Services

Autism Scholarship

The Ohio Department of Education has approved Blue Pony Education as a provider for the Autism Scholarship. This scholarships can be used to cover the cost of many of our services.

Autism Scholarship: This scholarship gives parents of children with autism, who qualify for a scholarship, the choice to send the child to a special education program other than the one operated by the school district of residence. Students then receive an individualized education and services outlined in the child’s individualized education plan (IEP). Click here to learn more about the Autism Scholarship.

Academic Tutoring

Our academic programs provide direct instruction in a wide variety of areas. We employ multiple strategies to assess, plan and then provide direction instruction in the skills students are lacking. These are the skills we will build on in order for the student to progress and master goals. Study skills, organization and time management are taught specifically and throughout tutoring sessions. The students we tutor include typical K-12 kids, needing support in some aspect of their school curriculum, home schoolers, and those with special cognitive, social or emotional needs.

Areas of Instruction:
K-12: Study skills, Organization, Reading, Writing, Spelling, Multi-sensory learning through Orton Gillingham*, Social Studies, Math (k-8 or by referral), Science (k-8 or by referral), Test prep, Social Skills

*What is Orton-Gillingham?
Orton-Gillingham is a sequential, phonetic, multi-sensory approach to reading, spelling and writing. Students use sight, hearing, touch and movement to learn the explicit connections between letter and sounds in gradual, flexible instruction. This allows for word parts formation and understanding before whole meaning. Frequent review and reinforcement of smaller skills are built upon to achieve more complex skills. The OG approach has been successful with struggling readers and those with dyslexia.

Consulting

Consulting in the school setting usually takes place when a child or student is having a conflict in the classroom, lunchroom, playground or other school related location or situation. There may be an unresolved problem that a parent or teacher has not been able to pinpoint, catch or get to the bottom of. This can be academic, behavioral or social/emotional. Some examples might include: a student frequently forgets to record their homework assignment, there is a peer problem when transitioning from one subject or activity to another, a teacher gives a student specific directions and is frequently ignored, the student seems to be “missing” a lot of what is going on in class, behavioral issues that interfere with learning, peer problems at lunch or during unstructured time, miscommunication between parents and school over expectations or school rules. These are only some reasons that merit an outside consultant to act as a liaison between parents, students and schools. Teachers are often overloaded with work and cannot be everywhere solving every problem. Typically, a meeting is set with parents to get a picture of what the issues are. The parent will ask the school if a consultant could observe and conference with the student’s teacher to collect data surrounding the identified problem. After several observation sessions additional meeting(s) take place to share information and make recommendations. A written report is optional.

Enrichment Learning

In addition to academics, we offer a variety of special activities such as outdoor education, farm school, movement and yoga. These activities are geared to the student who benefits from a hands-on, tactile, multi-sensory style of learning or enrichment – these enrichment programs also engage students in social skills practice. This program can be all hands on or combined with the academic subjects. These activities are arranged separately from the academic program and are held at an alternate location.

• Listening and Verbal Skills
• Sequential Direction Following
• Cooperation and Problem Solving
• Fine and large motor skills
• Physical Fitness
• Increased self esteem
• Awareness and connection to nature
• Application of academics to real life
• Social skills

Parent Services

Over many years of teaching and parenting, it is clear that parents, teachers and caregivers working together is the most effective path to change. When a student is struggling, it becomes the parents and family’s challenge as well. Often parents need an outside opinion and methods to resolve parenting issues. Blue Pony offers one on one coaching and small group meetings to address parent child issues from an educational perspective. Behaviors, habits and patterns are learned skills often taught or modeled, intentionally or not, that can be changed or modified! Positive interventions and sharing ideas with others empower parents to improve their family relationships and increase autonomy.