an epidemic, and the cost of educating a child to his or her full potential is very expensive,” Amy Handel says. “Building a space from the ground up specifically designed to help these kids made complete sense to us.”
Robert Steinberger has given $1 million for The Steinberger Upper School. In addition, Bellefaire received $1 million for the new school from the state of Ohio's capital fund.
Ultimately, Bellefaire's plans for Monarch include two additions: one to serve the preschool and another to facilitate individualized, one-on-one instruction. Upon completion, the entire Monarch project will cost $10 million, officials estimate.
mkarfeld@cjn.org
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