Spectrum Tech Trade School Village and Training Center

Spectrum Tech Trade School Village and Training Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and training for individuals on the autism spectrum. Located in Monmouth County, New Jersey, the school offers an innovative approach to autism education and job training across the lifespan, focusing on high-quality vocational training and adult education programs.

Mission

The organization's mission is to equip autistic individuals with marketable trade skills and knowledge to empower them to obtain meaningful employment. It achieves this through innovative programs that begin with school-age children, fostering growth, development, and independence to enable them to achieve their potential as young adults in their community. Spectrum Tech emphasizes lifelong learning, social development, and independence.

Approach

Spectrum Tech employs a trauma-informed, strength-based learning methodology that focuses on students' interests and strengths rather than deficits. This approach incorporates intensive motor-sensory-language support therapies to create an optimum learning environment for neurodivergent individuals. By utilizing a dynamic and experiential learning program, the school aims to instill a love of learning in a supportive and empowering setting.

Programs and Vision

One of Spectrum Tech's key programs is the Weekend Intensive Program, designed for autistic individuals aged 16 and older. This program supplements the lack of marketable skills training by teaching agricultural and other vocational skills while providing intensive therapeutic support.

The organization's vision includes establishing vocational schools on organic farms with interconnected neurodivergent affirming villages. This aims to create a comprehensive network providing educational opportunities, employment, housing, recreation, and other supports throughout an individual's life, ensuring there is no "aging out" of the system.

Community and Impact

Spectrum Tech aims to build an inclusive and supportive environment that feels like a family, where every individual is valued and empowered to reach their full potential. By promoting community and mutual support, the organization seeks to address knowledge gaps and inequities in education, opportunity, compensation, and career mobility for autistic individuals, ultimately contributing to societal change and a more inclusive society.