Our Autism ABA Day School in Portsmouth, NH
Birchtree operates the first and only year-round special education day school approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education that enrolls children and youth with autism exclusively. At our Portsmouth, New Hampshire, location, we offer seamless and uninterrupted 12-month programming.
Our Day School Program
At Birchtree , 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 of applied 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 of transition activities to learn the skills necessary to attain full and productive lives at home, at school, and in the community.
Learning at School & in Our Community
Our 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 our school’s 2002 opening, 40+ public school districts in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts have relied on Birchtree’s expertise by sending students to our school. Our staff works closely with families and referring school districts to prepare students to succeed outside of our specialized program.
Some students attend our day 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.
An Award-Winning School
Birchtree is designated a School of Excellence by the National Association of Special Education Teachers. This recognition is bestowed on private special education schools that meet rigorous professional criteria and have demonstrated truly exceptional dedication, commitment, and achievement in the field of special education.
Nondiscrimination Policy
Birchtree does not engage in unlawful discrimination against any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, marital status, or national/ethnic origin in educational programs, and there is no denial to any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, marital status, national/ethnic origin, or economic status of the benefits of educational programs or activities provided by our organization.