Question 1

What makes All Minds Academy “speller-friendly”?

Accepted Answer

First and foremost, All Minds parents and students do not need to defend or explain their preferred communication as being spelling or typing. They are not judged or assessed by the way their bodies appear or behave. We are a community of teachers, advisors, families and peers who “GET IT” and we embrace and celebrate each other AS WE ARE!

Furthermore, students do not need to convince us that they are competent and capable of learning. In fact, many of our students have expressed having information processing advantages and often possess knowledge that has never been explicitly taught to them but rather, obtained through acute observation and listening over time. Our program is created with all of this in mind. Our courses are offered at an honors level or higher. Our curriculum is neuro-affirming and has been adapted, not modified, to accommodate our student’s preferred communication method. Read more about our curriculum structure here.

Lastly, our program exists because the community of spellers and their families asked for it. We understand the challenges our families have encountered within the traditional model of education. We’ve seen students hungry for learning having been ill served by school, and parents working tirelessly to feed this hunger, often with little or no teacher support and for no credit or recognition. That ends here.

We remain committed to listening to the needs of our families and serving them as best we can.

Question 2

Can a student enroll if they are not yet communicating openly?

Accepted Answer

We realize that reaching open communication through spelling or typing can take a while to achieve and we want students to be able to begin earning high school credits, if they wish, once they are able to communicate in at least a solid, semi-open manner. This means that at minimum, with an established communication partner, the student must be able to reliably complete exercises that involve choices or fill in the blanks, or that require answering in short phrases with a somewhat limited range of responses.

All of our courses include opportunities to respond more openly, though with the exception of several upper level courses required for graduation through ASCEND that involve more expansive writing (at least paragraphs at a time), most courses do not require fully open communication for credit. Assignments have been scaffolded and adapted to accommodate the motor needs of our students using a minimum of semi-open communication while maintaining the integrity (and fun!) of high-level, high-quality learning.

If a student is not yet able to communicate at a solid, semi-open manner as described above, they should continue building those skills before enrolling. However, they can document this work and when they later enroll, they can earn Spelling/Typing credits.

See our resource section on website for a list of recommended lessons that can be used to build and reinforce communication, a free guide to documenting student work.

Question 3

My student does not identify as a "speller". Is that ok?

Accepted Answer

We fully honor individual identity in regards to preferred communication. We know that some of our students describe themselves in different ways such as "typers", "AAC users (Alternative and Augmented Communication)", "text-based communicators", "multi-modal communicators", or even more broadly, like "a person who is unable to effectively use speech to communicate". That being said, we had to land on something that clearly, and at least somewhat concisely, described the population of students for whom our program is intended. All Minds Academy is designed for students with a variety of neuro-profiles and whose preferred and most effective communication method involves pointing at letters and symbols on a board, keyboard, or device. Furthermore, while it is possible that students may reach a level of motor proficiency to be able to communicate independently in this manner, most of our students need at least some degree of support from a communication partner for motor support. That's quite the description! Concise?  Not so much.After careful consideration, we determined that the description, "students that communicate best by spelling or typing" works best for our purposes. We say "communicate best by..." because some of our students have other means of communicating, but spelling or typing is the method they identify as being most effective, especially while engaging in the type of academic work required in our program like ours. Finally, we say "spelling and typing", or sometimes just "spelling", because this is familiar terminology amongst the communities with whom we have a pre-established relationship. We encourage anyone who is unsure whether our program is a match for them to reach out to us to discuss.

Question 4

Are there certain requirements for communication partners?

Accepted Answer

All Minds Academy is highly supportive of communication partnerships and we understand the significance of their role for our students. Families provide the communication partner(s) for the student. An approval process is required. See our communication partner guide for details.

Question 5

How are the courses implemented?

Accepted Answer

A full description can be found  here.

Question 6

Is there an age requirement for All Minds Academy enrollment?

Accepted Answer

The bulk of our program is meant for ages 14 and up, there is no upper age limit for enrollment. Some courses may be appropriate for younger students who are hungry for higher level academic learning. Students ages 10 - 13 may enroll in math and science courses and possibly a few others with approval.

