Giant Steps School, a Southport educational institution for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities and related neurological impairments, announced it would be closing on June 30.
The school was created by the American Institute for Neuro-Integrative Development and opened in 1992 at 309 Barberry Road. In a message on its website, the school”™s administration acknowledged the decision was based on its inability to offer a “safe and viable alternative” to its students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The insurmountable circumstances brought on by COVID-19 forced us to make the devastating decision we agonized over for many weeks,” the school said on its website. “After seeking the advice of numerous experts, we faced the unfortunate task of determining that nothing could be done to prevent the shuttering of our school as we know it.”
The school, which had approximately 40 students before the pandemic began, added that during its lifetime “something unique and special was cultivated that transcended education: the school”™s community was truly a family. That loss feels and is tangible, palpable, raw, and enormous. Let our many cherished memories be the light that guides our efforts.”
