Congratulation to our CEO, Casey DePriest, named the 2025 Remarkable Woman!!
We are rethinking autism! We provide optimal access to life, learning, communication, and autonomy for nonspeaking individuals. We presume competence, prioritize compassionate support, and enhance communication regulation training through neurologic music therapy, applied neuroscience, and sensory and motor supports.
We provide optimal access to life, learning, and autonomy for nonverbal individuals by presuming competence, rethinking autism, prioritizing support over compliance, integrating Neurologic Music Therapy, and enhancing communication regulation training.
Virtual ACCESS Academy is our private school and educational alternative to the more traditional special education options that just don’t meet the needs of some students with complex communication, sensory, and neuromotor differences.
Did you know?
Self-contained special education classrooms are NOT evidence-based.
We believe in presuming a student’s competence and providing needed supports and accommodations in inclusive settings to promote access to age-appropriate academic learning opportunities that feed a nonspeaking student’s brain and allow them to succeed.
The inspiration behind this program was driven by the needs we’ve seen from so many K-12 and adult learners who’ve come through our doors with years of educational trauma from being underestimated and misunderstood because of the way they move or communicate when not adequately supported. Our A2A program is geared to help students utilize their text-based communication and overcome their regulation challenges while earning their HS diploma, pursuing higher education, and/or getting into a job they love.
Are you ready to experience optimal access to a grade-level education?
Are you ready to waste no more time?
All of our programs are strength-based and built on a belief that we all CAN-Do what we set our minds on.
Our popular CAN-Do Summer Camp took on a new format in Summer 2024. Our new program ACCESS Family, hosts FOUR in-person 4-Day Family Intensives with 4 families in each session. These innovative training programs are for families that are seeking to build CONNECTION and COMMUNICATION through SKILL-BUILDING and GOAL-SETTING
Spots are limited. Indicate your interest TODAY!
2025 Dates: June 3-6, June 17-20, July 15-18, July 22-25
Optimal ACCESS is committed to creating opportunities for the nonspeaking community. We often hear that the years of isolation leave nonspeaking individuals feeling disconnected and lonely. They long for connection with others who understand; friends. We hear you and we are creating virtual opportunities to connect meaningfully. These groups offer a variety of social opportunities paired with skill-building, learning, and advocacy.
Click below to learn more about our current offerings, register for groups, or sign up for the mailing list to be notified when our next groups are announced.
*Our main social group for ENROLLED ACCESS/A2A STUDENTS ONLY. We meet Wednesdays at 12:30PM CST. Meaningful discussion, service projects, socialization, announcements, music, and fun!
“The Optimal ACCESS program is very tailored to the student. We’ve gotten to know some of the families and I don’t think any two students are the same. It’s very much in tune with all of their needs, whether that be sensory, motor, communication. I think they have the staff in place and a wide variety of staff. Ultimately it has been [our son’s] choice which educational coach he felt was the best support for him and we can tap into other educational coaches and their expertise as well as any other staff member. I think that’s been super helpful for us. We highly recommend [Optimal ACCESS] because it gives both parents the opportunity to work with your child and not just one.” – Dan and Michelle D.
“I am seen as an actual student. School’s (A2A) care assesses my Autism and accesses my real voice by spelling with support from my mom. I am seen as a thinking and able person and still learning without feeling all alone with my Autism. Answers after spelling are my amazing, easy reason for peace. I am free now and dearly ask for watchful eyes as I answer my future. I am very capable, still, answering takes time and a lot of energy, so I am slower than someone who does body movements automatically and still gets the answer they safely want. I assess school as a dear support system. I am free, safe, and saved from a sad life of too much assumptions and not enough needed belief in my abilities. I am breathing life, hope, and mainly humanness now.” – Oliver
Creating Optimal ACCESS to life, learning, communication & autonomy for those who cannot rely on speech for communication.
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