08/21/2026
Today was **Park Day** for our students.
We call it Park Day because the building we currently rent does not have a yard—a simple thing that many schools take for granted. So, when our children need the freedom to be outside, move their bodies, play, explore, and just be kids, we pack everything up and take them to the park.
Today, we were even down a staff member. But I watched our team come together without hesitation to make sure every child was safe, supported, loved, and learning. Watching them reminded me exactly why I am fighting so hard for a forever home for our school.
At **SATC Communication Cultivation Academy**, we serve children with autism who are minimally verbal to nonverbal. And one of the most important things we teach our staff is this: **Not speaking does not mean a child has nothing to say.**
We listen differently.
We don't rush a child through a transition simply because an adult is ready to move on. We give them notice that change is coming. We pause and give them time to process. We pay attention to their body language, facial expressions, gestures, communication devices, sounds, movements, and behaviors—because **communication is so much more than spoken words.**
This year, we have embraced a relationship-based, developmental approach using the **SCERTS framework and transactional supports**. We are seeing something beautiful happen.
**Our children are happier. They are more regulated. They trust the adults around them. They are communicating. They are learning.**
Some children who previously needed nearly constant behavioral support are now moving through their school day with greater independence and confidence.
That is what happens when we stop asking, *"How do we make this child comply?"* and begin asking, *"What is this child communicating, and what support does this child need from us?"*
And now, I am asking for **your help**.
We have an opportunity to give these children something they deserve: **a forever home with a yard of their own.**
A place where going outside doesn't require packing everyone into vehicles and traveling to a park.
A place where a child who needs movement to regulate can simply step outside.
A place where we can create outdoor sensory experiences, learning spaces, vocational opportunities, gardens, play areas, and room for our children to grow.
Owning our building would also give our nonprofit school something incredibly important—**stability and control over our future instead of being dependent on rising rent.**
This school is more than a building to me. These children are more than students. **They are children with enormous potential who deserve to be heard, understood, valued, and given every opportunity to succeed.**
I can do the work. My team can provide the love, education, therapy, patience, and dedication.
**But we need our community to help us build the home where that work can continue.**
Please consider donating. No amount is too small. **$5, $10, $25, $50—every donation brings us one step closer to opening the door to a permanent home for these children.**
And if you cannot donate, please share our story. Someone you know may be the person who helps us get there.
**Please help me do more for these children and their families. Help us give them more than a school. Help us give them a place where they belong. A place where they are understood. A place where their communication matters.**
**Help us bring our children home. ❤️**
Communication Cultivation Academy provides communication-centered education for autistic students and young adults with significant communication support…
