Introduction

The Mariposa School is a non-profit organization created specifically to offer children with autism and other developmental disabilities year around, intensive instruction using innovative teaching techniques. Based in central North Carolina, the school has attracted international attention for its progressive teaching curriculum and various programming opportunities. Families from across the country and world have relocated so their children can attend the school – a testament to the effectiveness of its teaching methodology and commitments to helping these students succeed. Each program is tailored to fit individual needs so that the student may realize his/her maximum potential.

How We Achieve Success

Because each child is unique, every student’s program is different. By working as a team, each professional augments the input and efforts of the other team members. There is no one, right way to teach, and we learn more about each student every day. Therefore, we reassess each student’s skills on a daily basis to monitor progress and modify teaching strategies as needed. When problems occur, we do not merely identify them, we look for ways to solve them. We base our teaching techniques on what research studies have shown to be most effective. Progress is tracked and is measurable. As a result of the low staff to student ratio (ratio varies by program), students receive a high level of reinforcement for their efforts, and changes may be made to the teaching approach based on the way the student responds.