Alister Ali

Victory Academy

Victory was founded in 2009 as a private, non-profit, year-round school for children affected by Autism. Victory's mission is to provide children affected by Autism with an integrated academic and therapeutic program (for example, art, augmentative and alternative communication, behavioral, music, occupational, social cognition, speech and language, targeted technology, and transitions) designed to address an individual's strengths and challenges. Victory believes that children affected by Autism have great ability to learn but recognizes that they often do not learn in typical ways. From Victory's inception, there has been a commitment to hiring a highly qualified professional staff, to implement evidence-based best practices, and to be purposeful in developing a student centered curriculum framework. As a result, Victory offers year-round school, low student to teacher ratios (7:3), and innovative programs, designed to support learning differences and unlock the full potential of every child. Victory students now come from seven counties including Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill in Oregon and Clark in Washington State. Several families have moved from out of state to Oregon this year (coming from Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin) specifically to enroll their child at Victory. The National Center for Health Statistics reveals that Autism now affects 1 in 45 children. And according to Michael Rosanoff, the Director for Public Health Research at Autism Speaks: "This means that two percent of children in the U.S. are living with Autism". Finally, the OHSU Brain Institute recognizes Autism as one of the most common developmental disorders — likely to affect over 10,000 Oregon youth. There is a critical need for resources, services, community involvement and supports. At Victory, we are committed to serving Oregon's children affected by Autism, thus in turn, improving the lives of these kids, their families, and our communities.