Charter school focuses on students with autism

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - The Arizona Autism Charter School has been in operation since 2014. It's the first tuition-free public charter school focused solely on the educational needs of children with autism.

Arizona Autism Charter School is the only school like it for grades K through 8 in the state that provides this type of education to these students with these specific special needs. The school has expanded and with this expansion, more families here in Arizona will benefit.

"The drive is nothing, if I can get my son into a place that they know his needs and he's not bullied, he's not picked on, all the better," said Kate Rae.

Rae has been taking her son Collin to the school for over three years now. She drives all the way from Maricopa to get him here, but she says it is worth it.

"It's a long drive, and I've been doing it for three years now, it's an hour each way, so I do it four times a day," said Rae.

The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools recently approved to expand the school from a K-5 to K-8.

Collin, who has autism and ADHD, is in the 5th grade now, and without this expansion would have been looking for another school.

The school opened in the fall of 2014 and has been helping students with autism reach their full potential since.

For more information visit: http://www.autismcharter.org/