DISCOVER KISHAMI

Colorado Springs school for autistic and special needs children, grades 3 through High School. We also provide bridging integrated courses to help your child succeed beyond the classroom. Enroll your child today!

Must be high-functioning and relatively independant: no one-on-one care currently available.

What Kishami Can Do

Kishami Academy, LLC. is for students with autism that are being held back from their potential by current school practices. 

Please note that we are not equipped to provide one-on-one service, and our location is not conducive to dealing with runners. 

 

The application process includes three things. 

  1. Email to ask any questions you have AFTER reading through the entire website.

  2. Email to ask questions and arrange for a visit to the school and interview with the teachers. This helps the student, parent/s, and teachers understand if Kishami Academy, LLC will be a good fit.

  3. Your may either collect enrollment packet from the school or print out the Enrollment Contract, Enrollment Form, Tuition Agreement, and Student Handbook from the Parent page to fill out and return to the school in person.

Kishami Academy is currently accepting enrollment applications.

Contact Us for Enrollment Information

Interested in helping out?

If you are a college students, National Honor Society high school students, retired teacher, or have a disability with skills they would like to share, we want to hear from you!

Volunteer With Us

Look What We've Been Doing

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There’s always something amazing happening at Kishami Academy, LLC.

 

Our educational programs empower your child to learn in a flexible environment.

 

Upon enrollment, your child will be given an intake assessment and a customized curriculum to help challenge your child to achieve success.

News & Events

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Kishami Academy’s Philosophy for Teaching & Learning

June 7, 2022

Kishami Academy is a research school which means that teachers are students themselves.  Teachers learn from the people and students they interact with and engage…

Read More

How Lists Help Autistics Function

February 18, 2022

We all understand how difficult it is to have 20 tasks to accomplish and not very much time. Or we have 10 things we want…

Read More
More News

CHOOSE THE KISHAMI ACADEMY EXPERIENCE

At Kishami Academy, LLC, we believe that every child should have every opportunity at achieving success in life, at home, and beyond, regardless of disability or need.

We are diverse, welcoming, accepting and passionate about being the best we can be. Join us to make your child’s education experience enriching and unforgettable.

 

FAQs Kishami
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What does Kishami Academy being an independent private school mean?
Independent refers to the fact that Kishami Academy is not under the control of any outside entity: We do not have a company, board of directors, or the Department of Education dictating what we can or cannot do, we do not have yearly standardized testing, we are not limited to what an I.E.P. states, we can evolve with the needs of our students. This independence means that we also do not receive money from any company or government entity and thus, we are Private and require tuition to attend.
How is Kishami Academy different from Public School?
Using initial testing we teach at the grade-level your student is at in each subject, not expecting a student to be 4th grade in all subjects with occasional pull-outs to make up the academic gaps. We address the emotional health of each student, and we work together to both address and problem solve through frustrations and meltdowns. We consider public school PTSD, energy levels, and the effects of medications on academic performance.
What is Public School PTSD?
This is a term I use to explain the panic attacks, fears, and anxiety issues that students must deal with during their first few months at Kishami Academy. They have been expected to be something they are not, ridiculed for being different, treated in extremes for not fitting the mold, pulled out, reprimanded, yelled at, criticized, and blamed for mishaps all of their public school life. They expect the same at Kishami Academy and the difference in expectations and reality lead to disconnects in academics for a time. After a couple months, students relax and begin to learn and accept that they are worth something and capable of more than they ever thought they were. Healing can happen.
What is the daily schedule like?
Daily Schedule 9-9:45 Bridging: PE/Health (11-11:45 on Mondays) 10-10:45 Mathematics 11-11:45 Language Arts 11:45-12:45 Lunch Break (Cooking Science on Fridays) 12:45-2:30 Unit Study (History/Science/Research Skills) 2:30-2:45 Chores 2:45-3 Snack for those staying late 3-5 Higher Learning or Homework Time

Each 45 minute block is broken up into 20 minutes of lessons separated by a minute active break to help the body and brain focus and organize information.

