Bases

B.A.S.E.S PROGRAM

The B.A.S.E.S. Mission
B.A.S.E.S. is an acronym that stands for Building Academic, Social and Employment Skills which is also the mission of a B.A.S.E.S. program.

The mission of a B.A.S.E.S. Program is to have the wide variety of students achieve their goals. Some of the students that might be in a B.A.S.E.S. Program include students with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, autism, A.D.H.D., Aspergers, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Downs Syndrome, Tourret's Syndrome, and others. Students have a wide range of strengths and needs. An individual student from a B.A.S.E.S. program could be very strong in one aspect of learning, but be very weak in another aspect of learning.

Academic Skills
Academic learning needs to be modified and adjusted to find the zone of proximal learning for each students which is the zone where there is a balance of success and challenge with out excessive frustration or boredom. Impossible expectations can lead to frustration and discouragement. Lack of challenges could lead to boredom.

Social Skills
At Johnston Heights B.A.S.E.S. program we promote and teach positive social skills. We value community and encourage students to relate in positive ways. Successful social skills are one of the most important life skills that can be a valuable asset through the lifetime of an individual. Most employers place a great deal of value on people skills.

Employment Skills and Life Skills
B.A.S.E.S. students learn employment skills and life skills in the B.A.S.E.S. program at Johnston Heights which will help open doors and opportunities throughout their life. For each student this may look different. For a student who is low-functioning this may include a focus on community skills and safety skills, for example, how to cross the street, or how to go shopping. For a student who is higher functioning this may include a focus on more advanced community skills and career education skills. Some of these students, for example, might learn how to use public transit independently.

Flavour and Philosophy
At the Johnston Heights program we try to focus on positives. We are inspired by the philosophy that comes from both the study of "positive behavior support" and "gentle teaching". We try to make learning a positive experience. We allow students to make some small mistakes, under a safety net in order to strive towards maximum independence.

Conclusion
We hope all students can reach their maximum potential and have the most opportunities possible available to them in the future. Realistic goals are important for achieving this vision.

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