Meristem is a non-profit school for young adults with

autism spectrum Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...

and other

neurodevelopmental disorder Neurodevelopmental disorders are a group of mental conditions negatively affecting the development of the nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. According to the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manu ...

s in

Fair Oaks, California Fair Oaks is a unincorporated community in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Fair Oaks as a census-designated place ...

Background

Sacramento philanthropists, Marc Turtletaub and Maureen Curran-Turtletaub, established Meristem in 2014 on 13 "bucolic" acres near the

American River The American River is a List of rivers of California, river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it ...

, so that autistic young adults can more successfully transition into an evolving

post-industrial society In sociology, the post-industrial society is the stage of society's development when the service sector generates more wealth than the manufacturing sector of the economy. The term was originated by Alain Touraine and is closely related t ...

. The goal is for students to get jobs and live independently. The founding of Meristem was inspired by the United Kingdom's effort to widely use John Ruskin's ideas to train thousands of autism students since the mid-1980s. The Turtletaubs visited these centers, were impressed by what they saw, and "Meristem is an evolution of that". There is no equivalent training program in the U.S. The first class entered in 2015. The training is mainly aimed at instilling self-confidence, self-advocacy, and social participation, and shedding of anxieties. With no one standard treatment for autism, Meristem has chosen to have a unique model for its training program. There is a de-emphasis on classical classroom instruction, and an emphasis on experiental learning;

behavioral analysis Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understand the behavior of humans and other animals. It assumes that behavior is either a reflex elicited by the pairing of certain antecedent stimuli in the environment, or a consequence of that individ ...

and

modification Modification may refer to: * Modifications of school work for students with special educational needs * Modifications (genetics), changes in appearance arising from changes in the environment * Posttranslational modifications, changes to prote ...

are not part of the program. Inspired by John Ruskin's "craft and land" philosophy of education, it uses practical skills therapeutic education and transformative movement. The name for the school is derived from

meristem In cell biology, the meristem is a structure composed of specialized tissue found in plants, consisting of stem cells, known as meristematic cells, which are undifferentiated cells capable of continuous cellular division. These meristematic c ...

plant tissue, which contains meristemic cells. These undifferentiated cells undergo continual growth and division; when they leave the meristem they differentiate.

Curriculum

Students are encouraged to work with their hands and are given the needed time to complete tasks at their own pace. This is to enable the student to acquire confidence to solve problems in the real world, learning how to overcome obstacles and embrace challenges. To learn transferable professional skills, there are three campus enterprises run by students: a B&B, Meristem bakery and Meristem health and beauty products. The core areas of the curriculum are movement, land work, craftwork, independent living skills, and preparation to work. There is hands-on learning in 10 vocational trades, including metalworking, woodworking, culinary arts and agriculture, among others.

Employment

To help its graduates find employment, Meristem has worked with the state of California to produce a pilot project to teach employers on how to hire, train and retain people with autism, "this untapped and valuable group of employees."Breaking Barriers Eval. Report
/ref> Also, part of the Meristem curriculum includes placing students in paid jobs, internships or volunteer positions at local businesses.

References

{{Reflist Schools for people on the autistic spectrum in the United States 2014 establishments in California Educational institutions established in 2014 Special schools in California