Florida’s commitment to innovation, workforce development, diversity, and safety in schools is paving the way for a brighter future for its students and the prosperity of the entire state. Florida’s education system is not only preparing students for careers but also equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. It is clear that school education in Florida will continue to play a central role in the state’s growth and success.
At the forefront of this growth are innovative initiatives like Puzzle Box Academy, founded by Pamela Furr.
In 2007, Pamela Furr left behind the finance and insurance industry when her son Loki was diagnosed with Autism. Since then, she dedicated her life to the education and early intervention treatment of children and their families on the Autism spectrum.
In 2014, she founded Puzzle Box Academy and Kaleidoscope Interventions.
Since its launch, the academy has supported thousands of families, seen children advance from early elementary to high school graduates, and has seen successes in children moving beyond the need for ABA therapeutic services.
Today, the academy supports over 100 families across three schools – School Readiness, TK1, Elementary School, Jr and Sr High School.
Focusing on Enriched Environment
Puzzle Box Academy is a private learning academy for families looking for individualized education, small classroom sizes, and a focus on an enriched environment in support of neurodiversity. Its curriculum is science-based, tailored to each individual student, and rich with a data-based focus to ensure learning and skill acquisition to fluency.
Its mission is to provide a rich educational experience tailored to the individual needs of exceptional and developmentally delayed children, helping them achieve their full social and academic potential.
Additionally, its subsidiary, Kaleidoscope Interventions, provides ABA Therapeutic Services to students as well as non-students, the science-based proven treatment to advance a variety of socially significant needs.
Creative Learning with Tailored Approach
The goal of Puzzle Box Academy is to provide families with the education and support their children deserve.
Puzzle Box Academy employs a holistic approach to education to achieve this mission, supporting the whole student and their entire family. Its teachers and support staff are informed in principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to support students both inside and outside the classroom, providing the most effective curricular and treatment programs to its students and their families.
Puzzle Box Academy has a truly unique model employing the Morningside Model of Generative Learning tailored to children with developmental disabilities. Its children receive data-rich feedback on their performance as a student and self-monitor their progress.
An Ideal Alternative
Puzzle Box Academy is a year-round alternative education for children, pre-k to senior high school.
It provides individualized education tailored to meet the needs of each student. As a year-round education, it can provide many benefits for students and families, such as structure, stability, more frequent and evenly spaced breaks, less summer learning loss, and flexibility.
The academy has a 1:7 ratio of teacher to student, providing a more individualized and focused educational experience for each child.
It also provides parent training and support, which gives students and caregivers access to professionals and education to learn parenting skills, applied behavior analysis methods, and educational tips to help their children.
Its subsidiary provides direct ABA Therapy for that extra specialized support needed by many of its students. Kaleidoscope Interventions focused on improving skill acquisition and maladaptive behaviors and enhancing socially significant behavior change to ensure quality of life.
Fostering Rich Educational Experiences
The need for quality education for neurodiverse children is greater than ever. Articles are written about the need for individualized education, ideal learning environments, and how the education supports these individuals to be successful and independent adults. Puzzle Box Academy’s whole mission is to provide a rich educational experience tailored to the individual needs of exceptional and developmentally delayed children, helping them achieve their full social and academic potential.
It has a truly unique model employing the Morningside Model of Generative Learning tailored to children with developmental disabilities. Its children receive data-rich feedback on their performance as a student and self-monitor their progress.
The academy also uses a blend of direct instruction, precision teaching, and individualized education programming. It focuses on building fluency in the skills being taught, learning to master versus learning to memorize.
Extra Specialized Support
Weaved into its academic curriculum, the academy provides students with enrichment programs such as Art, Home Ec, Physical Education, and Social Skills.
Puzzle Box Academy also provides parent training and support, which gives its students and caregivers access to professionals and education to learn parenting skills, applied behavior analysis methods, and educational tips to help their children.
Its subsidiary provides direct ABA Therapy for that extra specialized support needed by many of its students. Kaleidoscope Interventions focused on improving skill acquisition and maladaptive behaviors and enhancing socially significant behavior change to ensure quality of life.
To improve student outcomes, the academy provides the following programs:
- A year-round alternative education for children, pre-k to senior high school
- 1:7 ratios of teacher-to-students
- Science-based individualized education
- Parent training and support
- ABA Therapy through Kaleidoscope Interventions
The academy collaborates with parents and guardians by maintaining weekly communication with parents on student progress, achievements, and areas to continue working on.
Parent training events and support give its students and caregivers access to professionals and education to learn parenting skills, applied behavior analysis methods, and educational tips to help their children.
Individualized Education for Better Development
Puzzle Box Academy’s cultural diversity is observable throughout its schools as it welcomes everyone. The academy is truly an inclusive school. It individualizes education for the various developmental disabilities other schools are challenged by – ADD, ADHD, Autism, PDD, and for neurotypical kids who struggle in public schools, the academy welcomes them as well.
Student achievements beyond grades – their fluency in skill acquisition, their mastery of content, their abilities across grade levels, and their readiness to move forward. Parental feedback is critical to its success, as well as staff’s feedback. Finally, Puzzle Box Academy looks at the progression of its students in terms of grade levels.
Academy Like No Other
Since the launch of Puzzle Box Academy, it has supported thousands of families, seen children advance from early elementary to high school graduates, and has seen successes in children moving beyond the need for ABA therapeutic services.
The school has testimonials from its families on the website and a new video testimonial of a graduate of our ABA services.
Pam’s new book, Can You Hear Me Now? Chronicles her journey with her son as an educator and founder of schools.
Most recently, Pam wrote an article for Forbes titled Why it’s important to embrace Neurodiversity in the Workplace (And how to do it Effectively)
Pam was a keynote speaker at the Education 2.0 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in July 2023 and was given the Outstanding Leadership Award.
