About the Program

Exceptional Learning Institute works hand-and-hand with the Behavioral Foundation Centers (BFC). BFC uses ABA therapy to decrease unwanted behaviors and increase skills where there are currently deficits.

Our team of teachers, BCBAs and RBTs will take the academic data, his or her likes and dislikes, any input you might have, and  behavioral issues to create an educational plan specific to your child.  The RBT/Paraeducator is trained to follow your child’s specific plan.

It all starts at ELI, a great place to GROW!

Academics

At ELI we know there are no limits to what your child can accomplish but there has to be a starting off point.  Children must be taught at their cognitive level, any lower and they are bored any higher and they lose interest.  It is with this in mind each child has their own individually tailored academic path that is continually changing to meet their needs.  We holistically address the academic, social, and emotional needs of your child.  To aid in this your child will receive individualized education at their needed support level. With class sizes of 12 or less, each child can get the time and attention they need to truly grow to their greatest potential!

To improve a child’s academic skills, you must first help the child become interested in what you want them to learn.  That is why at ELI we believe in strength-based, passion-based holistic learning.  With this comes 2 different ways of teaching.  We are teaching with a thematic approach, every week we have a new theme allowing the child to explore all subjects through a theme.  Within this we also have passion based learning. Of course, they need to learn math, but we teach math starting with something the child loves.  Your child may be crazy about Peppa Pig, his or her learning will revolve around Peppa Pig.  As his or her interests change, we will adapt how we teach.  This is how the individual educational plans for students are fluid.  Not only do the plans change with your child’s interest we also take into account your child may not be on the same level in each subject.  For instance, he or she may be on a basic level for writing, remedial level for reading and social studies but on level for math and science. This is how your child will be taught.

Teaching holistically means we look at your whole child and educate him or her beyond the core academic classes.  It is a comprehensive approach where we address the academic, social, emotional, and ethical needs by integrating them into the curriculum.  Holistic education helps to develop better communication and social skills.  Students are able to make significant connections to a subject through associations in the community, at home or even other subjects.  Learning become more natural and engaging which leads children to motivating your child to want to learn more.  This self-motivation makes learning a fun and meaning full experience.  We emphasize a positive environment by providing whole-child supports.  Our curriculum emphasizes on applying critical-thinking skills that solve real-world problems.  An example of this might be the student is making a recipe that calls for 2 eggs, but they are only using ½ the recipe.  How many eggs would you need to use in the recipe?

As your child is taught using the holistic approach, in our ideal learning environment, he or she will optimize their potential and become a more independent learner. Leading to success in school and becoming a self-advocate.  Which in turn, as they grow, will help them in finding a fulfilling job and establish a balanced multifaceted life.

It all starts at ELI, a great place to grow!

Life Skills

At ELI we understand each child is unique, what skills they work on will vary greatly depending on the child.  There are many skills your child will be mastering here are some examples:

Financial Literacy and Money Management

  • Understanding the value of coins and bills
  • Understanding what money is used for
  • Count back money and make change
  • Using money to purchase items at the store
  • Having a job or selling items makes money
  • Deciding to give, save or spend money
  • Comparing prices of items
  • Tipping appropriately
  • Understanding the difference between a savings and checking account
  • Understanding the difference between a credit and debit card
  • Setting goals and making a plan to achieve them
  • Fill out a job application
  • Job interview
  • Transportation

Self-Care

  • Toileting
  • Get dressed
  • Use fork, spoon and butter knife
  • Cary plate to sink after meals
  • Brush teeth, wash face and hands
  • Cooking skills (starting with the basics to meal planning and preparation)

Housekeeping

  • Cleaning skills (wipe up spills, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, etc.)
  • Laundry skills (sort, match, fold, put away etc.)
  • Make a bed
  • Wash and put away dishes
  • Performing simple sewing tasks
  • More complex skills (Change lightbulbs, unplugging the sink)

Nutrition

  • Understanding what foods are healthy
  • Making simple food items (sandwiches, scrambled eggs, etc.)
  • Serve food
  • Baking
  • Menu planning for a wide variety of meals
  • Making meals for more than one person

It all starts at ELI, a great place to grow!

