Visionaries To Open New School For ASD

An inter-disciplinary team of “world-class visionaries” in the fields of autism education, therapeutic intervention and student life are opening a new school, Shrub Oak International School. Shrub Oak is a new, special education boarding and day school that will serve an international population of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The school will open its doors in September 2018 with a mission to advance autism education by providing the field’s most progressive academic and therapeutic approaches as it helps students prepare for a purposeful, independent future.

The team of founding co-heads, two of whom will live on campus, includes:
Gil Tippy, Psy.D., Co-Head of School and Head of Clinical Services is a “world-leading expert” in developmental approaches to intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and psychologist, and is a founder of the Rebecca School in New York City. He is a co-author, with Dr. Stanley Greenspan, of the book “Respecting Autism,” which defines the highly successful use of developmental, individual difference, relationship-based principles (DIR)/FloortimeTM, a groundbreaking approach incorporated into Shrub Oak’s curriculum.

Dianne Zager, Ph.D., Co-Head of School and Head of Education is recognized globally as a pioneer in autism education. She has consulted with school districts across the U.S. to develop autism educational programs and founded one of the nation’s first college support programs for students with autism. She has served as president of the International Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and has over 30 years’ experience directing graduate and post-graduate programs to train school personnel in autism. Dr. Zager has done extensive work in the transition of students with autism to adulthood and employment. She was founding editor of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, one of the most widely read autism journals in the nation.

Wendy Eklund, MBA, Head of Student Life has extensive experience designing student-life experiences that provide engaging, enriching opportunities for students. As assistant director for residence life at Sarah Lawrence College, Wendy administered all the housing logistics, identified ways to improve student experiences and engagement in the residences, and oversaw the resident advisers and hall directors.

Shrub Oak International School is a new boarding and day school in Shrub Oak, NY, that works with teens and young adults, 14-22+ years old, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The program focuses on transitioning students to a more independent adult life after their time at Shrub Oak.