WELCOME

Education should prepare us for life.

Sometimes though, when students learn uniquely, preparing for life can’t occur most effectively in the confines of a typical classroom. When generalization of learning fails to materialize, when school makes less and less sense to frustrated, anxious students, sometimes, a different approach is needed to energize and give meaning to learning.

At The I.N.S.P.I.R.E. School for Autism, therefore, life is our classroom.

Founded in 2007 by a group of concerned parents, award-winning teachers, and community-based business owners, The I.N.S.P.i.R.E. School, Inc. is a non-profit, educational institution servicing the needs of adolescents and young adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), ages 7-22. I.N.S.P.i.R.E. has been built on the principle of bridge-building – by carefully building partnerships between our students and community-based providers of academic-, vocational-, fine arts-, and sports-based opportunities, I.N.S.P.i.R.E. prepares students for seamless transition to satisfying, self-sustaining, adult lives within the warm embrace of their own communities.

Our school is located in Brattleboro, Vermont, a rural, artistic community within close proximity to Western Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Our classrooms are based on a green, 130-acre campus powered by sustainable energy sources, not the least of which is the passion of the people who live and work here. Students and families of I.N.S.P.i.R.E. benefit from a warm, supportive environment in which students, families and teachers can work together.

The I.N.S.P.i.R.E. School is a healing place … we understand the weary journey which drains students, families and teachers of hope and energy. We were on it ourselves. Through mutual respect, partnership, and joy-based learning in real-life contexts, we strive to re-energize learning so that our students and families can enjoy an I.N.S.P.i.R.E.d Life.