Question 7

Can we see a sample from a course?

Accepted Answer

We are working on adding lesson excerpts to the website from at least one course  in each of our subjects. Course descriptions are available here  and sample lesson excerpts are being added as they become available.

Question 8

How much time should a student expect to spend per week per course?

Accepted Answer

The amount of time per week per course will vary depending on a number of factors including the student’s profile, communication partner availability and skills, health conditions, and other logistics. We recommend allotting 3 - 4 hours per week per course, though some students may not need this much time. At this rate, courses can reasonably be completed within the allotted access time (1 credit = 12 months access, 0.5 credit = 6 months access).

Some ASCEND courses require documenting time as well as activities. For these courses, 1 full credit requires a minimum of 162 documented hours.  At around 3 - 4 hours per week, this can be achieved in 41 - 42 weeks, meaning students can take breaks for vacation, to recover when health issues occur, or for any other reason and they can still finish the course within the allotted time without sacrificing depth and breadth of learning!

Question 9

Are there opportunities for students to interact with each other?

Accepted Answer

There are several ways students can interact with each other within our current program design. As our program grows, we hope to add more, if this is something students and families desire. To start, since courses are hosted on google classroom, students will be able to interact with any other students taking that class at that time. There will also be a homeroom class in google classroom in which all actively enrolled students have the ability to interact with each other.

Secondly, we plan to periodically offer optional live, virtual enrichment lessons taught by various All Minds teachers or guest speakers across subjects offering students an opportunity to learn together and interact with each other in real time. Anyone can sign up for these lessons, though actively enrolled students can do so for a discounted rate or in some cases, for free.  These lessons can be documented and applied toward additional course credits.

Finally, the Global Citizenship requirements of ASCEND especially lend themselves to collaborative work. Students/families are encouraged to plan events collaboratively, co-op style, which can be done virtually, or in-person.

Question 10

Is All Minds Academy coursework a replacement for working privately on communication goals related to spelling/typing?

Accepted Answer

While our leadership team consists of individuals with experience and  professional training in a variety of modalities and can offer some degree of communication coaching within the framework of our program, we do not explicitly teach communication through spelling or typing. This type of work is best achieved with a practitioner or trained communication partner working individually with the student in a setting where communication/motor goals (versus academic goals) are at the forefront. We recommend that to best improve communication skills, families use our program and curriculum in a complementary manner, but not as a replacement for targeted communication work, whether through spelling lessons or other purposeful motor work.

Question 11

Does All Minds Academy use a certain method of spelling?

Accepted Answer

Our job as educators is to provide our students rich and meaningful learning opportunities,  Our leadership team has a variety of experience and training in multiple methodologies between us, but we are not method specific and we do not explicitly teach spelling in our program. We say “students”, versus “clients”, because our role in this setting is that of educators, not clinicians or therapists. However, many members of our team either have training as spelling practitioners and/or are parents to individuals that use spelling for communication, so we are familiar with and require communication partners to adhere to best practices of spelling/typing that apply across ALL methods. Further details can be found in our communication partner guide.

Question 12

Does All Minds Academy have a group or in-person option?

Accepted Answer

As our program grows, we hope to develop additional ways and incentives for students and families to connect. Currently, all of our programs are online and self-paced. However, if seeking a group setting, we encourage families to considering creating a co-op, whether in-person or virtual.  While there are a number of ways that families could structure a co-op, one part of our ASCEND program requirement that lends itself well to collaboration is Global Citizenship In Action, which involves researching areas of interest, planning action projects, and carrying them out.  We recommend discussing this more with your advisor if it sounds of interest.

Question 13

Can I use family support funding to pay for courses/services?

Accepted Answer

All Minds Academy is currently an approved vendor in Florida (Step Up For Students), Arizona (ESA), and California (Mains'l). We are willing to explore becoming a vendor for other programs though we do have some conditions and policies pertaining to third party payers. It is best to contact us directly to discuss possibilities if this applies to you. Email billing@allmindsacademy.com

Question 14

Do you offer need-based scholarships?

