Classrooms for Students with Multiple Disabilities Needing Behavior Supports

In response to the needs expressed by school districts and parents, Hawkswood has designated classrooms to serve students ages 5-21 with multiple disabilities who also need behavioral support services.

The classrooms provide a 3:1 student to staff ratio. The curriculum emphasizes academics, effective communication skills, and social skills, with a strong behavioral component. Like all Hawkswood students, students in these classrooms participate in physical education, music and art programming.

Students also receive individual counseling and direct instruction in all areas of social skills so they learn to make and keep friends, deal with uncomfortable feelings, and use self-monitoring systems to understand and manage their own behavior.

We focus on helping our students understand that they are valuable contributors to their family, classroom, school and community. Our teachers create a democratic classroom environment, and in so doing, help foster a genuine sense of belonging in each student.

The unique climate in these classrooms, which encourages cooperative behavior without punishment or reward, is rooted in the pioneering work of Alfred Adler and American psychiatrist and educator Rudolf Dreikurs.

Our beliefs about student behavior focus on a child’s strengths and natural desire for social connection.