Each block is separated by a 15 minute freetime break to allow the student tochange pace, get some energy out, play, work out, or work on personal projects which allows the brain to sort and store information.

Technology is limited. Students must earn technology sticks (worth 10 minutes of free play) by working out for 10 minutes (not during PE). Then playing is limited to 1-2 tech sticks per day and blue light glasses are required.
Who can Kishami help? What limitations are there? Does my student qualify?
We can help students who are falling through the cracks in public school.

Our students are smarter than the IEP’s, teachers, and special education departments think they are.

Our students have interests and dreams that have been destroyed in public school: it often takes 6 months for a student who has been in public school to begin to erase the negative “I can’t” and “I’m too stupid” mindset that has been drilled into them. After this time period we begin to see students willing to ask questions and explore what their future could be (have they been told they will never be able to work and yet they want to be a carpenter or astrophysicist?

We are willing to help them fill in gaps and work toward dreams, then as their abilities are more firm figure out plausible dreams that they can attain).

Our students are independent and small group learners and suffer in larger classrooms.

Our students can keep themselves entertained: because we have quite a bit of independent work and one-on-one academic work, students need to be able to work on their assignments independently.

Our students can follow rules: we cannot work with students who are runners or overly violent when asked to rejoin the class.

Our students do not need any one on one care and can take care of personal issues (going to the bathroom, blowing their noses, washing their hands, eating) on their own.

Our students are taught to appreciate who they are and to consider their future in their actions, beliefs, and stims.

Our students work on social skills, life skills, functional stims, emotional management, how toget along in the outside world, how to work with others, how to self-advocate, and more.

Our largest focus is academics because our students are capable.
Are we Accredited and what does that mean?
Kishami Academy is not accredited at this time. Accreditation means that all our classes are credit worthy and transferable to a college or university. Kishami Academy is an IEP school — We meet students exactly where they are and work with them to help them move forward and begin to dream about their future. We are filling in knowledge gaps first and foremost. We are connecting everything we do in our school to the student’s futures out in the real world. We are making sure they are being taught how to care for their mental and physical well-being as well as their academics. A diploma from Kishami Academy will include a list of mastered strengths instead of an overall general “graduated high school” diploma that does not mean anything to a student who has been pushed through the special education programs and does not have a typical graduate knowledge base.

Will we ever be accredited? I am not sure.

What can we do instead? Kishami Academy helps students who are ready to pass their G.E.D. or college placement exams, then will help with homework if they choose to attend college or a credentialing course.
How would a student be dismissed from Kishami Academy?
Under the Parents & Community link is a document that explains how a student MAY BE dismissed. These include: lack of development or movement forward in behavior or academics, parents not working with the school toward their student’s success, excessive absences, or bullying.

The first step is always talking with the student (if they are open to discussion), and helping them make their own personal choices toward their own future. We work with the student until they choose not to work with us, then if their behavior or lack of advancement academically begins to affect other students, we must make the harder decision, which results in a parent-teacher-student conference with concerns and a deadline for change.

Kishami Academy is intended for growth and academic movement toward a better future. Weare not intended for a daycare program for students who are capable of meeting our expectations.

School Hours
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Academics: 9-3 T-F Late Start Mondays 11-3

Chores from 2:30-3 

Homework/Day Care Time: M-F 3-4

Our Location
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2328 E Platte Avenue
Colorado Springs, Co, 80909
We share a parking lot with Family Dollar

Contact Us
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INTEREST
INTEREST

For any questions regarding new student interest ONLY, submit the following form (for all other questions, please use the GENERAL form):

 

GENERAL

We Proudly Support

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Japan-America Society of Southern Colorado

Autism Vision of Colorado

Special Olympics

The Misfit Amish

Thank you for your support!

Your Help Can Make a Difference

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We are very grateful for your continuous generosity and support in providing a specialized and much-needed education for the children in our community.  With your help, we are able to broaden our reach and expand our endeavors to fill the gaps that give our students every chance at a successful and bright future.

 

Every dollar donated to Kishami Academy goes a long way and helps to provide equipment, technology, supplies, furniture and so much more.