Lifestyle

West Palm Beach autism school in danger of closing


WEST PALM BEACH, Fla – In this hot real estate market, homes and commercial buildings in West Palm Beach are selling for millions of dollars more than just a few years ago.

It was a big challenge for a local school that was running out of leases.

Over the past eight years, Mountaineer’s School of Autism in West Palm Beach has been providing parents with peace of mind and a chance for children with autism to thrive and thrive.

“Since the moment Amelia arrived here, we have seen nothing but an improvement in her cognitive skills, her ability to interact with people,” said Pierre Rodriguez, Amelia’s father.

Pierre Rodriguez and his daughter Amelia at Mountaineer Autism School

WPTV

Pierre Rodriguez shares a moment with his daughter, Amelia, who attends Mountaineer Autism School.

His daughter has Down syndrome with autism.

She’s aged away from her last school, and Rodriguez said the therapy she’s receiving here is unmatched.

“If schools didn’t exist, I don’t know – not only where my daughter would go to reach her full potential – but I worry about the parents I met and grew up meeting. “, said Rodriguez.

For the school’s founder, Mary Jo Walsh, it meant everything. This school gave her purpose.

“We serve kids everywhere from three to 22 years old,” says Walsh.

Her son, Malcolm, is deaf and autistic.

Mary Jo Walsh, founder of the Mountaineer School of Autism

WPTV

Mary Jo Walsh says Mountaineer’s Autism School will have to raise thousands of dollars to keep it going.

She put her nursing career aside and started a school because she said Malcolm’s academic and social needs were not being met.

But the site is in danger of being closed because the property is for sale.

“It’s going to be devastating for the families in our community,” Walsh said.

She said the building owner is working with her, but she needs to raise a large amount of money to pay upfront and buy the building herself.

“Not only will 70 children be out of school, without access to therapy services, but families will not have somewhere their children can go where they are safe,” says Walsh.

Pierre Rodriguez, daughter attends Mountaineer Autism School

WPTV

Pierre Rodriguez’s family has begun raising money to ensure the Autism School in Mountaineer remains open.

Rodriguez’s family has already started raising money, but he is now begging for community support to keep this hidden gem open in Palm Beach County.

“I’m asking them to please help. We don’t want to lose the Mountaineer Autism School,” says Rodriguez. “We want to take a big step forward.”

WPTV has talked to the owner of the building. He said he was interested in the school and wanted to let Walsh learn about the property first.

To make that happen, Walsh said she will need to raise thousands of dollars.

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