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Last year the Hannibal Evening Kiwanis Club began an ongoing commitment to helping children and families who are challenged by Autism. On Aug. 18, the core team from the Hannibal School District’s “Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention” (EIBI) Program, committed to offering quality education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), shared with the Kiwanians the intense work and success it has achieved during its first year of the Program and what the plans are for the second year.
The EIBI program is housed at Oakwood Elementary where the EIBI core team has established a pilot classroom treating Pre-K to 5th grade students.
By locating the program at one school the district can more readily prepare the administration, regular classroom teachers and staff at that location regarding what to anticipate and how to respond to the students in the Program.
This strategy has proven to be very successful. Seven children are currently being served within the pilot project and as many as 10 other students all through the district have benefited from the awareness and training provided to teachers during the year. Melinda Henson from the Thompson Center indicated that the commitment being made by the Hannibal School District and in this community is unique.
A key to the EIBI Program is the maintaining of a partnership with families, the educators and the community to provide an early intervention that “will enable (ASD) children to acquire educational opportunities that will allow them to chieve fulfillment in their personal lives and make a positive contribution to society.”
Last year the Hannibal Evening Kiwanis Club began an ongoing commitment to helping children and families who are challenged by Autism. On Aug. 18, the core team from the Hannibal School District’s “Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention” (EIBI) Program, committed to offering quality education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), shared with the Kiwanians the intense work and success it has achieved during its first year of the Program and what the plans are for the second year.
The EIBI program is housed at Oakwood Elementary where the EIBI core team has established a pilot classroom treating Pre-K to 5th grade students.
By locating the program at one school the district can more readily prepare the administration, regular classroom teachers and staff at that location regarding what to anticipate and how to respond to the students in the Program.
This strategy has proven to be very successful. Seven children are currently being served within the pilot project and as many as 10 other students all through the district have benefited from the awareness and training provided to teachers during the year. Melinda Henson from the Thompson Center indicated that the commitment being made by the Hannibal School District and in this community is unique.
A key to the EIBI Program is the maintaining of a partnership with families, the educators and the community to provide an early intervention that “will enable (ASD) children to acquire educational opportunities that will allow them to chieve fulfillment in their personal lives and make a positive contribution to society.”
