School Feature: TLPCentre

School Feature: TLPCentre

Please introduce yourself and your background?

My name is Bolanle Adewole. I am the Founder and Executive Director of TLPCentre. I am an Autism Specialist and qualified Applied Behaviour Analyst from Florida Institute of Technology.

I lead a core of professional and devoted specialists and actively participate in IEP development, curriculum planning and implementation. I spearhead programs to promote the inclusive learning for children with special needs and believe that no child should be left behind.

I have extensively served children on three continents namely Europe, North America and Africa and was part of the TLPC disciplinary team that attended an Autism Diagnosis training with AACTION Autism, USA.

I am the acting Vice President of Parents Against Autism Initiative, Nigeria and participate on Autism platforms including Autism Society as well as Autism Speaks in the United States.

What is the name of your School and when was it founded? 

The name of our school is TLPCentre. It is the first full Autism day school on Lagos Island and its environs. TLPCentre is a not for profit day school and after school for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other related developmental disorders. We were founded in October, 2010.

Why did you decide to start a Special needs School?

First, I would say it came as a call from God. Over my 20 years of service to children, I have seen various types of children. I came to appreciate in time, that each child is unique, and that some children need to be taught in a different way, by a different and specialized team, within a different environment in order to reach their full potential. One of such children would be my precious 11 year old son, who is on the Autism Spectrum. He, and others like him led me to start a special needs school.

What are the challenges you have faced running a special needs school?

The first major challenge was getting people to accept that their child can thrive in a Special Needs school. Parents’ initial desire is for their child to thrive in a regular school, especially in this culture, where it can be stigmatizing to send a child to a Special Needs School.

Getting ready-made, trained, and specialized personnel with the required skill set would be another challenge. This, we tackle with constant in-house and external staff training and workshops.

Please give details of your staff/administration?

Our staff is made up of a conscientious and devoted team including :  Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist; Behavioural Analysts; Occupational Therapists; ABA trained therapists and outsourced Speech Therapists. We also have a professional and knowledgeable administrative team.

What is the curriculum/teaching methodology? 

Each child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is mainly focused on the child’s specific and individual needs. It is implemented using ABA principles, along with Structured Teaching principles at TLPCentre.

           

What is the Ratio of Therapist to Students? 

We have a ratio of one therapist to one child for individualized sessions, and one therapist to three children for group activities.

What age range are your students? 

We admit children from the age 1 – 22 years old.

What is the admission process?

Our admissions process is as follows:

• Visit/ Chat
• Schedule an Assessment
• Obtain a Questionnaire
• Client Assessment using ABLLS (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills.)
• IEP (Individual Educational Program) meeting.
• Obtain an application form
• Development of an IEP (Individual Educational Program)

How do you assess students’ progress?

An initial baseline assessment is taken, in order to ascertain the child’s present abilities. This becomes the standard against which we measure all future outcomes. Daily data collection, progress graphing and video footage all play a role in our assessment process.

 What are your Discipline methods? 

The form of discipline implemented will vary depending on the behaviour displayed. We take into account the cause of the behaviour, the intensity of the behaviour before we determine the appropriate discipline method to be used. The ABC model consisting of  Antecedent (the event or activity that immediately precedes behaviour)), Behaviour (the observed behaviour) & Consequence (the response that immediately follows the behaviour) works well for us. .

Depending on the outcome of the above, we then use various forms of discipline namely;

1. Redirection
2. Correction
3. Over-correction
4. Negative reinforcement
5. Positive reinforcement

How do you prepare your students’ for absorption into conventional high schools?

We initially focus on ‘generalization’, getting the child used to performing the various tasks in different environments. Then we contrive practical situations where the child is in a similar environment and finally, we place the child under a monitored gradual transition period in a conventional school.

What are the School Hours and any after school services offered?

Our hours are as follows:

Morning Full time Sessions: Monday – Friday (8am- 12pm)

Afternoon Full time Sessions:  Monday – Friday (12.30pm- 4.30pm) 

Morning Part-time Sessions: (Three days per week from 8am-12pm)

Afternoon Part-time sessions: (Three days per week from 12.30pm-4.30pm)

 How can parents contact you for more information? Or to schedule a visit to the school?

Parents may send an email requesting an appointment to [email protected] or by phone on 0704 631 4389.

What should parents be looking for to decide if your school would work for them/their children? 

The parents should be looking at our mode of teaching; the materials provided; the techniques being used; the level of care and hygiene within the environment; the qualification, commitment and knowledge of staff; the demeanor and composure of the staff; the existing measured outcomes at TLPCentre.

Contact Information for the school?

We may be contacted using the details above. Parents are also welcome to visit TLPCentre at: 18 Chris Maduike Drive, Lekki phase 1. 

You can also  go through our Brochure wallet 2015 for more details.