Students with Disabilities - FIRE Academy
K-12 online learning for children with autism and other significant developmental delays.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFELONG INDEPENDENCE
The FIRE Academy, a program within Ignite Learning Academy, offers accredited education to children in grades K-12 with learning disabilities, autism, and other significant developmental delays who will thrive when working in a self-contained special education environment.
All curriculum used is specifically designed for students with developmental disabilities in order to teach academic, life, and social skills.
Students who have an IEP or 504 Plan or who have participated in special education services in the past will thrive at Ignite Learning Academy! Those with special learning needs, anxiety, OCD, or other mental illness will find Ignite Learning Academy to be a safe environment where they’re free to explore online learning on their own terms – with the support of their parent/coach and teacher who passionately cares about the child’s success.
Students working in courses below grade level meet live with their assigned special education teacher to receive targeted intervention and support in the areas of reading, writing, and math. The frequency of these meetings is driven by student need and all support is in a small group setting. We carefully monitor academic growth throughout the year to ensure your child is progressing and thriving!
Arizona families may qualify for a scholarship that fully covers the cost of tuition at Ignite Learning Academy. Other states may have scholarships available that fully or partially cover the cost of tuition as well. Contact us or visit this page to learn more.
The FIRE program offers a three-level approach, based on student need.
Level one FIRE is designed for students with significant developmental delays. These FIRE students attend small-group daily live classes with their similarly aged peers and teacher. These students need the most support from a learning coach at home. This group requires a learning coach to help with their independent work and setting them up for class. Life skills, socialization, and independence is taught along with the core academics. This is a self-contained instructional model. Attendance for live class is required.
Level Two FIRE
Level Two FIRE High School: A small group of students with similar educational needs attend class together. The environment provides support and structure; academic subjects are taught by a special education teacher. The instruction is online and live, each academic class is 30-60 minutes depending on the subject area. Skills for life are imbedded in academics to promote independence, socialization, and life skills for life after high school. Off-line work (homework) will be utilized for completion of assignments and review of curriculum. A learning coach is required to be with the student or within the learning area as they gain independence to help guide and assist or prompt for educational and emotional/behavior needs. Attendance for live class is required. This is a self-contained instructional model. **Within the High school curriculum there will be a focus on goal setting, study skills and organization. These skills will assist students in high school and after graduation. These skills will also support social and emotional learning, for example, perseverance, working in teams and utilizing social skills.
Level Two FIRE Middle School: A small group of students with similar educational needs attend class together. The environment provides support and structure; academic subjects are taught by a special education teacher. The instruction is online and live, each academic class is 30-60 minutes depending on the subject area. Independent asynchronous work will be utilized for building knowledge in core curriculum areas. This is a self-contained instructional model. A learning coach is required to be with the student or within the learning area as they gain independence to help guide and assist or prompt for educational and emotional/behavior needs. Attendance for live class is required.
Level Two FIRE Elementary School: A small group of students with similar educational needs attend class together. The environment provides support and structure; academic subjects are taught by a special education teacher. The instruction is online and live, each academic class is 30-60 minutes depending on the subject area. Independent asynchronous work will be utilized for building knowledge in core curriculum areas and will be 15-30 minutes per day outside of class time. Skills for life are imbedded in academics to promote independence, socialization, and life skills This is a self-contained instructional model. A learning coach is required to be with the student or within the learning area as they gain independence to help guide and assist or prompt for educational and emotional/behavior needs. Attendance for live class is required.
Level three FIRE: Students are placed in their general education courses and can receive small group support from a special education teacher. Level three FIRE is designed for students who are working closer to their academic grade level and benefit from small group additional academic support from a special education teacher. Students receive academic instruction with general education peers as well as additional academic and/or executive functioning support from their FIRE or special education resource teacher.
All FIRE students are invited to participate in virtual clubs and activities with disabled and non-disabled peers. Clubs are fun and engaging, teach new skills, allow children to explore an area of interest, and practice socialization skills with other ILA students.
Click HERE to access a previously recorded open house that provides details about the program.
CURRICULUM
Our active curriculum allows us to make a connection with children in a way they're capable of retaining information – by experiencing the world! Nurturing children’s curiosity has been proven to accelerate their learning – furthering their language skills, developing their social and emotional skills, and fostering their imagination. The academic curriculum used in The FIRE Academy's level one program in early elementary school utilizes a variety of curriculum and instructional methods, all aligned to nationally-recognized standards, utilizes comprehensive materials including manipulatives, photo cards, and other instructional tools. Academic strands are divided into various ability levels with varying levels of caregiver support in the home. In all situations, we work toward student independence, but recognize individual needs of students and their required level of support in the home.
DAILY LIVE CLASSES
FIRE students attend daily live classes that teach academic, life, and social skills. All curriculum is leveled based upon your child's abilities in order to ensure they receive appropriate math, reading, science and social studies instruction. Students will enjoy physical exercises, conducting science experiments, and learning to interact with other students through intentionally designed activities.
SCHOOL COMMUNITY
We believe school community is a pillar of academic and social learning. For this reason, your child is invited to attend clubs, activities, field-trips (virtual and in-person), school assemblies, virtual class parties, and participate in graduation ceremonies. We look forward to partnering with parents, caregivers, therapists, and students to ensure your child THRIVES in the FIRE Academy!
ONLINE LEARNING IN THE FIRE PROGRAM
FIRE students receive daily instruction in the following subjects based on age and ability level:
- Language Arts
- Math
- Science
- Social Studies
- Life Skills
- Socialization Skills
- Electives
Students should plan work on academics live for approximately 2 hours each day in live classes and and additional 1-2 hours to complete their daily homework to practice the skills learned in class.
TUITION: THE FIRE ACADEMY
Please view all tuition options here.
Ignite Learning Academy accepts Arizona Empowerment Scholarships (ESA) and Arizona Tax Credits (STO) to cover or offset the cost of tuition. Payment plans are available.
Learn if our FIRE academy is the right fit for your family!
The best way to get to know more about our approach for children with autism and other significant developmental delays is by attending a Virtual Open House! You’ll get an in-depth look at how the curriculum can be tailor-fit to your child’s learning style, preferences, and needs.