Every child deserves a chance
“When I realized the path ahead for my son was full of uncertainty, difficulty, and conflict, I decided I would rather spend my time building something new and extraordinary instead of continuing to fight a system that was never designed to meet my son’s needs. It feels better to build than it does to fight! ”
Mission:
Educating and improving the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and the community, to help build a more inclusive and accepting world.
Continuum takes a Holistic Approach, collaborating with families and other providers to create a comprehensive plan to make kids' lives better. We respect and honor the family and their values. We don’t expect families to be therapists. We believe their job is to provide the best home life possible - and leave the therapy in the clinic.
Continuum Education and Therapy Welcomes
ALL AGES
We recognize that for many children with disabilities, chronological age and development age are not always aligned. We embrace readiness as the criteria for eligibility rather than age. We work with ALL levels of readiness. We believe that readiness transcends age for kids with disabilities. We do not allow age to interrupt the educational continuum.
ALL ABILITIES
We serve children who have a wide range of disabilities that make it difficult for them to access a traditional or mainstream educational environment. Children at all levels of readiness and all levels of ability are welcome at Continuum.
ALL JOURNEYS
Our kids are on their own path, often paving it as they go. We walk with them, at their pace guiding them towards their goals. We want each child’s education to be a unique and meaningful journey.
Philosophy
Every child deserves access to a meaningful education. We believe in taking the time to get to know each individual child: their strengths, their challenges, their fears, what makes them laugh and what makes them learn. We partner with each child to set real life goals that make sense to them. We go at the child’s pace and always with their permission. Our process is based on trust, mutual respect, and the belief that the experience should be fun and rewarding for the child. When the process is driven by the child, they are able to feel pride in their accomplishments and we are right there with them celebrating every victory along the way!
We believe in partnering not just with our students, but also with their families. We are committed to the safety, wellbeing and health of the families as well as the students that attend Continuum. Our staff are known for providing feedback to parents and caregivers that is clear, concrete and free of judgment or shame. We value the unique journey our parents are on, and we welcome and respect their input and participation in their child’s education. Continuum is a place where children and their families know they are accepted, valued and loved exactly as they are.
Finally, we are working to make the world a more inclusive and accepting place by partnering with the larger St. Louis community and providing workshops and events designed to equip our neighbors and friends with the resources they need to embrace children with disabilities and their families.
Our Story
Our story begins with a vision from the Executive Director Kim Streff. Kim began working as a speech language pathologist in 1997. Though she worked in a variety of settings, it was in an autism classroom that Kim fell in love with children with complex needs. Kim continued to grow her expertise working in the First Steps Program and School Districts. She created and served in a non-profit serving child of all needs for 9 years. She then transitioned to Mercy Hospital’s Autism Center where she became certified in the Early Start Denver Model. Kim saw how difficult it was for children and families to access quality services. It was here that a vision was born to create a place that could meet needs across the continuum of life. Throughout her career, Kim has worked with children from age 2 all the way to adulthood. Seeing how children change and grow through the life stages, she witnessed how their needs change. Particularly when they transition into adulthood and need skills to join the workforce.
Needs across the lifespan:
Coping with initial diagnosis
Early intervention
School services
Transitional age
Workforce development
At Continuum Education and Therapy, we see the whole child, the whole family and their whole journey. We see the continuum, and have built a school and therapy center around it for the most holistic support.
“We support students to learn skills in order to achieve the most independent and fulfilling life possible” - Kim Streff, Executive Director