FAQ
Do you provide job placement or help students find paid work?
On occasion, students may be offered paid employment while in the ACCESS Program, however, this is at the discretion of the employer and is not an expectation of our program. We do not seek out paid job placements for our students. Instead, our focus is to help students develop valuable work ethics and transferable job skills that may lead to future paid employment after leaving our program.
Do you offer Residential Services?
Students living outside the Austin-Metro area live in the ACCESS Student Cottages on TSD campus. The residential program also gives students the opportunity to develop basic home management skills such as meal planning, cooking, cleaning, safety, and minor home maintenance.
How long does a student stay in the ACCESS Program?
Students stay in the ACCESS Program only for as long as necessary to meet their educational goals. Our intent is to help students’ transition back to their hometowns prior to aging out of special education services so that we can remain involved on a consultative basis and help establish community-based supports.
How much does the ACCESS Program cost?
There is no tuition to attend the ACCESS Program, however, all students are expected to pay a yearly supply fee and monthly activity fee to cover student materials, city bus transportation, and community outings.
Does the ACCESS Program follow the TSD School Schedule?
Yes. We follow the TSD school calendar. We are closed for school-scheduled breaks and holidays. ACCESS students go home on the weekends.
What is the criterion for eligibility?
To be eligible for the ACCESS Program, students must have completed their graduation requirements or have received a high school diploma. They must be motivated to participate in our program and have an educational need for additional training in either employment or self-help skills. As per our Governing Board policy, the school is not intended to serve students whose needs are appropriately addressed in a home, hospital, or residential treatment facility; or for students whose primary, ongoing needs are related to a severe or profound emotional, behavioral, or cognitive deficit.
Do you accept applications year-round? Is there a deadline to apply to the program?
We accept new admissions throughout the school year, however, students gain the most benefit when they start at the beginning of the year.