Beacon School

What is it that makes Beacon special?  The staff genuinely love the students.  They care about their academics but also what makes each kid tick.  They get to know the families and care about what the families lives are like away from Beacon.  Teachers, staff, educational assistants, therapists, administration know each kid by face and name.  They greet you at the front door in the morning with smiles and hugs.  When we arrive with Abigail, she is treated like a rock star.

Beacon is a place where these special kids can grow at their own speed and have the support they need to do so.  It is a clean, bright, loving home away from home. 

I have had the experience of a lifetime in just the six months that my girls have attended.  Not only have I got to see my kids thrive in their classrooms but I have also had the opportunity to attend some remarkable events.  In April, I attended Special Olympics.  The whole school goes to this.  From therapists to teachers to administrators.  I saw kids who spent a good percentage of their time in wheelchairs, getting out of them and with the help of some incredible aides, participating in sprint races.  I saw the joy in their eyes when they accomplished something they had been working on for months.  I saw a little girl in Abigail's class win her relay and beam with pride as she stood getting her medal.  I saw families in the stands crying and cheering for their kids.  I saw teachers crying as their kids succeeded.  It was an incredible event and one I would recommend attending if you ever had the chance. 

In May, I attended the Preschool graduation ceremony at Beacon.  It was packed with family and friends who were there to show their support to these amazing children.  I was filled with pride as I saw Allie up on stage participating in a couple of songs and standing up to get her awards.  They gave each of these kids in preschool awards and told the audience in what way they had improved in this school year.  For Allie, she is now using sentences to make her wants and needs known and she is actively playing with her classmates and developing some really great social skills.  For that hour of the graduation and awards, this special needs mom forgot that my kid had special needs or attended a special needs school.  I think all of us parents in the audience just were so proud of our kids  for being kids and not special needs kids.  It felt like you were at any school ceremony and you could enjoy the moment and not worry about when the next meltdown would occur.

The day after Allie's ceremony, I attended Abigail's award ceremony and Beacon's graduation.  They had three graduates.  There were very few people in the audience that did not shed tears.  They played videos of each graduate throughout their life.  One graduate had been at Beacon since preschool and some of the teachers had had him in preschool/kindergarten back then.  It was probably the most touching, emotional ceremony I have ever attended.  They were all so proud of themselves and what they had accomplished.  Again, the teachers told the crowd how each kid improved over the school year. For Abigail, she was now able to sit for longer periods of time for instruction and she participated well with her classmates and school lessons.  It was really an emotional time to see her standing up there.  It was something I never thought she would be able to do and she was so happy up there.  Again, you kind of forget that this is a special needs child, she was just a child getting awards for working hard.  After the awards, the teachers had all the families into their classrooms for lunch.  It was an incredible, emotional, gratifying day that really makes all the bad days seem not so bad.

Allie has become more verbal since attending Beacon.  She is pretend plays, which by the way is huge for an autistic child.  She will take turns and follow directions.  She tells us what she wants and needs and even made a little boyfriend this year.  He is a little boy with Down's Syndrome who she calls "cute boy". 

Abigail is happy again.  She is making noises and smiling a lot.  She is having less meltdowns and is a lot calmer.  She will sit and look at books again and attend to activities.  She listens (sometimes) to our requests for her and she is sleeping through the night. 

Who knew that in this small, mountain town in Southeastern Ohio would hold a treasure.  And that treasure is Beacon.  We are forever grateful and appreciative for all that you have given our children and in turn our family.