The Children's Guild School of Prince George's County is a non-public, special education day school in Chillum, Maryland, approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. It serves boys and girls ages 5 to 21 (grades K through 12) who have emotional disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, and multiple disabilities. Students are referred through their local school district's Nonpublic Placement office as part of the IEP process, and many present with secondary issues such as learning disabilities, ADD, speech and language disabilities, or health impairments. The school is an affiliate of The Children's Guild and runs on the organization's Transformation Education philosophy, which emphasizes character education, project-based learning, and brain-based teaching strategies. Academics follow the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards, the Prince George's County Curriculum, and District of Columbia Learning Outcomes as appropriate, covering English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, plus physical education, music, and art. Students are placed across several tracks: a non-graded Academic/Functional Program (roughly ages 10 to 13), a Career Readiness Program (ages 14 to 21) working toward a High School Certificate of Program Completion, and a High School Autism Program (grades 9 to 12) where students can work toward a Maryland or D.C. high school diploma. The Career Readiness track adds career exploration and work-habit building tied to a School to Work approach. Classroom supports include positive behavior intervention support, restorative practices, social skills instruction, and Zones of Regulation. Clinical and related services address mood and depressive disorders, impulsive and oppositional behavior, learning disabilities, loss and attachment disorders, post-traumatic stress, and verbally aggressive behavior. During the summer, an Extended School Year (ESY) program is available to eligible students and offers individual and group therapy, speech and language therapy, occupational and physical therapy, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, school nursing, case management, and medication management. The school operates in the former St. John Baptist de LaSalle School building on Sargent Road, with 14 classrooms, five multi-sensory de-escalation rooms, a library/media center, cafeteria, gymnasium, nursing suite, and playground. Each student has access to desktops, Chromebooks, and iPads, and every classroom has a SMART Board. Transportation is available through the local education agency, and free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch are offered to eligible students. The school can be reached at 301.853.7370.
