Autism Map Maker is a highly specialized resource organization and future school designed exclusively for autistic students who rely on American Sign Language (ASL) for communication. Our mission is two-fold:

• Currently, we are a resource and consulting center providing expert guidance to families, schools, and businesses.

• Our ultimate goal is to establish a landmark school in a supportive community that embraces our vision. Every service we offer helps fund our search for a home and the school's development.

Not yet. We are actively seeking business partners and a welcoming community to establish our campus, with a goal of opening for the 2026-2027 school year. While we search for the perfect home for our unique school, our mission to support autistic, ASL-using individuals is already in full motion through our current consulting services and resource development.

Our difference is built on four core pillars: our highly specific student focus, the unparalleled expertise of our leadership team, our unique educational model, and our revolutionary community-funded tuition structure.

1. Our Specific Focus: We exclusively serve autistic students who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary means of communication. This singular focus allows us to create a fully immersive, culturally sensitive, and communication-rich environment where students can thrive without barriers.

2. Our Expert Team: Our approach is backed by a leadership team with a rare combination of multi-disciplinary, lived, and professional experience. Our foundation includes:
   

   • Two Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), one of whom is fluent in ASL and another who is the founder of a successful Autism Intervention School and a Registered Nurse (RN).

   • A Teacher certified for both the Deaf and the Deaf-Blind.

   • A Deaf Teacher and community Mentor.

   • Decades of combined professional leadership and hands-on experience in the field.

1. Our Individualized "Maps": This diverse expertise allows us to move beyond a one-size-fits-all curriculum. We partner with each family to design a truly individualized educational plan, or "map," based entirely on your family's long-term goals. Whether your goal is to bridge to a public or state school, transition to a homeschool or private setting, or have your child thrive with us through their entire school career, the map is built to navigate that specific path.

2. Our Community-Funded Tuition Model: We believe a family's financial situation should never be a barrier to this specialized education. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we are building a tuition model funded by community partnership. Instead of burdening families, we partner with businesses and corporations to sponsor student 'seats' for our year-round program. This provides our partners with a meaningful, tax-deductible way to invest in the community and frees families from the stress of tuition. This partnership allows parents to focus their energy and resources where it matters most: active participation in their child's success. Our model requires families to engage in:
   

   • Twice-weekly sign language classes to build family-wide communication.

   • Weekly 1:1 parent coaching sessions for home behavior and language support.

   • Bimonthly social groups to foster community connection.

By covering tuition through sponsorships, families can then use their own "excess" funding and insurance for essential external therapies that we do not provide, such as Speech, Occupational Therapy (OT), and Physical Therapy (PT).

Our program is structured to provide intensive, individualized support in a consistent and nurturing environment. The school week runs from Tuesday to Friday, with the core academic day from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Recognizing that family partnership is essential, we dedicate time every single day for private family sessions from 8:00 to 9:00 AM and 2:00 to 3:00 PM, allowing for deep collaboration on at-home strategies and progress.

At the heart of our school are three distinct programs—Waymaker, Pathfinder, and Navigator—that form the building blocks of each student’s personalized "Map."

Waymaker: Building the Foundation

This is the foundational phase for our younger students or those just beginning their formal communication journey. The primary focus is on establishing the essential tools for learning and expression.

Reading: Students begin with foundational programs like Edmark Reading, which builds a strong sight-word vocabulary from the ground up. The goal is to move from knowing zero words to mastering the first level of the program (150 words) with high accuracy. Math: The curriculum starts with concrete concepts, using manipulatives to teach counting, number recognition, addition, and subtraction. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): We concentrate on building a student’s functional ASL vocabulary and encouraging spontaneous communication. We also introduce co-regulation and self-soothing techniques to help manage energy and emotions. Family Partnership: Families are deeply involved, learning an initial set of signs to match their child's vocabulary and participating in daily practice at home to build a seamless communication environment. Pathfinder: Developing Fluency

Once a student has a solid foundation, they transition into the Pathfinder program. This phase is designed to develop fluency, expand on core concepts, and foster greater independence.

Reading: We move beyond word recognition to build reading speed, accuracy, and comprehension. Students work toward summarizing stories in ASL and answering complex "why" questions. Math: Skills progress to more complex operations like multiplication and division, fractions, decimals, and eventually pre-algebra concepts. We use tools like IXL to supplement hands-on learning. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): The focus shifts from single words to multi-sentence conversations. Students learn to express their needs and feelings in ASL, with the goal of engaging in five-minute conversations with minimal prompting. Family Partnership: Families grow with their child, expanding their ASL vocabulary to 500+ signs and participating in ASL social events to match their student's growing fluency.

Navigator: Charting the Future

The Navigator program is the final, transitional phase of a student’s journey with us. Building on the fluency gained in Pathfinder, this program is highly customized to prepare students for their next steps, whether that’s bridging to a public high school, transitioning to a state school for the Deaf, or graduating from Autism Map Maker. The focus is on real-world application of academic skills, self-advocacy, and pre-vocational training, ensuring each student is fully equipped to navigate their chosen path with confidence.

Finding the right community and partners is our top priority, and you can be a crucial part of our search! Here’s how you can help make this school a reality:

1. Become a Business Partner : We are seeking visionary business and community leaders to help us establish our campus. Your support and partnership can create a lasting legacy.

2. Connect Us : If you know of a supportive community, potential funding opportunities, or available land/buildings that might be a good fit, please reach out. Your network is invaluable.

3. Hire Us & Donate : Using our national consulting services or making a direct financial contribution provides the critical funds we need to build our foundation and continue our search.