We welcome you to visit the Web pages of Washington Center. Please visit the pages prepared by our teachers.  We are proud to "showcase" the wonderful things our staff are doing to meet the needs of our students.

Washington Center is a unique “one of a kind” facility.  It is a separate school that serves students ages 5 to 21 with severe mental disabilities.  Many of these students have concurrent challenges such as autism, blindness, deafness, or physical disabilities.

The school motto is “Those You Think Cannot …Can!”  Staff uses assistive technology and augmentative communication, multi-sensory environments, and a mobility program that allows students in wheelchairs to move about school in a variety of pieces of equipment.  Many of the techniques are non-traditional but the very creative staff discover ways for our students to learn.

When you visit the school you see students learning to walk as they move up and down the halls.  Sometimes it appears that the halls have a “traffic jam” as students stop to use their non-oral communication techniques as they greet each other or a staff member by pointing to pictures or you may see them carrying along a communication device mounted on a walker.  Actually it is quite exciting and fun as visitors tour our building.  Each student has an Individual Education Plan and is taught using modifications to the State Curriculum Standards.  Students are evaluated on the SC-Alt (Alternate Assessment) as directed by the "No Child Left Behind" mandate so it is not all play and no work.
 

The mission of Washington Center is to provide opportunities for students to explore and develop potential for independent functioning and community involvement by addressing students' individual needs and creating a partnership with home, school, and community.