Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Investing

Friday Feature: Dragonfly Academy, a Microschool Where Neurodivergent Children Learn and Thrive

by September 1, 2023
September 1, 2023
Friday Feature: Dragonfly Academy, a Microschool Where Neurodivergent Children Learn and Thrive

Colleen Hroncich

Today’s education entrepreneurs are as unique as the learning environments they create. Many are parents seeking a better fit for their own children or teachers wanting the autonomy to teach the way they think is best. In the case of Dragonfly Academy in Las Vegas, it was a grandmother who stepped up to create a place where neurodivergent children could learn and thrive.

Anita Williams is a licensed clinical mental health therapist whose grandchildren have been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. Because of her professional background, Anita was able to help her daughter find the right specialists. But even with her knowledge, it was difficult to navigate the system and get her grandchildren the help they needed. When Anita and her daughter met with her grandson’s teacher and principal, Anita could tell they weren’t equipped to meet his needs.

They decided to try homeschooling, which was difficult but did relieve some of the stress of dealing with the school district. Anita began learning more about autism and the autism spectrum. She and her husband eventually decided to open a learning center specifically for neurodiverse individuals. At Dragonfly, Anita says, “an individual education plan is actually an individual education plan. It’s not a copy and paste from one child to another. It’s giving them what they need and focusing on their interests.” If a child has speech therapy, occupational therapy, or any other therapies that the family is happy with, those therapies can take place right at Dragonfly.

Anita initially planned for Dragonfly Academy to be a private school, but after bumping into bureaucratic red tape she reconsidered her options. She’d met Don and Ashley Soifer of the National Microschooling Center, and they told her about microschools. “I’ve been sold on this innovative, non‐​traditional education movement ever since,” she says. Students who attend Dragonfly must register as homeschoolers with the state of Nevada.

Using the homeschool/​microschool model gives Anita a lot of autonomy and flexibility with Dragonfly Academy. This is essential because her goal is to create a learning environment that appeals to a variety of neurodiverse children. By incorporating play therapy, sandtray therapy, art, and music therapy, Dragonfly students can learn, develop, and thrive with their peers.

For this school year, Dragonfly Academy will meet Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Learners can attend all four days or just two days per week (Mon/​Wed or Tue/​Thu) with tuition adjusted accordingly. They plan to have field trips one or two Fridays a month. Parents can volunteer for 10 hours a month at Dragonfly in exchange for a lower tuition rate. Limited financial assistance is also available.

An occupational therapist who leases a room from Anita for her private practice also works with Dragonfly students. Each morning there is an optional 30‐​minute “Movement with Miss Mallory” session at 9:30. Then the kids have some self‐​directed time before they get together for a morning meeting. Anita wants the students to be active participants in their learning journey, so she gives them several options throughout the day for group activities in addition to the self‐​directed time.

“Therapeutic schools are not new; I haven’t reinvented the wheel,” Anita says. “But this model has a unique twist to it because a lot of times therapeutic schools are boarding schools—children may stay there months or weeks or Monday through Friday and go home on the weekends. My concept is for these needs to be met on a daily basis and then for the children to go home with their families.”

Anita wants to keep the learning environment at Dragonfly Academy small so she can continue to provide truly individualized learning for each student, but she can see having two or three locations so she can help more kids. Because while her motivation was initially to help her own grandchildren, Anita is passionate about taking what she’s learned and using it to help other neurodiverse children as well.

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Does The IRS Settle For Less Than Owed?  
next post
Yields, Oil, US Dollar Rise, Equities Tepid: Stock Market Starts the Month With Mixed Signals

You may also like

The Center for Immigration Studies Is Still Wrong...

March 6, 2024

Samourai Charges Mark Chilling Moment for Financial Privacy

April 30, 2024

Republicans Should Aim for Canada-Size Cuts

February 4, 2025

The Draft Is Antithetical to Liberty, Even if...

October 21, 2024

The Effects of Expanding Optometrists’ Scope of Practice

October 22, 2024

Data Show Trump Would’ve Released as Many Border...

January 5, 2024

Yes, You’re Still Imagining a Migrant Crime Spree:...

October 22, 2024

The Court Went Too Far on Presidential Immunity

July 3, 2024

FDIC Survey Shows 5.6 Million Unbanked Households, But...

November 12, 2024

St. Louis’ Little Trolley That Couldn’t

November 29, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • UK economy posts strongest growth in a year, driven by exports and business investment

      May 15, 2025
    • EIS investments fall sharply despite tax breaks, raising concerns over regional imbalance and complexity

      May 15, 2025
    • University of Hull launches Railwhere to drive innovation in rail freight efficiency

      May 15, 2025
    • Bank of London under investigation by PRA amid financial uncertainty and governance overhaul

      May 15, 2025
    • Living Wage employers rise 19% as more businesses commit to higher pay

      May 15, 2025
    • Trump warns Iran faces ‘violence like people haven’t seen before’ if nuclear deal fails

      May 15, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (7,964)
    • Investing (1,959)
    • Politics (15,225)
    • Stocks (3,084)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved