The Birchtree Center

• School Motto: We change behavior and transform lives
• School Mascot: Birch Tree

The Birchtree Center operates theonlyyear-round school in New Hampshire that serves students with autism exclusively. The schoolis approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education to serve students in grades preK-12 whose primary special education eligibility is any of the following:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Developmental Delay
• Multiple Disabilities (with one of those disabilities being autism)

Students who benefit from Birchtree's individualized approach to applied behavior analysis (ABA) travel daily to the school from New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

At The Birchtree Center, students receive individualized instruction designed to:

• Build strong foundation skills
• Maximize individual strengths
• Develop resiliency to personal learning barriers (for example, auditory sensitivities)
• Facilitate functional communication systems
• Build independence across all targeted skill areas
• Promote generalization of skills across environments

Direct support providers rotate among the students in their classrooms in a block schedule format, so that each student works with several instructors over the course of the day. This kind of rotation facilitates generalization of skills and fosters relationships. Student groups are provided throughout the day in structured and unstructured social settings.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Expertise at Birchtree's Day School
Birchtree's Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Special Educators, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Occupational Therapists develop student programs using the principles ofapplied behavior analysis (ABA).

Direct support staff, including Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), are highly trained in ABA and closely supervised by BCBAs while delivering individualized instruction.

Every hour of every school day, Birchtree's staff collects data to document students' progress toward their learning and behavior goals. Staff enters the data into a secure online portal; Birchtree's autism experts can view this data in real time. Parents/guardians can also view their child's data on the portal. Birchtree's autism experts analyze the data at least once a week to assess students' progress and determine when programs should be modified to suit students' evolving needs.

Instructional Areas
All student programs follow New Hampshire state education standards and frameworks and are designed to suit each student's unique strengths, challenges, and Individualized Education Program.Instructional areas include:

• Standards-Based Academics
• Communication & Social Skills
• Self-Care & Hygiene
• Mobility & Fitness
• Behavior & Self-Regulation
• Vocational & Independent-Living Skills

Students aged 14 years and up participate in a wide range oftransition activitiesto learn the skills necessary to attain full and productive lives at home, at school, and in the community.

Learning at School & in Our Community
The school's location in Portsmouth provides ideal opportunities for students to interact with the local community and prepare for life beyond school-based services. Students visit local businesses, gyms, museums, and nature centers while working with instructors to develop life skills including shopping, physical fitness, and leisure.

Duration of Enrollment
Since the school's 2002 opening, 40+ public school districts in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts have relied on Birchtree's expertise by sending students to the school. Birchtree's staff works closely with families and referring school districts to prepare students to succeed outside of our specialized program.

Some students attend the school for two to three years and then transition back to their neighborhood schools. Other students may require the ongoing intensive educational and behavioral supports that the day school program provides and remain enrolled for longer periods of time.

Enrollment Process
Prospective parents and public school district representatives are invited tocontact Birchtree's Director of Student Services regarding any questions they may have about the school program or to schedule a tour of the school.

Typically, a student's family and the staff at their local school district come to an agreement that a student should be referred for eligibility consideration at Birchtree's day school. Then the district's representative assembles a referral packet to submit to Birchtree's Director of Student Services. Applications are accepted year-round. More information about the enrollment process is on Birchtree's website.