Enrichment Programs

IA before + after care

Before and after school care is available on premise weekdays from 7:30am to 8:30am, and from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Before care is $25 per day; after care is $35 per day.

IA clubs

School-affiliated clubs are offered throughout the year, and rotate. Examples of some of our current and past clubs include Art, Math, Robotics, Forensics, Running, Exercise, Chess and Spanish.

IA winter program

Our annual school program takes place in February and gives students the opportunity to showcase their talents to an audience of friends and family. Always a popular event, many of our students become singers, pianists and magicians on stage!

PEERS

PEERS, or Program for the Evaluation and Enrichment of Relational Skills, is an evidence-based social skills program for teens and tweens with autism. PEERS was developed at UCLA and focuses on teaching the science of making friends. The program includes parent coaching and an emphasis on learning the skills that socially-successful teens use to navigate the world. Topics such as handling bullying, social media, humor and hosting a get-together are addressed.

Susan Le Vay, cofounder of The Independence Academy, is one of only three certified PEERS providers in Indiana. IA is the only school in the state that offers PEERS to its students as a supplement to their daily life and social skills programs.

HANDS in Autism

HANDS in Autism, a training and resource center facilitated by Indiana University School of Medicine, offers customized learning and service opportunities to individuals with a range of intellectual and behavioral challenges across the lifespan. HANDS works with IA students to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in three formats: individual sessions, small group sessions and internships up to a 10-month period.

Ivy Tech Dual Credit

Students can get a head start on earning college credit—and save money and time—by enrolling in dual-credit courses offered at Ivy Tech Community College through the Indiana Online Academy.

Speech and OT

Individual speech, language and occupational therapies are provided for students.

Positive Actions

The Positive Actions curriculum coaches specific positive actions for the whole self—the physical, intellectual, social and emotional—to improve youth academics, behavior and character

Step Into College

Through our Step Into College program, students can extend their high school experience for an additional year. This affords an opportunity for them to further prepare for higher learning by focusing on critical life skills and academic areas of need.

Students take supervised dual-credit courses with an IA faculty member, who works with them to transition and prepare for the rigors of college-level study. The safety of our small environment and personalized instruction creates an ideal environment for students to earn college credit while still receiving the support they need.

A half-day option is available for students who wish to participate in an internship, gaining them even more valuable life experience.

Life skills programming

An evidence-based initiative that reduces substance abuse and violence by addressing the psychological factors behind risky choices. The curriculum teaches students how to resist peer pressure, build self-esteem, and cope with anxiety.