Creating Safe Havens: Inside I Am Academy for Special Needs Children

When traditional education failed her autistic son, Anna Moore took matters into her own hands. What began as personal advocacy blossomed into I Am Academy, a sanctuary where children with special needs are celebrated rather than merely accommodated.

Since 2015, this intimate K-12 private school has been transforming lives by rejecting the common misconception that neurodivergent children are simply "defiant." As Anna poignantly explains, behaviors often misinterpreted as intentional misbehavior are actually manifestations of neurological differences requiring patience, understanding, and tailored approaches. Drawing from her experience raising a son with autism and Tourette's syndrome, Anna has created an educational environment where dignity and respect form the foundation of every interaction.

What sets I Am Academy apart isn't just its curriculum, but its deliberate smallness. Anna maintains limited enrollment to ensure each child receives the personalized attention they deserve. Many students have grown up within the school's nurturing embrace, some now transitioning to adulthood after joining as five-year-olds. Before founding the academy, Anna's advocacy work led to landmark changes in Florida legislation, requiring schools to report instances of restraining special needs children – a practice previously conducted without parental notification.

The school operates on a word-of-mouth model, with families finding each other through therapy networks and special education circles. Currently relocating to a more visible location at Kitterman and US1, I Am Academy participates in the Step Up for Students scholarship program, making specialized education accessible to more families. Connect with this remarkable school through Facebook (I Am Academy K312) or by calling 772-380-4400, and discover a place where children with special needs aren't just taught – they're understood, valued, and empowered to be exactly who they're meant to be.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, GarfieldBowen.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you looking for a privateschool for your special needs
child?
Well, one may be closer thanyou think.
I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Anna Moore, with.
I Am Academy Anna, how are youdoing today?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm good.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I am well, I am well.
Listen, we're excited to learnall about you and your business.
Tell us about your company.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
We are a K-12 private school for children with
special needs and we've beenaround since 2015.
We take children with alldifferent, unique abilities.
We are a different type ofschool.

(01:16):
We cater to not just autisticchildren but all different
abilities.
So you know, it just dependswhat your needs are.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Tell us, how did you get into this business?

Speaker 3 (01:29):
I have a son who has special needs.
He's autistic, also hasTourette's syndrome and he was
high-functioning.
We actually didn't really knowuntil he was about five or six

(01:58):
and had some issues in publicschool, and that's how I became
an advocate and then decided Ineeded to create something that
would cater more appropriatelyto the needs of our children.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, I have a nephew with a disability too, and I
know my sister dedicated herlife to social work to really
help, so that mom, super mom,comes out in you right, yes,
what are some of the myths andmisconceptions?

Speaker 3 (02:32):
in the industry.
You know, a lot of times, mostlyfor autistic children, or you
know a lot of these kids, they,you know, they think that and I
dislike this word a lot defiantthey use with them and a lot of
times they need more time toprocess.

(02:53):
They need more, you know, timethey're held to different
standards.
Especially it depends on theirlevels.
If they're higher, like my son,was mainstream, they wanted him
to be like the other kids andhe needed accommodations and

(03:15):
just needed a little bit more sohe would be seen as doing
things on purpose or, you know,because they couldn't see his
disability weren't on purposeand he wasn't doing these things
because he was bad.

(03:35):
He actually had neurologicalissues that he needed help with.
Yes, he was high functioning,could speak and everything, but
he still had processing issuesand things that you know they

(04:01):
were misunderstanding and so youknow those are issues that we
have a lot of trouble with andyou know you got to have a lot
of patience and understandingwith these kids and you know,
unfortunately, you know you canread it in a book, but unless
you raise a child with theseneeds and I don't think you can
fully understand, to be quitehonest, we know marketing is the

(04:27):
key to all businesses.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Who are your target customers and how do you attract
them?