Accepted Answer

Our hope is to establish a scholarship fund at some point that can be utilized for things like offsetting tuition for families in need and providing All Minds Academy Homeschool Co-op starter grants. We don't have this available yet, but we do have a flexible enrollment structure that hopefully allows families to find a tuition and payment plan that works for them. Unlike other school programs that require a fixed tuition, we allow families to enroll by course and we offer installment plans. If additional adjustments in the installment plan are needed, while we cannot guarantee we can accommodate them, feel free to reach out at billing@allmindsacademy.com to discuss possibilities.

Question 15

Is there a time limit to complete courses?

Accepted Answer

Our courses are self-paced so students to work on them during times of the day that are best for them and their communication partner and at durations and intensities that are appropriate for their individual regulation and stamina.  The courses are designed to ensure that at a rate of completion of roughly one lesson per week, the course can easily be completed within the allotted time, (12 month, full credit courses; 6 months) while still allowing families to take time off when needed for vacation or other reasons and not worry about "falling behind".  Some courses will be rolling out lessons on a week-to-week basis, so working ahead may not be possible. Furthermore, finishing sooner does not change the tuition rate for the course.

Families will work with our advisors to give careful consideration when selecting courses for enrollment. Once enrolled in a course, our program incorporates multiple supports and features to ensure students make steady progress to prevent situations where they are not able to complete it within the allotted time. That being said, unexpected situations happen and if necessary, access to the course can be extended on a monthly basis at a monthly rate of $160/month for 1 credit courses and $80/month for 0.5 credit courses. We would hope that if this were necessary, it would not be for more than 1 or 2 months max.

Question 16

Are any of the courses offered live?

Accepted Answer

Currently, our program is nearly exclusively online and self-paced. On a very limited basis, Dr. Jen offers private, live math courses virtually or in person, for students local in the Atlanta area. If you would like to discuss the possibility of taking a live math course this way, email math@allmindsacademy.com. We also have plans to offer live, virtual enrichment lessons. TBD

Question 17

Is it possible to switch from FLEX to ASCEND?

Accepted Answer

Any student who is remotely considering pursuing a high school diploma is encouraged to enroll in our ASCEND program from the beginning.  We consider situations on a case-by-case basis though generally speaking, we do not transfer credits for courses completed through our FLEX program to ASCEND. Should an exception be made,  any tuition differences would be due plus additional administrative fees would apply.

Question 18

What happens if we aren’t able to complete the course within the allotted time?

Accepted Answer

Families will work with our advisors to give careful consideration when selecting courses for enrollment. Once enrolled in a course, our program incorporates multiple supports and features to ensure students make steady progress to prevent situations where they are not able to complete it within the allotted time. That being said, unexpected situations happen and if necessary, access to the course can be extended on a monthly basis for a fee. We would hope that if this were necessary, it would not be for more than 1 or 2 months max.

Question 19

What is the role of the advisor?

Accepted Answer

During the admissions process, each student will be assigned to an advisor.  All AMA advisors have extensive experience supporting students who communicate by spelling or typing. The student and their primary communication partner and/or parents will meet with their advisor roughly every 8 weeks (bimonthly). Meetings might be spaced closer together at first, to ensure that everything gets started smoothly. Occasionally, another advisor may step in if they have something specific to offer or if the assigned advisor is unavailable.

The advisor helps students and families navigate course selection, monitor course progress, help determine applicable credits, review the student’s documentation spreadsheet, and help troubleshoot any challenges in motor, communication, or regulation. Advisors provide support, personal connection, and a layer of accountability that helps students and families continue making progress towards student goals. If families consistently need or wish to meet more frequently than on a bimonthly basis, this might be able to be arranged depending on advisor availability or we may need to refer the family to support outside our program. Additional fees would apply.

Question 20

ASCEND: If we don’t finish the graduation requirements for the accredited high school diploma, can we transfer credits to another program?

