June Spotlight: Meet Madison from ACCEL

June 22, 2020

Meet Madison, who just completed the second grade at ACCEL (Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills) and is going into her third year at the school. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and severe developmental delay. According to the family, Madison, does not learn at the same speed as everyone else and it takes a special team or school around her to recognize this and adapt to her mood and ability on a daily basis. When asked about why they wanted to switch schools, the family commented that “Our previous school had bigger classes and did not understand that disabled children learn at a different rate than other children. ACCEL understands this and we are proud to see our child grow now that she is in a school that can help her to shine.” For them, being able to have Madison at ACCEL, a school that understands her, is important to her development for the future. The family chose ACCEL because they felt that it would give Madison the best chance to be successful in everything she does now and in the future. They noted that the school staff and therapists challenge her to the best of her abilities and know how to understand each individual child. Every disability and every child are different and they know how to teach each student. The family said they appreciate the scholarship from the Arizona Leadership Foundation to allow their child to be in a school like ACCEL so that she can reach her full potential.

From Madison’s teacher, Molly Davis:
Being a teacher at ACCEL has provided me the guidance, knowledge, and most importantly support needed to successfully teach students like our Madison. Madison is a gem. She is that student that you will carry with you years after she leaves your classroom. Madison has made me a better teacher, without question. Thank you, Madison, for helping me to become the teacher I am today. I love being your teacher!
The photo above is Madison learning to play in a bounce house with her teacher, Molly.

About ACCEL:
Since 1980 ACCEL (Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills) has been providing comprehensive instructional programming to children and adults who have special needs. ACCEL is a non-profit, private educational organization. The school is the only private special education school in Arizona nationally accredited by the National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES). The ACCEL school serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade. At ACCEL we turn challenges into possibilities and impact the lives of our students so that they can develop the skills necessary to live a life of dignity and self-worth.

All individuals have the right to reach their full potential. Our staff are mission-oriented and love to be a part of our students’ successes. Purposeful energy is a tenet that is at the heart of what our team is all about. People on our team are not happy with the status quo. We do what is right by our community – eliminating what is unnecessary in the system and are unapologetically committed to pursuing what we know to be right. We care about people, and we care about what is at the heart of the issues for those who have special needs and their families. We are the gold standard for services for individuals who have special needs.