Volume 8 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research

52 Dana Judd, Ed.D. Summary of Findings and Interpretation of Results Inspire Academy, the subject of the current study, was explored for its unique design and multisensory instruction, which focuses on trained teachers and staff who meet the needs of neurodiverse learners with comorbidity of anxiety and other learning disabilities. Interview questions were utilized to study the perceptions of 11 parents of students at Inspire Academy, eight teachers and staff employed at the school, and a sampling of 22 students from elementary through high school grades. The data software ATLAS.ti was used to compile the qualitative data, providing graphics and visual clarification of themes that were discovered. There were 17 initial axial codes which were helpful in determining some overlap in ideas and concepts. The researcher combined some codes to present nine overarching themes that were consistently present throughout the data. The initial axial codes and overarching themes are listed in Table 1. The overlapping themes clarified the sentiment and tone of Inspire Academy and the answers to the three RQs. The Table 1 Initial Axial Codes and Overarching Themes results supported the conclusions from the RQs, providing tangible evidence of the various aspects of the specialized Christian private school for neurodiverse learners. The inclusion of Christian elements within the environment was found to be an unexpected positive for some, but all participants showed appreciation for the setting. When addressing RQ1 “What components are included in a school designed for neurodiverse students?” student participants shared feedback on the smaller class sizes and individual attention to their neurodiverse needs. Parent participants mentioned teachers and staff who understood and communicated well with their students, while student and parent participants commented about the “family feel” and genuine care they felt from the administrator and the staff. Many students commented about the emotional support dogs that are part of the Inspire Academy team. Specifically, students discussed how the dogs made them feel with the cuddles and care they received from them, setting a relaxed and comfortable tone. Both parent and student participants believed that an

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