Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning

Applewood Academy For Progressive Learning is a therapeutic boarding school for students requiring individualized academic, clinical, and behaviour-management solutions. Think of it as academic support and clinical treatment under one roof – around the clock. We provide a small group, structured, boarding school environment. Classrooms groups are less than 12, with a 4:1 student to staff ratio. This allows students with special needs to either maintain or re-establish positive attitudes towards learning.

The services we provide are more intense than those found in a regular special education or alternative school setting. We develop a curriculum within the Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines and implement it through a Certified Teacher. Additional academic support is provided through Child and Youth Workers. CYWs also assist in establishing a structured environment and behavioural management. Our belief is that students benefit from active learning. We believe that educators, in combination with trained professionals, are the facilitators of this learning. We believe that everyone is an equal member of the treatment team.

Every stage of life brings exciting challenges as well as problematic obstacles. At Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning, we offer students a confidential and safe classroom to learn the necessary skills to manage. Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning began building its team of educational and mental health professionals in 2001. Students and families are offered a dedicated staff with specialized experience in Special Education, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychometry and Social Work.

The elementary school program at Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning has been issued a Board Student Identification Number (BSID) and is listed as a private school on the Ontario Ministry of Education website. Our mission is to provide individualized, therapeutically supported educational programming for students from kindergarten to grade 8, whose learning has been impacted upon by challenges from developmental, medical, and mental health conditions.

At Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning, our primary goal is to provide children with opportunities for academic success and thereby create a positive attitude toward an environment that is often avoided, due to their previous negative experiences. Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning’s mission is to maintain the child’s academic placement through the development of therapeutic relationships, the application of behavioral management techniques, the implementation of individualized learning programs and continuous clinical and academic support. Applewood Academy’s vision is that children with specialized treatment needs will have access to high quality, compassionate and therapeutic educational programming that allows for the simultaneous delivery of educational and therapeutic interventions.

The Anger Management program employs a cognitive-behavioral and solution focused approach. The students assess their level of anger, review employed strategies for dealing with anger, discuss physiological and psychological constructs of anger, present strategies for reducing anger, and restructuring of cognitive errors. The program attempts to improve communication skills, develop conflict resolution skills, problem solving and assertiveness skills. The format includes exchanges, modeling, various “anger workouts” and pen/paper assignments.

The Social Skills program is part of our therapeutic boarding schools focus on developing pro-social skills, such as, listening, self-image, accepting consequences, exercising self-control, problem solving, dealing with feelings, and dealing with peer pressure. A structured learning approach is used, consisting of four components: (1) modeling, (2) role playing, (3) discussion of performance, and (4) use in real life situations.

Behavioural Therapy addresses students whom have deficits in behavioural coping skills and emotional dysregulation; furthermore, students may struggle with extreme thinking, regulating emotions, emotional vulnerability, emotional sensitivity, and very intense response to stimuli, resulting in inappropriate behaviours and an inability to organize self or self-soothe. Content includes (1) how to use powerful solution-focused strategies, (2) skills building training, (3) emotional regulation, (4) interpersonal effectiveness, (5) distress tolerance, (6) relaxation training, (7) learned optimism and non-judgemental observation, and (8) exploration of mindfulness and self-awareness.

Stress Management Therapy’s goal is to quickly and effectively elicit realistic positive change through the development of self-control and emotional modulation skills in a therapeutic setting. Also, each student is to effectively establish a “self management” plan that focuses on building upon already existing strengths and coping skills.

Therapeutic Play or Play Therapy is a form of psychotherapy for children, using play situations for diagnosis and /or treatment. Play provides a way for students to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process. As student’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others.

Dependent on treatment needs, individual counseling is offered to provide an opportunity for students to explore the links between their thoughts, feelings and symptoms. Strategies taught within groups sessions are reinforced within the individual sessions. Any coexisting psychological difficulties are integrated into the student’s treatment plan.

Specific therapy targeted at enhancing the student’s motivation for change occurs. Students at our therapeutic boarding schools learn to assess their own readiness for change and explore ways in which their life might improve if they took on their learning style more forcefully.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy encourages students to look at the ways their thinking influences their feelings and behaviors. Students address “faulty thinking” patterns, or cognitive distortions in which their basic assumptions about themselves or their needs are challenged. All or none thinking is addressed. As students begin to shift their patterns of thinking, they are encouraged to develop different action plans to help modify behavior. Cognitive Behavioral techniques also are taught to help with stress, anxiety, depression and anger management as indicated within a student’s treatment plan.

The Brief Solution-Focused Therapy approach is designed to utilize goal oriented questioning and the student’s own success to illicit positive change that is both achievable and behavioural in nature. By focusing on the procedure of solution building, the model can be implemented within a limited period of time to treat a wide range of problems.

Dramatic play therapy is a goup model where the therapeutic powers of play are used to help students resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development. Through the activites and dramatic skits further insight is forged into underlying issues, with the opportunity to physically and mentally engage in alternative forms of behavior, or to try out alternative perspectives. Group topics are determined by a needs review at the outset of the group.

Some students find it easier to express themselves using images rather than words. The use of a variety of mediums such as clay and playdoh, paints and collage are used to explore feelings, discover unconscious thoughts and help students integrate physical sensations, emotions thoughts and memories. In addition, poetry writing, story writing and journaling are encouraged to help students get in touch with innermost thoughts and emotions.

Interpersonal Therapy focuses on the student’s relationships with important individuals in their lives and how these relationships are affected by their learning style and / or possible diagnosis. Each student is a part of a therapeutic community where normal childhood development is emphasized. Each student is held responsible to help in the creation of a positive educational environment. There is a daily exercise program. Emphasis is on mind /body connection and use of exercise in an appropriate and healthy way.

This group teaches the importance of good nutrition. It covers the different food groups and teaches students how to set up adequate menus. It includes some supervised food preparation. The development of a healthy balanced lifestyle is something most people strive for in their day-to-day living. The group works from the perspective that the whole person is important, as is, all their facets of life. Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning strives to offer a wide range of assessment and clinical services within the educational program and through our valued partners. Applewood Academy also recognizes that a wide variety of services are available in the community that students may benefit from.

Policies and procedures in this area reflect the goal of meeting our students’ individual and unique needs by accessing appropriate community based services that are not offered in the context of our educational program.