At Anniston Academy, we believe some of the most meaningful learning doesn’t happen at a desk. It happens while digging in the dirt, collecting leaves, watching an insect crawl across a log, balancing on a rock, splashing through a muddy puddle, building something out of sticks, or simply having the freedom to explore. Art on the grass Nature Is a Classroom, Too Children learn through movement, curiosity, experimentation, and play. The outdoors naturally provides opportunitie

Caley Peyton reading to students at Anniston Academy. At Anniston Academy, we believe some of the best learning happens when students have opportunities to connect what they are learning to the people, careers, and world around them. That is exactly why our Community Helper and Hobbyist Program is such an important part of the Anniston experience. Recently, we were excited to welcome Caley Peyton, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Tennessee Forestry Association, to A

At Anniston Academy, we believe being committed to our students means being willing to make changes when something is not serving them as well as it could. Last year, we used Singapore Math. There were parts of the program we valued, particularly its visual models, manipulatives, and concrete-to-pictorial-to-abstract approach. Those strategies helped many students develop a stronger conceptual understanding of math, and we will continue using them when they benefit our studen

During Suicide Prevention Month, we hear a lot about checking on the people we love, recognizing warning signs, and encouraging people to ask for help. Those conversations are important, but there is another side of prevention that we do not discuss nearly enough: the way we treat people before they reach a crisis. Suicide prevention cannot focus only on what a struggling person should do. We also have to talk about what other people may be doing to them. Bullying, harassment

A family can be good at adapting and still be completely exhausted. That is what stood out to me in a new University of Kentucky study about families raising autistic children. Researchers found that these families reported higher stress than families without an autistic child. When they compared families experiencing similar levels of stress, the families raising autistic children also reported higher levels of resilience, including communication, problem-solving, inner stre

At Anniston Academy, we believe some of the most meaningful learning happens when children have the opportunity to experience something instead of simply hearing about it. That is why we created our Community Helper & Hobbyist program, an opportunity for people in our community to bring their careers, talents, interests, and experiences directly to our students. Recently, we were fortunate to welcome Sergeant Logan Shrum with the City of Cookeville, who volunteered to visit A

Social media platforms may place a small “AI content” or “AI info” label on an image or post when its systems detect indicators that artificial intelligence was used or when the person posting it discloses that it was AI-generated. That label may technically provide transparency, but it does not erase the harm a fabricated image can cause. AI can create a convincing picture of real people sitting together, smiling, hugging, attending an event, performing an activity, or parti

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and there is a group of people I don't think we talk about nearly enough when we talk about suicide prevention: parents of children with special needs. We talk a lot about how strong these parents are. We know they are advocates. We refer to them as "fighters", mostly because they somehow figure things out because they have to. But I think sometimes we talk so much about how strong special needs parents are that we forget they are people

Children listen even when adults believe they are not listening. They notice changes in tone, overhear conversations, see messages on phones, and recognize when the adults they depend on no longer speak respectfully about one another. Negative talk about a parent, family member, teacher, therapist, or other trusted caregiver can place a child in an emotional position they were never meant to occupy. Instead of being free to maintain their own relationships and form their own

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and there is one part of this conversation that does not get nearly enough attention: autistic people are at a significantly higher risk of suicide than the general population and it isn't a small difference. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis combined studies involving 10.4 million people and found that autistic people had 2.85 times the risk of dying by suicide compared with the broader population. In other words, the best avai

Inclusion is often discussed as though it has one appearance: a neurodivergent child sitting in a general education classroom beside neurotypical peers for the entire school day. For many children, that setting—when paired with meaningful support—is exactly where they learn, build relationships, and thrive. For others, the same classroom may be so loud, socially demanding, fast-paced, or poorly supported that most of their energy is spent trying to remain regulated rather tha

A messy room might look like a minor inconvenience to an adult. Toys on the floor, papers covering a table, backpacks by the door, laundry waiting to be folded, and yesterday's art project still sitting on the counter are normal parts of living with children. But for some neurodivergent children, a visually busy environment can be more than just "messy." It can be another source of sensory and cognitive information their brain has to process. Research on autism, ADHD, attenti

Most people can think of a place they never want to return to. Maybe it's the hospital where they lost a loved one. A workplace where they experienced harassment. The home where an abusive relationship occurred. Even years later, simply driving past that location can make their heart race. This isn't a sign of weakness. It's how our brains are designed to learn from experience. The Brain Remembers More Than Events Traumatic experiences are not stored only as memories. They be

When people hear the term therapeutic education, they often assume it means therapies provided in schools or classrooms designed only for children with significant behavioral challenges, but that couldn't be further from the truth. At its core, therapeutic education is an approach to learning that recognizes one simple truth: Children learn best when they feel safe, understood, and supported. Therapeutic education is not about lowering expectations or trying to "fix" childr

Autistic individuals often hear messages that they are “too trusting” or “too naïve.” While these stereotypes can be harmful when generalized, research does suggest that autistic people experience significantly higher rates of victimization than the general population. Understanding why this occurs is an important step toward promoting safety, healthy relationships, and self-advocacy without placing blame on autistic individuals themselves. Autistic People Experience Higher R

Imagine telling the truth, only to have people assume you're lying. Not because of what you said. But because of how you said it. For many autistic adults, this is a lived experience. Growing research suggests that autistic individuals are often perceived as less credible, less trustworthy, and more deceptive than their neurotypical peers, even when they are being completely honest. These misperceptions can affect employment, education, healthcare, relationships, and even int

Artificial intelligence has transformed the way we create and interact with images. With just a few prompts, AI can generate remarkably realistic photographs of people, places, and events that never actually existed. Like many technological advances, AI has incredible potential. It can be used for art, accessibility, education, storytelling, and creativity. But as these tools become more sophisticated, they also raise important questions about authenticity, memory, and trust,

At Anniston Academy, learning doesn't stop at textbooks. Some of the most meaningful learning happens when students meet real people who are passionate about what they do. That's why we're launching our Community Helpers & Hobbyists Program, and we're inviting members of our community to become part of our students' educational journey. Our goal is simple: one guest each month who can introduce our students to a career, trade, skill, or hobby they may have never experienced b

At Anniston Academy, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident learner. This year, our students reminded us exactly why that mission matters. According to our i-Ready Reading Diagnostic results, the median Anniston Academy student achieved 131% of their expected annual reading growth. At first glance, that may sound like just another statistic. But behind that number is something far more meaningful. It means our students didn't simply make progres

Imagine a school where students do not just meet their expected math growth but double it in a single year. This remarkable achievement is not a fantasy but a reality for us. We saw our students achieve 200% of the expected annual math growth this year. This post explores how this extraordinary progress was made, what strategies contributed to it, and what lessons teachers, parents, and funders can take away to support neurodivergent learners. Understanding the Challenge of M