MIAMI (CBSMiami). Since 1977, the Miami Learning Experience School is a safe place for adults and children with developmental disabilities.
There are students from age 5 through 47. Most have autism or down syndrome.
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This is a place that allows them to live richly.
Alexandra Salas, high school teacher, said that we have students who have started with babies and have now started the Shannon campus.
Alexander Milne is a student.
CBS4 met him for the first time at the 29th Annual Fashion Show Fundraiser. He and other students walked down the runway and worked up a crowd.
The 35-year-old loves being in the spotlight. Salas describes him as an energetic, outgoing student who Salas calls a Jack-of-all trades. He plays drums, acts, and works at Publix.
He is a living testament to the MLE mission. Although he has roommates on campus, he is mostly independent.
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It is then that it all comes full circle. I know the value of the time we’ve put in, along with the parents, the therapist, and the culture here at school. Salas explained that after that, you take a step back to let the student show the world that they can. However, they may not always have the opportunity.
MLE believes that students have the potential to achieve far more than they imagined. They develop programs and objectives to help each student reach their goals.
Working with these students is a rewarding experience that allows them to reach their full potential.
KevinGrace is the executive Director. He beams when he speaks about the environment and how it feels more like a family than a job.
These students see the world differently than we do. Grace said that Grace is contagious by Grace’s happiness at their approach to the world.
Each year, the fashion show is a sell-out event. The money they raise helps them continue their programing. Their goal is to give their students more independence.
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