Countdown. This Tuesday, December 8, is Colorado Gives Day. Over the past week or so, I’ve been inundated with emails from nonprofits I’ve supported, reminding me how many days, or even hours remain between now and then. At TGS, we’ve chosen not to “blast” our supporters with multiple emails. We recognize...
School resumes tomorrow, after a snowy Thanksgiving break. As always, the day before school resumes, I find myself taking stock of my time. Have I accomplished everything I’d hoped to during this break? Whether just a weekend or longer, did I use my time wisely? Although I often set aside...
Caring is one of our core values at TGS. We speak often of kindness and politeness, and we see many acts of caring at all levels of our community. Here are just a few of the expressions of caring we see at TGS: Sharing your passion for a special interest…or inhibiting...
As much as we love spending time with our students, we have always recognized that their desired post-high school outcomes are rightfully located outside our walls. We want our students to have rich lives that include physically and intellectually engaging leisure activities, meaningful work, and opportunities to develop fulfilling relationships. So we...
There has been a lot of talk in education circles recently about “grit.” Apparently, the education world has now identified grit is one of a number of “noncognitive factors” that students need to succeed in the classroom. They are catching on to what we at TGS have always known: education...
Last week we finished the first quarter of the 2015-2016 school year. Wrapping up Q1 always feels like an accomplishment, because it marks the end of the settling in period: students know the routines, coming to school is now the norm, learning is solidly underway. Academic conferences this week will provide...
As we meet with prospective families and members of the larger community, we often are asked about our support staff. Who are they? What do they do? How will they help my student? Why do we have so many of them? In many school settings, “support staff” refers to the people...
This week a large group of TGS staff attended the JFK Partners 3rd Annual Autism Spectrum Disorders Conference. The topic was Executive Function, and we were quite pleased to note that flexibility (aka adaptability) was one of the executive function skills to be discussed. As we discussed accommodations to support students...
You know something is a core value when you find yourself encountering it constantly in everything you do. This past Saturday we held our 4th annual TGS Shuffle, in a new location. Instead of a clearly marked lakeside loop, we had a winding paved path which doubled back circuitously after...
“No two people with autism are the same: its precise form or expression is different in every case. Moreover, there may be a most intricate (and potentially creative) interaction between the autistic traits and the other qualities of the individual. So, while a single glance may suffice for clinical diagnosis,...
