Arbor School of Central Florida

by Laura Breen Galante

Arbor School of Central Florida offers customized, therapeutic education for students living with high-functioning autism, dyslexia, Down syndrome, SLD (specific learning disorders), and other learning disabilities.

CEO Wendy Cox Blair relies on individualized educational plans, therapeutic intervention, specialized training, STEM activities, and sensory outlets to help students thrive at Arbor School’s three local campuses.

“We have small classrooms, therapists on staff, and lots of fun,” says Wendy. “Sneak up and teach has always been my mantra. The students don’t even know they’re learning.”

Arbor School has a campus in Winter Springs that serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade and another in Lake Mary for pupils in sixth through 12th grade. For older students, the school focuses on skills related to organization, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, self-management, technology, and interpersonal skills to help with employability.

This past fall, Arbor School opened a campus in the Wekiva Springs area, welcoming 27 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school occupies two floors at First Baptist Sweetwater church in Longwood, and there’s plenty of room to grow. Large classrooms offer extra space for occupational and speech therapy. 

“At the Wekiva Springs and Winter Springs campuses, we’ve added music and dance,”  says Wendy. “We partnered with Chance 2 Dance and Joyful Music Therapy Foundation, two nonprofits that serve kids with exceptionalities. And our Lake Mary campus has performing arts.” 

Wendy enjoys partnering with local nonprofits to benefit Arbor School’s students and help those with disabilities reach their full potential.

“It’s nice to be able to use all the partnerships that we have,” she says. “We all support each other.”

Dr. Charles “Buddy” Parrish, pastor of First Baptist Sweetwater, has welcomed Arbor School students and staff with open arms. 

“We’re doing a lot of partnership work with the church,” says Wendy, including an Easter egg hunt this spring and a Christmas in the Country event during the holiday season.

“We’ve had a wonderfully warm welcome to the Wekiva/Longwood area,” says Wendy, “and we’re very excited about future growth here.”

Arbor School’s long-range goal is to expand its Wekiva campus to serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade.