About Us
The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center is a State of Connecticut approved special education program for students ages 7-21. The program provides comprehensive educational services for students with moderate to severe disabilities including students with autism. Our primary goals are to improve social communication skills and provide community based learning opportunities to foster independence. We presently service students from 18 communities.
Our school programs are located at three sites; two are in Niantic and one is in Groton. The programs are located in downtown areas which help facilitate community awareness and real life learning experiences. In addition, a Transition Academy, for students with Asperger’s Syndrome offers a residential and community based day program. Our day school program is from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Each school also offers a separate Extended Day Program from 2:00 until 6:00, which provides learning opportunities for transitional goals such as vocational training, leisure skills expansion, daily living skills, community awareness and social communication experiences.
What makes Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center unique?
Our top quality program with well trained staff has the flexibility to adapt to each student’s unique needs by recognizing and respecting the individual’s developmental capabilities. Lighthouse maintains a low student to staff ratio insuring individual success. Individual Educational Plans with specific goals and objectives direct each student’s program. A multi sensory approach is designed to foster the development of functional academics, life skills and independent living skills.
The Lighthouse philosophy for educating students closely reflects the TEACCH approach (Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication handicapped Children) in that our efforts focus on understanding the reasons for underlying behaviors. Lighthouse utilizes positive behavior support strategies with modifications to the environment and staffing.
Additional Resources:
- Two teachers per site spanning hours 8:00 – 2:00 and 2:00 – 6:00
- State of the art sensory motor room in Niantic
- Consulting staff: BCBA behaviorist, education consultant, Speech and
- Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, a consulting
- nurse, an autism specialist, and an Adaptive Physical Education teacher.
- Yoga, Music, and Art are taught at each site.
Lighthouse also provides evening social programs for all ages at various locations.
- Friday Friends
- Girls’ Night Out and Junior Girls’ Night Out
- Wednesday Night Social Group and Thursday Night Social Group
- Digital Media Class
- Summer Friends
