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Community
Events
A
Note From APTS' Project Discover
APTS, for those who
don't know, is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to
serving children with severe disabilities and their families
living in the Washington DC Metro area. APTS offers expertise in
children with Autism. These students are referred to our program
from public education systems when it has been determined that the
public special education programs are unable to meet the
children's needs. Our innovative program focuses on providing
students with the knowledge and practical skills essential for
their successful integration into the community.
Alternative Paths Training School
has steadily increased the number of students and families served
over the last few years. In 2002, APTS' pilot year, the school
opened with 2 students and quickly increased to 26. Currently
Alternative Paths operates two locations and serves 70 students
and their families from 8 Northern Virginia public school systems
with an estimated total revenue of over 5 million dollars. APTS
only receives funding for a student upon their enrollment and this
tuition is directly related to the service we provide. Being that
our students require such a high staffing ratio, almost 70% of a
student's tuition supports the salaries of APTS teachers. APTS
must remain competitive with the public school systems to ensure
the quality of staff we employ, and therefore we look to the
community for support for other necessities. Each year, Project
DISCOVER helps to raise awareness about Autism as well as raise
funds for things such as computers, school
supplies, and other materials that APTS would otherwise not be
able to afford. Our ultimate goal is to create a permanent home
for our program.
We are asking local businesses to
help our efforts by being a sponsor of Project DISCOVER. One in
every 150 students is diagnosed with Autism. This growing number
is a scary reality. It is only with the support of the community
that APTS will be able to serve the many deserving children and
their families in the Washington DC Metro area.
Thank you for your time and
consideration. We know that the 2009 school year will be wonderful.
Sincerely,
Pamela Gross |
