Impact Academy School

The moment I walked into the school I noticed the comaraderie and smiles on the adult/teachers' faces, that in of itself was a huge indicator of the level of care and love my child would receive, and I was right. My child is level 3 on the spectrum and will always need care, this school has provided a learning environment that encourages all the children to reach their potential. Special Needs teachers are angels, it is an extremely difficult career they have chosen, and it takes a certain type of temperament and depth of compassion to continue day in and day out to work with these amazing, but challenging children, and they do it with great aplomb. The building the school is in was a church in a previous life so although it is a bit older, they work diligently to keep it clean and fix any problems that arise from using an older building. The curriculum used is carefully curated and chosen for its ease to teach concepts to children with varying capabilities. The children are given ample opportunity to explore several electives throughout the year, take breaks as needed, enjoy recess and quiet time in the butterfly garden (which parents helped to build), they get time in the sensory gym and as part of learning life skills, the old church's kitchen area was turned into an area that promotes learning life skills such as cooking (for those that are able to do so safely), cleaning, and even laundry, among other things. Impact also provides rooms for the speech, occupational therapy, and Applied Behavior Analyst (ABA) companies that have partnered with Impact to provide these essential therapies for the children during the school day. There will always be some conflict among adults working together, but I have noticed they collaborate instead of debate and move towards viable solutions. One of the aspects of Impact Academy is the overall feeling of being a part of a family, which means there may be a conflict between administrators and parents, but I have noticed if there is it is generally because the parents, quite frankly, do not comply with the written policies of the school. When the policy is shown to them, I have seen them get angry as if the policy isn't supposed to apply to them. The administrators seem to bend over backward to work with parents but, if the parents are difficult to work with (or they feel the administration is the issue), well, those parents have the right to find a different school that their personality will mesh with. Extracurricular activities include the opportunity to play baseball in an outside organization, Buddy Ball, which is an awesome non-profit designed for children with special needs. The children also get to participate in several holiday activities that include cooking foods that are related to Thanksgiving, enjoying a Trunk-or-Treat in the school parking lot, performing in their annual, very fun Christmas Showcase where classes and solo performers sing, dance, and tell stories, and throughout the year make crafts and learn about the myriad other holidays our country celebrates. The children love going on field trips to MOSI, the Tampa Zoo, Glazer Children's Museum as well as a few others. Impact Academy continues to make an impact on our special needs community by offering a second campus in Tampa and continues to support these children after they turn 18 and move into adulthood by providing an adult care facility. The 2 women who opened this school have Special Needs children of their own, therefore they are very aware of the challenges and difficulties that parents face every day raising their own amazing children, these women are strong and tenacious and have given to us a priceless gift of opportunity for our children with different abilities. I obviously cannot say enough about this school and the tremendous impact it has had on my family. I am grateful for it and the men and women who have dedicated themselves to giving our children the best opportunity for growth and reaching their potential.