BROCTON — After challenging experiences throughout his first few years of schooling, a Brocton student has found a home in an alternative educational setting.

Joshua Ortiz has made significant progress over the past few months since being placed at the Shaw Academic Institute of Dunkirk. An agreement between the Brocton Central School District and the Shaw Academic Institute has given Joshua the opportunity he deserves to thrive in his education.

“I’ve seen a lot of progress in Josh since he started back in November,” said his mother, Clarissa (Martinez) Ortiz. “… It has definitely been a godsend to my family.”

Joshua’s unique needs stem from a diagnosis of Level 2-3 Autism. According to the three levels of the autism spectrum, individuals classified as Level 3 require substantial support and have high difficulty regarding self regulation.

While at Brocton, Joshua — a second-grader — would often have outbursts when he struggled to manage his emotions. At times, he would become violent and destructive, with employees of the district often on the receiving end of harsh comments. Joshua’s outbursts would often result in repercussions from the district, including multiple suspensions and a long list of disciplinary referrals.

“It was a complete disaster,” Clarissa Ortiz — an employee of Brocton Central School herself as a Teacher Assistant — said. “I call it a wash of a year.”

Joshua had several different Teacher Aides assigned to him throughout his time at Brocton, including an occupational therapist. He was often secluded from other students in an attempt to better manage his needs, but taking him out of the classroom and away from other students made it harder to keep him on track. Clarissa felt that her son was labeled as a “problem” because of his behavior.

“He wasn’t being looked at as a child with a disability. He was already labeled as a bad kid — that his actions were being done with malice, and that wasn’t the case,” Clarissa said.

This past fall, Clarissa did whatever she could think of to advocate for her son. She tried organizing protests, starting an online petition, and even filing a Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) complaint against the district she works for. She also addressed the Board of Education and had multiple encounters with district administrators, even on her breaks as a Teacher Assistant.

Through all of her actions, Clarissa felt like she only had two options — keep Joshua at Brocton, where his needs were not able to be met, or have him placed at BOCES. She did not feel like either option was right for her son, fearing that he would regress if put in the BOCES setting, but acknowledging that things needed to change from the way they were going at Brocton.

“Not every student requires the same thing to be successful. Sometimes that requires using different resources within the school setting, and our community partners and agencies that we have locally, as well,” Brocton Director of Special Education Melanie Ulinger said.

As Joshua’s struggles continued, Clarissa felt desperate, even considering the possibility of selling her home and moving to an area with a school with more accommodations for her son. She then heard of the Shaw Academic Institute from a Dunkirk parent. Thanks to that recommendation, Clarissa decided to pursue it further. She brought the suggestion to Brocton, and the district agreed to give it a shot.

So far, so good would be an understatement.

“It’s been wonderful for Josh,” Clarissa said. She stated the program has helped Joshua with controlling his anger, verbalizing his emotions, and remaining on task. She also noted his manners and etiquette have improved dramatically.

“Those milestones are huge for me. That’s stuff that he couldn’t do before,” Clarissa said. “This has been the most structured accommodation for him. It has given him some sort of accountability for doing school work.”

Ulinger added, “We’re very happy that we’ve been able to work toward a favorable resolution, resulting in student success.”

Founded in 2011 in West Seneca, Shaw Academic Institute has since expanded across four districts in Chautauqua County under the leadership of Sarah Barber, M.Ed. and Amanda Merced, M.Ed.

Joshua is enrolled as a Brocton student, but his schedule is modified for a partial school day at Shaw from 8 to 11 each morning. His progress could lead to expanded school days in the near future.

“Since joining our program, he has significantly enhanced his social skills and improved his ability to identify and express his emotions,” Merced stated.

Joshua’s regular assignments are sent over from Brocton. Since beginning at Shaw, Clarissa stated that her son is completing much more work than he was at Brocton, in addition to all of his behavioral improvements.

“I couldn’t ask for a better program for him,” Clarissa said. “I’m just happy we found a place for him. He’s happy, he’s thriving, and I’m happy. … They accepted my son for who he is.”

Merced, a behavior therapist, claimed Joshua’s progress can be attributed to the program’s flexible and accommodating schedule, inclusive environment, and the commitment of its educators. Merced added that Joshua benefits from both individual instruction and small group settings, collaborating effectively with up to three other students.

“I think that it’s been going very favorably. There’s been a lot of good, proactive meetings and collaborations that have occurred that I think have helped everyone feel that this has been successful,” Ulinger said.

The Shaw Institute’s objective is to provide support to students through education, social and emotional responsibility and regulation, and community engagement. Services include academic instruction for general education and special education students, tutoring, social and emotional evidence-based learning integration, and various therapies. Shaw also provides staff and parent workshops.

“When students are encouraged to view failure and mistakes as temporary challenges that are overcome with developed skills and genuine support, they acquire cognitive abilities that foster resilience in the face of adversity. It Is the Shaw Mission to see this through for the students that enter our doors,” Merced stated.

Clarissa said Joshua’s teacher at Shaw “has the absolute patience of a saint”, and communicates with Clarissa often, through daily text messages and phone calls to de-escalate outbursts, when necessary. She also credited Merced’s ability to help de-escalate during outbursts.

“I feel as a parent that I’m being heard, I’m being seen,” Clarissa said. “… They have an understanding. They make these kids feel like they’re home, that it is a safe place for them.”

The Shaw Academic Institute’s Dunkirk location is currently based out of Dunkirk School 4, which is also home to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County. However, that will change next year as Shaw’s lease with the district is set to expire. Shaw is currently seeking a new district or alternate location to house its program for next year.

“I’m hoping that Shaw continues, grows and expands, and people know more about it,” Clarissa said. “It has changed my family’s lives.”

The Shaw Academic Institute is open to district partnerships and individual enrollments, for the summer and 2025-26 school year, for all grades pre-k through Grade 12.

“I think there’s still a lot of parents like me that feel like they’re desperate, they’re hopeless, they just don’t know what to do for their kid anymore,” Clarissa said. “I think if they knew more about Shaw, they might consider it. I think the program could flourish even more.”