Damar Academy

Our Early Learning Center sits on the campus of Amy Beverland Elementary and is one of four NAEYC-accredited early learning centers run by the MSD of Lawrence Township in Indianapolis. We hold Level 4, the top rating in Indiana's Paths to Quality, and we serve preschoolers ages 3 to 5 along with full-day kindergarten. Our preschool program, Preschool of the Arts, lets children explore art, music, movement and literacy through project work, using the HighScope curriculum and ideas drawn from the Reggio Emilia schools. Kindergarten is full day and tuition-free for children who turn 5 before October 1, with daily Readers' and Writers' Workshop, small-group reading and IEPs when appropriate. Each building has a full resource staff for students with special needs, and on-site speech, occupational and physical therapy are available to students who qualify. Kindergartners are screened for dyslexia risk, and intervention can include Orton-Gillingham lessons. Preschool is billed weekly, from $190 for the school day, with before care from 6:30 a.m. and after care until 6 p.m. Preschool is for district residents, while kindergarten also accepts students from outside the district.

Damar Charter Academy is Indiana's first public charter school created specifically for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It opened in 2011 as a collaboration between Damar Services and the City of Indianapolis Office of Education Innovation, and serves up to 195 students in kindergarten through grade 12 on the southwest side of Indianapolis. Enrollment is open to any Indiana resident and there is no tuition. Students follow one of three tracks: an academic track toward a diploma, a life skills track focused on independent living and community integration, and a vocational track for students 13 and older. Classes are small, staff ratios are high, and instruction uses a total communication approach including PECS. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, behavior intervention, and counseling are provided on site. Through the Dragon Works program, students build job skills by running a coffee shop and a wood shop.

Dynamic Minds Academy is an Indianapolis school at 8350 Craig Street for students with autism spectrum disorder. It pairs academics with ABA therapy through The Hope Source in one building. The school serves kindergarten through 12th grade, with center-based clients ages 5 to 22 and a vocational lab available through age 22. The blended model uses low student-teacher ratios and low-stimulation classrooms. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health supports run during the school day rather than as a separate placement. The year-round calendar covers about 240 school days. The Hope Source began autism therapy in 2009. After earlier education partnerships, Dynamic Minds Academy opened in 2019 to keep treatment and school in one place. Students may present with mild, moderate, or severe autism, with or without language impairment, and some have additional neurodevelopmental or mental health diagnoses. Tours and enrollment are currently on a waitlist.