Custom Technology Helps Autistic Students Develop Life Skills
The Cardinal Autism Resource and Education School (CARES) was founded over a decade ago with the help of Mentor Public Schools in Northeast Ohio. Its directive is to develop independence skills for autistic students aged 5 to 22, supporting students through non-traditional teaching methods and exposure to real-life experiences.
It provides a nurturing environment designed to help students reach their full potential by addressing individual needs and developing students’ strengths. Christy LaPaglia, CARES Director, shared one of their goals, “Along with academic skills, we wanted to teach kids how to live independently.”
As they recognized the success of their program and the changes it was making in their students' lives, Christy realized the need for a custom home that would embody an authentic learning environment.
The CARES house was born and officially opened for the 2024-2025 school year. Today, CARES hosts students from 16 school districts in Northeast Ohio and has designed the program and the house to be replicated in other school districts nationwide.
At Horner Networks, we feel privileged to be a part of this impactful project. Our task was to integrate technology that could help empower the autistic students in the home. We worked alongside ThenDesign Architecture, a firm that donated its services to support this extremely worthy cause, and the Mentor Public Schools’ IT department to create the unique customized technology that improves students' lives.
Here are a few of the technologies we provided.