Chileda provides more than 1500 hours of instruction over a 12-month school year. All teachers are licensed or working towards licensure with the Wisconsin DPI.
All residential students attend school on campus at Chileda’s day school program. Students from local districts come to Chileda to attend the day school program during the school hours.
Our small class sizes are designed to meet the individual needs of every student. Students are assigned to a classroom based on age and individual needs. Classrooms are set up to include visual and communication supports readily available to all students. Each classroom consists of a Special Education Teacher, Teacher Assistant, and Direct Support Professional.
Chileda uses a special education curriculum for instruction in math, reading, writing, science, social studies, life skills, and social skills. Chileda also does benchmark assessments at least 3 times per year and progress monitoring twice a month within the online curriculum. Symbol supports are used throughout the curriculum. Chileda’s educational focus is on functional skill development. Curricular areas are implemented in the community when appropriate and instructed with real objects in natural environments. Students are encouraged to participate in IEP meetings; to gain a better understanding of their program, and indicate outcomes that are meaningful to them in regards to their personal rights and development (e.g. having access to their own money, selecting their own clothes).
Chileda is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all clients, employees, volunteers, and patrons, free from harassment, intimidation or bullying. Chileda also serves children who were not able to be maintained in their home and educational setting due to significant behavioral and cognitive challenges. Due to this, while student-to-student bullying is taken very seriously, we also take into consideration the individual needs and skill deficits when addressing bullying. Often times what may appear as “bullying” is a skill deficit requiring teaching appropriate social skills.
Student harassment, intimidation, and bullying can be reported to the Lead Client’s Rights Specialist at 608-782-6480 ext 226 or KateL@Chileda.Org.
Chileda Day School Services – La Crosse, WI is a day school designed for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including severe and profound autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and various other cognitive and behavioral challenges. Many of our students have experienced behavioral difficulties that have limited success in their previous school settings. We integrate our comprehensive educational services within a trauma-informed environment grounded in applied behavior analysis (ABA).
In addition to academic and behavioral programming, students have access to on-site services, including a full-time licensed occupational therapist, a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA), an adapted physical education (APE) teacher, leisure education, and a speech and language pathologist (SLP). Some students may also receive additional services provided through their home school district.
Parents or guardians interested in enrollment should first contact the special education director (SPED) of their home public school district, even if the child does not currently attend a public school. School districts can refer students to Chileda based on individual needs and the district’s ability to meet those needs within its own programs. Chileda will accept students from any school district who is willing to provide transportation. We currently serve students from districts as close as La Crosse and as far as Prairie du Chein. It is not uncommon to have districts who transport their children to Chileda from over an hour away.
Services are funded by the placing school district. Once a student is enrolled, Chileda works with the student’s existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) to develop and deliver personalized educational and behavioral programming. The IEP team, which includes school staff and the student’s family, collaborates on all service planning.
Trauma-Informed ABA is a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and therapeutically approaching behaviors by looking at the historical events of the child, what is happening before (antecedents), and what is happening after (consequences) the behavior of interest. This model focuses on self-advocacy and empowers the client to communicate their needs and wants. Trauma-Informed ABA can not only help clients change their interfering behaviors but also can teach them new skills to increase their quality of life.
Active involvement from guardians plays a critical role in the success of services and has a meaningful impact on the client’s progress and life decisions. As key advocates, parents and caregivers help shape goals, support skill development, and promote quality of life. Their consistent engagement increases the likelihood of long-term success.
Chileda’s Day School curriculum is tailored to meet each student’s individual needs within a multi-age classroom. Each classroom is supported by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a teacher, behavior specialist, teacher assistant, and multiple direct support professionals (DSPs), often at a ratio of one DSP for every two students. In classrooms of 5-8 students, it’s not uncommon to see 6 or more adults working collaboratively. This staffing model ensures highly individualized attention and support, setting Chileda apart from many other schools.
Transportation is coordinated and provided by each student’s home school district. Chileda’s day school runs from 8:15 AM to 3:00 PM to help minimize disruption to family routines. Travel time is considered when building each student’s daily schedule. Some students travel over an hour to receive day school services, and there have been requests from school districts over an hour and a half away.
Chileda operates on a traditional school-year calendar, which is provided to families annually. We also offer a full Extended School Year (ESY) program, with most students participating through their home districts.
*Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education services provided to qualifying students outside the standard school year (i.e. typically summer or during holiday periods) to help continue to meet IEP goals.
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