They say an ideal way of learning is doing the job yourself.
The faculty at Aveyron Academy, a school for students with various disabilities, couldn’t agree more. To stand for what they believe in, they devoted a classroom that houses equipment that teach students various life skills. As a result, students with autistic requirements can learn the day-to-day chores necessary to live an independent life.
Aveyron Academy, located in the Canarsie Educational Campus at 1600 Rockaway Parkway, is named after Victor de l’Aveyron (1788–1828), a young orphaned boy who was abandoned by his parents in the woods near Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance in the South of France. Although he was in the care of adults throughout his life, he ran away often. On his final capture, he was placed in the care of Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard, M.D. Having given the young boy his name, Victor, Dr. Itard committed himself to educating Victor on how to bathe, clothe himself and live in society.
Like Victor, pupils at the Aveyron Academy are taught how to wash their hands at the sink properly, safely cook, set a dinner table, clean and separate garments, and keep things in order. In addition, the students are provided a schedule so they can learn structure. This room is allotted to the students and is called the “Luxury Suite.”
On Friday, June 17th, grateful faculty and students officially welcomed the room with “The Activities of Daily Living Skills Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony.” Principal Dr. Yvrose Pierre proudly cut the ribbon and thanked all the staff for their countless efforts in helping these students become independent individuals.
Occupational Therapist Lisa Mason explained, “Not many schools have a resource like this. This is what our students need the most, and our goal is to help them transition into adulthood. This room helps foster all the skills they need to succeed when they leave us.” Mason shared that her favorite project to teach the students is the process of setting up the school store because it teaches them how to sort and build their skills.
In addition to the Luxury Suite, they also have a classroom allotted to medical health. This room teaches students how to administrate procedures such as taking blood pressure and temperatures on patients. Facilitated by Pauline Johnson, she told the Canarsie Courier that the students get a certificate at the end of the course to help them acquire jobs.
Due to the success of these classrooms, Assistant Principal Laura Wynn was pleased to announce a second Luxury Suite is in the process of development at their other location. Their goal is to have a suite at all six of their facilities.
To learn more about the school, visit sites.google.com/753k.org/aveyron-academy/home.