New school an option for kids struggling with autism (Article by T&G)

Teacher Josh Dufresne works with student Alyjah Ortiz, 5, on his schoolwork at the Center for Applied Behavior Instruction. (T&G Staff/CHRISTINE HOCHKEPPEL)

WORCESTER — Children and adolescents with autism, particularly those with behavioral issues who are struggling in a local public school setting, have a new option available to them: the Center for Applied Behavioral Instruction.

The private school, which received its unanimous approval to operate from the Worcester School Committee in November, is already up and running with two students, and several more referrals in process.

The school accepts students from the city of Worcester as well as from districts within a one-hour radius of the school.

Founder and executive director Jeffrey Robinson is currently in the process of preparing the required documentation to obtain final approval from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Mr. Robinson, who co-founded the school with Brian Doyle, has been affiliated with the Worcester Public Schools for nearly two decades, and has provided services to students with autism through his company, Behavioral Concepts, Inc. Mr. Robinson has a doctorate in special education from Boston College, while Mr. Doyle has a doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University, and a specialist degree in special education from Simmons College.

Located on in a former storage space on Greenwood Street, the school occupies one-third of 15,000- square-foot building leased by Behavioral Concepts, which is the parent company of the school. The school currently has four classrooms and a gymnasium, and operates with a staff of two teachers, a teacher’s aide, a nurse, psychologist and several therapists, and can serve between 25 and 29 students.

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Visit CABI’s (Center For Applied Behavioral Instruction) website here: www.cabiautism.org