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Pioneer Parents in Indiana - About Susan LeVay & Ruth Padgett - Co-Founders of The Independence Academy
By Angela Arlington
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In the mid-2000s, both Susan Le Vay and Ruth Padgett were facing the same challenges raising their children with autism. Ruth stated, “I was a stay-at-home mom of three children and it was a very intense and chaotic time for our family. One of our children, who has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and other learning difficulties, at that time, was presenting with significant behavioral challenges both at home and in school settings. Life revolved around doctor and therapy appointments, school meetings, new schools, and even an attempt at home-schooling.”
Susan was a full-time teacher and a mother of two kids. “Both my sons were on the autism spectrum and struggled with depression and increasing anxiety, which was often overwhelming for our family,” she shared. Like many children with autism, both were bullied, ostracized, misunderstood, and under-served, due to their complex diagnoses and key learning disabilities. “My life revolved around teaching my sons and other students,” she added. “It included home-schooling my older son during fifth grade, researching best practices for teaching students with ASD, advocating as a parent and teacher, and taking my sons to school, doctor, and therapy appointments. Like Ruth and many other parents, I was also involved in caring for an aging father who had many health problems.”
Both mothers could see first-hand that their children needed multi-sensory opportunities to learn academics and had not received enough ASD-specific intervention in previous educational settings. Ruth explained, “They needed to have breaks in the classroom, learn self-regulation, and daily life and social instruction to practice crucial skills.” As a teacher, Susan had many ideas to transform classrooms into inviting and safe spaces where students would feel more comfortable learning. “We both felt we were running out of time to improve the educational opportunities for our children. We knew in the right environment our children and others like them would thrive. We were confident they were capable of earning an accredited high school diploma, thus potentially increasing future opportunities for them.”
They began considering opening their own school in the winter of 2006. Both researched their options. “We seriously considered charter school status but were too small and did not have funding or corporate sponsorship for upfront costs to open the school,” Susan recalled. “Charter school organizations typically have a minimum of 150 students enrolled, which exceeds numbers we believed were conducive to our students’ success. Time was critical as we worked to accomplish our mission.”
In 2007, Ruth and Susan incorporated Independence Academy and became a501(c)3 non-profit private school. In August 2008, the doors to their dream school opened. Money was a challenge, but Ruth explained, “In the initial years, Susan and I created the funding by accepting the amount of our children’s tuition as our salaries. This insured our teachers were paid, which was paramount. Our own families understood and were our biggest supporters, giving us private donations to provide start-up funding and a scholarship fund. Most families paid tuition and occasionally we received donations. As a private school in the Indianapolis Public Schools district, we received some funding and support for speech and language and occupational therapy services.”
The Independence Academy opened with grades 5–12, for students with ASD on the diploma track. The school provided students with a state-approved curriculum, daily life and social skills training, and sensory breaks, all in an environment that is friendly, welcoming, and understanding. They partnered with Butler University’s clinical speech department to provide student internships and Marian University’s special education programs to provide field experiences. In the first year, Susan and another IA teacher completed the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), which they incorporated into IA’s classrooms. Susan became one of the first Indiana teachers certified in UCLA’s Program for the Enrichment and Education of Relational Skills (PEERS), which she and IA have offered to multiple families. Susan explained how IA has expanded over the years. “Currently, IA is partnered with Riley HANDS in autism at Riley Hospital and Speak Indy to provide essential work, life, and social skills instruction to our students, including IA student internships at Riley. IA offers dual-enrollment courses at Ivy Tech Community College.” Beyond the school day, IA has offered a variety of after-school clubs, including art, health, chess, and robotics, which led to IA earning 2nd place at high-school district robotics championships in its inaugural year.
Monthly educational field trips for IA students extend the classroom to the larger community and encompass visits to a host of organizations to broaden students’ horizons. Regular IA parent education events provide opportunities to learn about key services, Including the Erskine Green Training Institute, vocational rehabilitation, Medicaid Family Supports Waivers and more.
Susan and Ruth reflected, “We are so grateful for the amazing students, families, and professionals we have met on this journey. We’re grateful for those who believed in us and trusted us. This is truly a confirmation that each one of us can make a difference.”
“IA has served hundreds of families throughout Indiana, many of whom had lost hope as their children were failing to thrive or falling through the cracks in other educational settings,” Ruth added. “We continue to provide a resource to the larger community and have helped connect IA families to various services throughout and beyond their children’s education at IA.”
Susan’s sons graduated and are currently taking college courses at Ivy Tech and working part-time. Ruth’s son also graduated. He has been trying out different kinds of jobs while learning to live independently. As she continues to support her sons who hope to transition to independent living, Susan remains involved as an educator and school consultant. Ruth and Susan both support the IA Board of Directors and the school in their mission and strategic plans.
