About Virtual Connections Academy

Virtual Connections Academy (VCA) is an answer to the growing need for services for children identified with school anxiety, being medically fragile, or social difficulties which preclude them from inclusion into public education.  These students may be identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disability, Emotional Disturbance, Other Health Impairment, Developmental Disabilities, and Traumatic Brain Injury.  Students appropriate for this program are usually at risk for a more restrictive placement.  VCA provides school, family and community partnerships leading to successful online learning.​

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Due to the nature of the students’ needs, a full continuum of related services is available including Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Psychiatric and Psychological Consultation, School Health Services, and Post-Secondary Transition Services.  VCA aims to provide these services via digital forums, in-home forums, or in the school building.  As students become more successful within the VCA environment and it is determined by the IEP team the student is prepared to initiate some involvement into a brick and mortar school setting, the VCA students have access to transition into our sister schools and the Connections Café- a setting to practice new skills in a protected vocational setting.  The overriding goal of VCA is to help a student progress from chronic non-attendance to participation in a brick and mortar public or private school.  As students become more comfortable with their VCA team, the teacher will invite the student to video conference into the building classrooms to assist them with building relationships with their peers.  Once the student is ready to attend the brick and mortar setting, transportation can be arranged immediately to take advantage of the student’s motivation.

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The staff at Virtual Connections Academy believe that all students can learn and be successful.  Through the development of supportive and nurturing relationships, our staff enables students to make academic progress and learn the skills necessary to succeed.  A primary goal is to allow students to understand their own behavior - how it affects their interpersonal relationships, and opportunities for success.  Students are encouraged to learn new, more appropriate ways of interacting in order to get their needs met.  With guidance from staff, students focus on and evaluate how their behaviors are being supportive or non-supportive of their desired outcomes.  Problems that may arise during classroom activities are seen as opportunities for growth and learning.  Our staff utilizes a cognitive/behavioral and narrative problem solving approach to help students identify the challenge and practice more successful behavioral alternatives.  While students may experience the logical consequences to problematic behavior, the approach is always positive and non-punitive.  We do not encourage the use of isolation, physical restraint or other aversive interventions unless needed to ensure the safety of the student and school milieu.  Instead, we utilize effective social skill building and creative behavior modification techniques designed to help each student develop strategies to improve his/her educational performance.​

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