“I think the care and intervention combined with the physical environment at TGS so significantly lowers stress and sensory issues that his brain’s receptivity is greatly enhanced. His focus – his ability to follow directions – his ability to execute two and three item lists accurately is noticeably improving at home. Even his sister has commented about how much better he is doing.

Now that he’s able to perform at this level his self esteem is increasing and his good feelings that he really gets to do this are growing. No exaggeration when I tell you J is a different kid than when he started at TGS.  It’s amazing to watch the transformation happening before my eyes. I get choked up when I think where he was at and how limited the future seemed for him before. Thank you!”

–Parent of a third-year TGS student, 10th grade

Temple Grandin School teaches the students in ways they can learn, instead of just modifying the material for them. TGS teachers expect students to earn their grades, not just get through school. At TGS, they are not only taught the 3 R’s, but social skills so they can fit into society. I cannot express how important this is.

–Parent of a three-year TGS student, now attending Boulder High School

Temple Grandin School in Boulder has been amazing in every way! The staff is comprised of an extremely dedicated group of professionals who clearly care about every student and his/her family. Our son, who prior to attending TGS, was unhappy with public and private school and failed to thrive in homeschool, LOVES TGS! In just one year, he made incredible gains and for the first time in his life is looking forward to a new school year! The students at TGS are great kids and our son made many friends this past year, which again was a first!

TGS instructors know how to reach our kids and inspire them to become better human beings. Our son has gone from telling us that he was never going to have a job…to asking for tutoring over the summer in a subject that is difficult for him to better enable him to get admitted to the college of his choice! All of his teachers have had a tremendous impact on his self-concept and he feels a connection to each and every one of them. We could never thank TGS enough!

–Parent of a two-year TGS student, now attending Boulder High School

The Temple Grandin School saved our son. He is thriving and excelling in a welcoming community of students and teachers that support differences, champion strengths and support the deficits with an air of “deficits are merely areas waiting to be explored for hidden strengths.”

The teachers at this school are like none you’ve ever encountered. These are gifted educators who are inspired by the children they are called to teach. The level of commitment and devotion from teacher-to-student is palpable. The communication from school to home is unmatched and we are involved seamlessly with the education plan. The Temple Grandin School is not just a school…The Temple Grandin School is a model of excellence in educating and supporting the whole child.

 The Temple Grandin School has done the impossible. They have infused our teenager with a renewed curiosity for learning! He talks about college now instead of dropping out. (He never thought university was even a remote possibility and according to our public school’s evaluations, neither did we.) He is learning to navigate socially and he’s enjoying it! He has made a few really good friends at school and this is the first time he’s been excited to do things with a good buddy…a real friendship-connection. Our children deserve an education, but can any of us function in this world without the ability to connect to another human being? We have found not only a top-notch education at The Temple Grandin School, we’ve found genuine human connection!

–Parent of a second-year TGS student, 8th grade

Temple Grandin School was literally a lifesaver. My son was near the end of his rope at public high schools. The dedicated staff accepted him and helped him celebrate his unique passions. They gently led him to accomplish more than he had in years. He has a new acceptance of himself, his Asperger’s, and the world he must live in. They helped him take the first steps toward independence.

–Parent of  a TGS graduate, now employed in his area of interest

After several years where my child was barely surviving in public schools, we are thrilled to have found Temple Grandin School. Now my very smart kiddo is thriving in school; he looks forward daily to going to a school where his gifts and talents are appreciated and celebrated. The teachers and staff “get” Asperger’s and how different brains work. Social skills and other objectives including perspective taking, planning and self awareness are part of the curriculum and school culture. Strengths are recognized and dreams are nurtured. And my kid is getting a great education! It is so amazing and rewarding as a parent to see my child exactly where he needs to be, growing into the confident and successful young man he was meant to be.

–Parent of a second-year TGS student, 11th grade

Working with a kid with Aspergers is never typical, never common place. Without a deep understanding of how they view the world, it can be down right frustrating (even with an understanding it can be frustrating). But on the other side there is an immense beauty to who these kids are and what they have to offer. The folks at Temple Grandin School never lose sight of this.

