Welcome to our website
Dear Visitor/Parent,
Snowflake is an independent school (not for profit charity) providing high quality education for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We opened in September 2008.
Snowflake School provides intensive intervention based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis including Skinners analysis of Verbal Behaviour. This provision is delivered in a safe, happy and stimulating environment.
Each child’s programme is individually designed and integrated with the National Curriculum while taking into consideration the guiding principles behind the successful Carbone Clinic in New York.
We welcome visitors to the school who would like to find out more.
Our guiding principles and aims
The first five principles are those which underpin the philosophy behind the successful 'Carbone Clinic' in New York. Snowflake School staff have all trained with Dr Vincent Carbone and his associates in order to apply these principles.
Our seven guiding principles
• We believe every learner has the potential to develop skills beyond their current level and should be free of behaviours and activities that cause injury, pain or limit opportunities for full community involvement.
• We will teach functional communication skills and other skills that will lead to rewarding personal relationships, well-being, vocational productivity and self-determined daily activities.
• We rely on the literature of the science of applied behaviour analysis and its underlying assumptions to guide our analysis of learner needs and our recommendations of effective treatment and instruction.
• Functional communication is the foundation that supports the development of skills in all areas and therefore B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behaviour and the supporting empirical work guide our treatment and instructional recommendations.
• The choice of instructional methods will be guided by reliable data which are gathered and analysed on a schedule sufficient to make informed decisions.
• We recognise that parents/carers are the child's first educators and that their expertise in their child is of paramount importance to us.
• The link between home, school and external agencies are crucial to fully support the all-round development of the child.