Immaculata Classical Academy is a school for the whole family, including children with special needs. We see special needs, and Down Syndrome in particular, as gifts to be celebrated and a beautiful part of God's plan for His creation!

Philosophy of Inclusion

It is an unfortunate reality that many families find themselves with few suitable educational options for their children with special needs. Immaculata offers a unique educational environment where these children are:

• Immersed in a coherent Christian worldview

• Challenged to reach their greatest personal potential

• Able to interact and form friendships with typically-developing students in integrated classrooms

• We follow the philosophy that classrooms should reflect natural proportions, each classroom generally incorporating 1-2 children with special needs, or about 15-20% of our total student body.

This arrangement does not detract from our rigorous classical curriculum – on the contrary, it enhances it! Integration benefits both typically and specially-developing children, who would in all likelihood be otherwise deprived of the opportunity to interact with each other.  We find that our philosophy of inclusion perfectly complements the goals of a truly classical education, whose end is the development not only of the intellect but the entire human person.

Down Syndrome

Individuals who have interacted with children with Down Syndrome cannot help but smile and speak of the remarkable joy these children bring to their families and peers. Do not these children deserve to have a Catholic, Christian education like any other child? Immaculata Classical Academy is answering this great call and leading the way for Catholic schools throughout the United States to integrate these special children into their classrooms.

Our emphasis in Down Syndrome stems from the fact that these children in particular are being targeted in the womb through pre-natal diagnoses. We want parents to feel that they have a great educational option for their children and to encourage them, through our acceptance and appreciation of these children at Immaculata, to say yes to the great joy and adventure of raising a child with Down Syndrome!
 
As part of this mission, we have created a program for preschool children that enables us to maximize the full developmental potential of these critical learning years which are so often neglected for children with DS.