Speaker 3 (04:38):
You know I really go by word of mouth.
I've been doing this since 2012.
I started in somebody else'sschool and then I became a
school myself in 2015.
And parents, they run into eachother everywhere and you know

(05:01):
you have your therapist and youknow everybody talks and I
mostly it's by word of mouth andI get referred a lot.
I'm a very small school.
I prefer to have quality and soI keep it small.
That's how I make sure you knowthe children get what they need

(05:25):
one-on-one and um, so mine areall by referral and we take this
step up for student scholarship, so we're on that list.
So I get a lot of calls fromthere.
But, um, you know, I, I, Iprobably should market, but um,
I, I prefer that you, you know,if you find me, you need me, so

(05:47):
that's you know I'll give you myuh sister's information offline
.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
But yeah, it is a small community in there and
there's like a bond between thecommunity with the parents and
the advocates in there.
Um, I mean, have you everthought about doing your own uh
podcasts?

Speaker 3 (06:09):
I have.
I was an advocate first, soI've been in documentaries.
My main thing was restraint andseclusion, and so I did that
for a long time and it becamevery stressful.
I would get sent videos fromall over the United States, and

(06:32):
right now I'm with a group andthey're in England and fighting
restraint and seclusion overthere.
We got laws changed in Florida.
There was a time when theydidn't have to tell you when
they put their hands on yourchild, and now they do so.
Now we have stats across all 67counties, and now they do so.
Now we have stats across all 67counties, but you know they

(06:54):
have to tell on themselves.
So, but at least we now have arecord and we have stats.
But we didn't have that before,you know.
So we did make a difference,and but that's why I opened a
school.
I wanted to do more.
I wanted to create a place thatI wish I had when my son was
younger.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
So, anna, when you're not busy running your business,
what do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Rest, I don't, I don't, I really I don't really
do much for fun.
I rescue animals.
That's about it.
I you know, I'm home, I rest, Ihave too many animals.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
I'm always saving something or feeding something,
so that's what I do, so you're anurturer right down to the core
, huh.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Pretty much.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
So we're about to come to a close, but I wanted
you to tell our listeners onething they should remember, if
nothing else, about I Am Academy.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
I Am, academy is, you know, for us we're not just a
school, we're, you know, we're afamily here.
You know a lot of these kidsI've had since they were five
years old, so you know Ibasically raised a lot of them.
A few of them are aging out nowat 21, 22.
And it's, you know, it's adifferent type of school and you

(08:32):
know, here we make sure thekids are treated with dignity
and respect and we want them tobe exactly who they're supposed
to be and we don't force thingshere.
And they're nurtured here andloved, and that's what we do
here at IM Academy.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know you said earlier that you have a small
community and everybody can knoweverybody, but it's probably a
few people that have never heardof you before and there's one
question on their lips, andthat's how, how do I get more
information about I Am Academy?

Speaker 3 (09:11):
We are on the Step Up for Students list.
We're on Facebook.
We do have a website, but I'mhaving I need to have it redone.
I'm the chief cook and bottlewasher so I do everything, so I
am going to have somebody havethat done.
We are in the process of movingright now, so we're moving down

(09:33):
to Kitterman and US1.
So we will be down there andthey'll be able to see us more.
Now we're going to actuallyhave a sign, because right now
we're inside of a church.
We've been here for 10 yearsbut we will be more visible and
we are working on a new websiteand everything.
But we are on Facebook under IAm Academy K312.

(09:59):
And that would be the best wayto find us.

Speaker 2 (10:05):
I just want to push the buttons on the phone.
Do you have a number you'd liketo share phone?
Do you have a number?

Speaker 3 (10:09):
you'd like to share 772-380-4400.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
Well, Anna, it's been a pleasure having you on the
show.
We wish you and your businessthe very best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
Thank you, it was nice to meet you.

Speaker 1 (10:25):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast Port St Lucie.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpportsaintluciecom.
That's gnpportsaintluciecom, orcall 772-362-3840.