At Robert D. Wilson Elementary School, children with autism take center stage as part of an early intervention program that sees immediate results.
In 2003, the school joined a new program, sponsored by the state Department of Education, called the “Verbal Behavior Project”, which aims to enhance the learning and language skills of autistic children through a non-traditional approach.   
And it has been a wonderful success, said Danielle Vokes, a speech therapist with Western Wayne School District. 
“We’ve had non-verbal children talking up a storm,” she said at an open house that showcased a unique autism classroom at the elementary school on Oct. 13.
The elementary school’s classroom is considered an “autism model classroom”, one of only 13 in the state. 
Autism is an brain development disorder that begins affecting children before they reach three-years old. 
It can cause impaired social interactions and communication. 
At the school beginning at age 3, children receive intensive instruction - identifying objects, verbal and motor skills training, among others - that is tailored to each student, said Dr. Lorna Johns, the district’s director of instructional services.
The program centers on the child and his or her own particular needs and abilities, said Johns.
Autistic children have difficulty conveying their wants or needs, and sometimes that can result in inappropriate behaviors, she noted.
She noted that four instructors underwent extensive training to become “Board Certified Behavior Analysts.”
The instructors try to teach the children how to express their wishes . A first step may involve pointing or reaching for the object desired; through time, students may ask for what they want or identify  the object from a picture.
Autistic children have difficulty saying exactly what they want, said Vokes, who has earned the certification. 
Each student is constantly assessed as they work through a myriad of goals, said William Galbraith, an educational consultant with the state education department. 
“Kids are being worked every minute of the day,” he said. 
Two elementary school classrooms and one at the middle school are earmarked specifically for the program.
The program also serves students from Wayne Highlands and Wallenpaupack school districts.