Hawthorne serves students (approximately ages 10 to 14) with advanced speaking and listening skills, who are proficient to advanced in their social cognition skills and perspective taking. These students learn successfully in diverse groupings, including pairs, 3-4 students, or whole group instruction. Classroom enrollment is limited to twelve students and staffed with one lead teacher, one support teacher, and one teaching assistant. In Hawthorne, students are immersed in a world of social cognition practices and strategies–thinking about themselves, others, the larger community, and the connections between their thoughts, actions, emotions and relationships. Social cognition language is used during the teaching of all academic concepts. Social interactions are specifically targeted with peer matches within the classroom and with other students at Victory. Students in Hawthorne also engage in consistent cross-classroom programs and weekly community-based outings to practice learned skills.
Assessment of student progress is measured using both formative and summative assessments, using a myriad of language and preference assessments, sensory profiles, academic activities, and ecological inventories.
Hawthorne students are working on the following goals:
- Building rich social and academic vocabularies and learning how to effectively use language in differing environments
- Learning how to negotiate more complex relationships with adults, peers, and family members (special emphasis is placed on making and maintaining friends)
- Self-identifying personal strengths and challenges in order to formulate meaningful individualized goals
- Expanding their understandings of community places and happenings
- Gaining an understanding of their physical development, with respect to adolescent issues (when applicable)
- Practicing with a variety of communication strategies, including writing, typing, speaking, and other technology
- Building and practicing academic concepts, aligned with Oregon State Standards, through engaging projects and activities (all differentiated by student strengths and challenges)
