AISZ Bridges Program

At AISZ we live our mission of developing skills and character for futures rich with promise; a promise that encompasses the many abilities, social-emotional needs and neurodiversity that we find in our community. We believe that every student is a “story of possibility, filled with promise” and that when we have a diversity of stories all members of our community benefit. With that as our foundational compass we are pleased to share with you our AISZ intensive learning needs program. A program that we refer to as “Bridges”. 

While students with intensive needs have been enriching the AISZ community for years, the Bridges program allows us to provide a new level of support and inclusion. Bridges is the result of a thoughtful yearlong review of our current learning support programming. Its creation included input from researchers, students, teachers and the larger AISZ community. Bridges is available to a managed number of Upper School students requiring this individualized program. 

The focus of the Bridges program is on building life and academic skills for students to live and learn independently after leaving AISZ. Bridges students are home based in a self-contained classroom, participate in typical academic courses where there is mutual benefit and immerse themselves in the community to further develop their independent living skills. Bridges is available to upper school students and typically serves from 3-8 students yearly. 

Research tells us that schools that include students throughout the entire range of neurodiversity see many benefits, for those with disabilities and those without. Inclusive schools see a reduction in fear, hostility, prejudice and discrimination. They also see increases in tolerance, acceptance, and understanding (Kart, 2020). Academic excellence is what we expect from every student and from our faculty at AISZ. The thoughtful implementation of our Bridges program will allow increased social awareness in our school while maintaining our high expectations for academic performance for students; those with or without disabilities. 

Inclusion at AISZ is part of who we are as an organization. We are proud of our Bridges program and its impact on raising the collective intelligence of our entire organization. Bridges is yet one more way AISZ delivers on our mission of, “Developing skills and character for futures rich with promise.” 

Please contact our admissions office for more information on this program.