We have worked with our son for the past several years in a number of environments – some that got it and some that didn’t – but not until TGS have we witnessed a group of people who truly celebrate who these kids are and build from their strengths, instead of focusing on their weaknesses. We have seen our kid go from dreading school work to enjoy heading off to school each morning. He still has work to do, but TGS meets him on his terms, and the progress in just a few short months has been amazing.

–Parent of a second-year TGS student, 11th grade

Finding TGS was like a miracle for us. Our daughter did well in public school through elementary school with the help of a great special ed staff, administration and teachers, and then was finally diagnosed with Asperger’s in 5th grade. When she moved up to middle school it was a completely different story. Her grades fell immediately from A’s and B’s to C’s, D’s and F’s and her whole demeanor changed from a happy-go-lucky girl to a very unhappy girl who was practically petrified at school. The psychologist at that school did everything that she could but without support from the administration and other teachers it was impossible.

At TGS her grades started coming back up and she is once again excited about learning. She missed only one day of school last year due to illness, whereas she missed so much in 6th grade that the school sent a threatening letter. She has even made a couple of friends who share her interests and I expect this upcoming school year will find her loosening up even more and becoming more comfortable with the other students. She LOVES school now even more than she ever has and is actually unhappy about summer break.

–Parent of a third-year TGS student, 9th grade

I am a therapist specializing in working with people with autism. I have had the opportunity to work with students and staff at TGS and could not recommend the school more highly. The staff are very collaborative in their approach — with each other, students, parents, other schools and facilities, and outside providers. They are easy to work with and they never lose their focus on meeting each student where they are and, with creativity, flexibility, and ingenuity, figuring out how to help each individual grow and succeed.

I have recommended clients to TGS and will continue to do so. When the public schools or other institutions are not meeting a student’s needs, TGS often can step in and help them thrive, to be their best. I’ve heard students say that going to TGS has been the first time they have liked school, felt they fit in, been recognized for their strengths, and succeeded in their coursework.

We are fortunate to have such a valuable, effective, and caring resource in our community.

–Therapist, Broomfield, CO

After many years of searching for different avenues to help our son succeed in school, we finally found Temple Grandin School. After trying many approaches to schooling, we were quite honestly not sure our son would ever graduate. But through the encouragement and expertise of the TGS staff, our son has graduated and is successfully pursuing an independent life.

At TGS, we had at last found a team of people who understood the unique and varied needs of people with Asperger’s. Unlike anywhere else we tried, they created an environment where our son was supported in identifying and growing his strengths and working on areas of improvement, all without the embarrassment or lac of understanding experienced in other educational settings. Instead of trying to make students fit into a predefined mold, TGS embraces each student where they are and helps them to grow and achieve based on their unique skills, abilities and aspirations.

There are many paths to success, and TGS encourages and supports each student to find their path. Our son left TGS a high school graduate and amore mature, confident, and capable young man.

–Parent of a TGS graduate

The Temple Grandin School has been transformational for my son and our family. The small size enables an individualized approach that is night and day different from other school settings. But it isn’t just the size of the school that makes the difference. In the structure of the week, with things like school-wide morning meeting, Plus One Friday activities, Perspectives and Real World 101, TGS has crafted a program that is perfectly tailored to students with high-functioning autism.

My son attended public school from kindergarten through grade 7, and the biggest challenge we ran into was the staff’s ability to strike the right balance between challenging him and accommodating him. TGS has mastered what it takes to play to each student’s strengths and find ways to help them overcome difficulties. My son has flourished both academically and socially in this very special place where he can feel safe and is having fun. Before starting at TGS 5 years ago, there were real doubts about his ability to complete high school. Now he is on track to complete a 4-year college degree program. Most importantly, he is a self-confident, independent young adult ready to tackle the world.

–Parent of a TGS graduate