Community Based Instruction (CBI)

We use Community Based Instruction to allow your child to learn functional and life skills in a community, non-school environment.  CBI provides students with “real life experience” and hands-on learning opportunities to practice critical skills.  Your child will be able to see, hear, smell and do things in a real-life setting.  Students learning in a CBI environment are faced with obstacles a classroom teacher might not predict.  Consequently, the students learn problem solving on a greater level then in a classroom setting, while in a safe environment with support.  Experiencing natural environments reinforces skills students have already learned in the classroom.  When students learn this way, they progress at a much higher rate than the students who remain in the classroom.

Community-Based Instruction (CBI) is an evidence-based practice that supports students during the transition from school to community life and promotes successful post-school outcomes for these students.

Boggs Center for Developmental Disabilities – Rutgers

It all starts at ELI, a great place to grow!

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social-emotional learning improves self-awareness and self-control of your child while expanding the interpersonal skills vital for success in school, work and life.  As your child grows in SEL he or she will be better able to cope with challenges that creep up every day as well as benefit socially, academically as well as professionally.

At ELI, we address the five areas of SEL everyday:

  • Self-Awareness – comprehending emotions, thoughts, values and experiences and realizing they can influence actions.
  • Self-Management – centers on an individual’s capability to regulate and control their emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
  • Responsible Decision Making – the ability required to make constructive choices founded on individual and social factors: goals, ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.
  • Social Awareness – ability to empathize with others, ability to treat others fairly.
  • Relationship Skills – ability to make positive relations with others, as well as take their feelings into account in different situations.  This helps to form and maintain beneficial, jointly rewarding relationships.

Standards of Ethical Conduct

(Adapted from the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida and Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida)
  1. Our school values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.
  2. Our primary concern is the student and the development of the student’s potential. Employees will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity.
  3. Concern for the student requires that our instructional personnel:
    1. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
    2. Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.
    3. Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
    4. Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student’s academic program.
    5. Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
    6. Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.
    7. Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination.
    8. Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.
    9. Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law.
  4. Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of colleagues, of students, of parents, and of the community, employees of our school must display the highest degree of ethical conduct. This commitment requires that our employees:
    1. Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
    2. Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition if otherwise qualified, or social and family background deny to a colleague professional benefits or advantages or participation in any professional organization.
    3. Shall not interfere with a colleague’s exercise of political or civil rights and responsibilities. d. Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
    4. Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.

Training Requirement All instructional personnel, educational support employees, and administrators are required as a condition of employment to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.

Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators All instructional personnel, educational support employees, and school administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructional personnel, educational support employees, and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments, prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offering favors. Reports of misconduct of employees should be made to Marrie Sallade (President) at admin@exceptionalinstitute.org or Ronald Diaz (Director of Education) at RDiaz@exceptionalinstitute.org . Reports of misconduct committed by administrators should be made to Marrie Sallade (President) at admin@exceptionalinstitute.org , Rachel Mills (Vice President) at RMills@behavioralfoundation.org or Robert West (Secretary) at RWest902@gmail.com .

Legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators will be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted in the staff lounge and on our Web site at ExceptionalInstitute.org.

Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect All employees and agents have an affirmative duty to report all actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Call 1-800-96-ABUSE or report online at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.

Signs of Physical Abuse The child may have unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, or other injuries; broken bones; or burns. A child experiencing physical abuse may seem withdrawn or depressed, seem afraid to go home or may run away, shy away from physical contact, be aggressive, or wear inappropriate clothing to hide injuries.

Signs of Sexual Abuse The child may have torn, stained or bloody underwear, trouble walking or sitting, pain or itching in genital area, or a sexually transmitted disease. A child experiencing sexual abuse may have unusual knowledge of sex or act seductively, fear a particular person, seem withdrawn or depressed, gain or lose weight suddenly, shy away from physical contact, or run away from home.

Signs of Neglect The child may have unattended medical needs, little or no supervision at home, poor hygiene, or appear underweight. A child experiencing neglect may be frequently tired or hungry, steal food, or appear overly needy for adult attention.

Patterns of Abuse: Serious abuse usually involves a combination of factors. While a single sign may not be significant, a pattern of physical or behavioral signs is a serious indicator and should be reported.

 

Liability Protections Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by law, or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the department or any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action. (F.S. 39.203)

An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current employee protected under F.S. Chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)

According to 34 Code of Federal Regulations § 300.137, a child with a disability who is placed in a private school by their parents does not have an individual right to receive the same special education and related services as they would if enrolled in a public school. This is because the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 does not apply to students placed in private schools by their parents.

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