Accepted Answer

ASCEND ONLY

While the enrollment process for ASCEND students occurs through All Minds Academy, students are officially on record with Global Village School, a fully accredited, California-based online homeschool and private school hybrid. Most students will register as homeschool students in their state (some exceptions apply). Families are responsible for knowing and following the homeschool requirements of their state or country.

As with any other homeschool program, there is no guarantee that another high school will honor homeschool transfer credits. However, All Minds courses are written and taught by credentialed educators and the curriculum is rigorous and standards-based, which will provide a strong case for justifying credit transfers, should this need arise. It is the responsibility of the family to plead the case, should this situation arise.

Completed All Minds courses can always be added to the student’s parent-maintained homeschool transcript and upon request, certificates of completion can be provided by All Minds Academy for the student’s homeschool portfolio, provided the minimum completion requirements have been met. However, the accredited transcript and diploma is currently only available for students who successfully graduate through ASCEND. The accredited diploma will be issued by GVS, in partnership with AMA.

Question 21

What happens if we need to drop a course?

Accepted Answer

If a student is struggling with a course or a situation occurs that prevents the student from remaining enrolled in the course, the first thing to do would be to immediately reach out to the student advisor for support and to discuss options. We will try to work with you. Ultimately, if it is necessary to drop the course, the family should notify the advisor in writing as soon as possible. Tuition and fees are nonrefundable. For extenuating circumstances are  considered on a case-by-base basis. Note - It is the responsibility of the families to regularly back up and maintain records and student work.

Question 22

ASCEND: Can students received credit for work they have done so far?

Accepted Answer

The passion behind building All Minds Academy comes from knowing our families have been trying hard to cobble together a meaningful education for their student, often using school programs or other online programs that are not designed to accommodate the preferred communication method of their student.  We want to give credit where credit it due and we also have certain parameters and limitations. General criteria is provided below, though each student should consult with an advisor during the admissions process for the most up to date information. Transfer credits from one of these nationally accredited institution with proper documentation are allowed, though a minimum of 12 credits must be earned through ASCEND (minimum credits subject to change). Credits for non-accredited work completed prior to enrollment with AMA are not guaranteed and certain restrictions apply. Once a student has been enrolled in All Minds Academy for at least 1 year and has demonstrated a commitment to completing the program, prior work can be reviewed for possible credit. A minimum review fee of $375 per requested credit.

Question 23

ASCEND: Can my student get credit for spelling lessons and other motor-specific communication work?

Accepted Answer

YES! This is one of the most exciting and unique features of our high school program. Communication via spelling or typing is no easy task and we believe that this work deserves recognition and credit. There are several ways this can happen. First, as Spelling is another way to communicate,  students can earn up to two modern language credits. Spelling can also apply toward elective credits, and in some cases toward required hours for other courses depending on the nature of the lessons. Some restrictions apply. Discuss options and parameters with your advisor.

Question 24

ASCEND ONLY: Are students required to complete tests and quizzes for grades?

Accepted Answer

If a student has not yet reached fully open communication with a skilled and trusted communication partner, formal assessments (e.g. tests and quizzes) offer little information and can be emotionally traumatizing for students. Our exercises, activities, and overall program design allows students to fully engage in learning and demonstrate comprehension in alternative ways, without the stress of testing prematurely, before communication readiness. Students can still earn FULL credit by completing course requirements and earning a grade of Pass.That being said, at some point, we do plan to offer an graded option for students who have a desire to take tests in preparation for college or for other reasons. This would require approval from the advisor. The student must be able to demonstrate open communication WITHOUT prompts from a communication partner. An additional fee (not included in tuition)  will be required to cover proctoring services from All Minds advisors. Dr. Jen has a document describing her professional criteria and guidelines for communication partner supported proctored testing for students wishing to develop these skills for college. While students aren't expected necessarily to have this level of stamina at the high school level, for those who are hoping to attend college, it is good to know what to be working toward.

Frequently asked questions