FACE, the Florida Autism Center for Excellence, is a charter school in Hillsborough County Florida. FACE serves autistic children from grades Pre-K through 12. FACE is managed by Education Services of America.
The student body of FACE is comprised of 78 students from all ethnic backgrounds, age groups and economic ranges. Each child is privileged to attend the school free of charge since FACE is a charter school and part of the Hillsborough County School System. FACE entered its' second school year of operation. Their first year of operation was the school year 2007-2008.
FACE is staffed by a professional team of teachers, therapists, and classroom assistants who are all trained in the special needs of autistic children and their families. The primary behavior module used in the classrooms is ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is the only method scientifically proven to improve the behavior of autistic children in terms of language acquisition, social skills, activities of daily living, and other tasks that most children master with ease.
On Wednesday, February 11, 2009; the students and families of FACE students were informed that ESA Education has decided that the school is insolvent and they will close the school at the end of this school year in June, 2009. Nearly all of the students of FACE have shown improvement since entering the school. Parents report students with greater interaction, fewer emotional outbursts, better social skills, and better academic progress than they were achieving in a mainstream classroom. While the families and staff of FACE appreciate the current economic conditions and the desire of the parent company to minimize risk, they are also devastated at the news that the school may close, leaving their children with limited options for education and therapy.
At this time, the families of FACE are scrambling to garner support from the community, local news media outlets, and the parent company, ESA Education.
Please join us by posting comments on ideas for fundraisers, publicity and success stories from the school your child attends. Further posts will provide updates on the matter.
