WHY Maegan and Josh Cahoon founded Maverick Learning Center in September 2022:

The problem that we have found as parents of an ASD student, is that his needs are not being met by the public school system. Maverick, our autistic son, doesn’t qualify for the self-contained class (one classroom for students that have similar educational requirements) and an inclusive classroom (a mix of typical and non-typical students in order to have the least restrictive learning environment) doesn’t fit his needs or provide a successful learning environment. We had a psychoeducational assessment completed for him by a licensed psychologist that detailed all the helpful and necessary accommodations he would need in an educational setting to be successful. From an emotional standpoint, children on the spectrum suffer at a greater rate from anxiety and depression than typical children. Providing an accepting and loving environment for these children so they do not have to mask their true personality will be an integral part of our program.

Our solution is to create a learning environment specific to each ASD student where they feel safe and part of a community that values respect, individuality, and education. We will employ educators with a background in special education that create individualized programs for each student based on their academic level to get them to mastery in each subject. Educators will use sensory diets, occupational and speech/language goals, as well as peer social interaction to help each child grow. This learning environment will be sensory friendly and provide necessary educational materials for primary school aged children on the autism spectrum.

Giving Tuesday 2024