The name Puzzle Box isn’t one you might typically hear ascribed to a school, but this is no ordinary school. Puzzle Box Academy, with locations in Melbourne and Palm Bay, Florida, is a very special school that caters to children of all ages and in a variety of areas across the spectrum, offering support and guidance to their families, as well.
“I trusted the educational system with my own child, and they let me down,” Pamela Furr explained to me via a recent phone interview.
About 15 years ago, when Pam’s son, Loki, was a young child, she went through the painstaking process of getting him diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. It took many years, countless tests, and thousands of dollars to confirm his condition, in an era when in-depth knowledge about the spectrum was still scant, and specialists working in the field were few and far between. When it was time for him to start attending kindergarten, she had a conversation with his teacher. “I told her he was on the spectrum and she said, ‘Oh yeah, several of my students are.’ She instilled faith in me that she knew how to manage his unique condition and his challenges and teach him, but she did not.”
Pam took matters into her own hands and began developing a novel idea — an entire school geared specifically for children on the spectrum.
“So many facilities for these little ones are geared to look like clinics and hospitals where kids are treated for their illnesses first, not places where they can be kids and have a normal school experience with other children like themselves.” The namesake idea came from her son, whom she draws much of her inspiration and direction from.
Puzzle Box Academy is capable of handling the needs of 92 students, grades pre-K to sixth, at its Palm Bay Elementary school. The academy also boasts an early intervention clinic that focuses on up to 30 kids ages pre-K to second grade and a Melbourne location for up to 16 kids in seventh to 12th grade. Pam’s organization is soon to break ground on a new high school boarding school facility.
“When families walk in here, they see bright colors and classrooms and qualified, experienced professionals who care,” said Pam. “They say, ‘This place does not look or feel like so many of the clinical facilities’ where their child has been. It feels like a school. And that’s what we’re going for.”
“As Loki grows, so do we. I want to be able to provide him with one of the best schooling options out there for children on the spectrum, and that’s what we offer.” Additionally, Puzzle Box Academy offers its services affordably and to people of all income levels, due to support available from the state.
In addition, Pam and her team are in the midst of developing a support and education workshop series just for parents who are struggling with the unique situations a family with a child or children on the spectrum find themselves in. The idea came from her attendance at a similar local event.
“The speakers were talking about how the kids were so difficult to be around, and what was wrong with them, and how hard it was for families, and the whole audience was surprised and confused at their approach,” she said. Pam gave a short, impromptu talk to the speakers and the audience during the Q-and-A portion of the event and received a standing ovation.
“I knew I was onto something. My passion is not only helping my son, but providing families in my position with answers and resources,” Pam explained. “When my team and I left the building, the first question was, ‘So when do we start?’”
For more information, visit the Puzzle Box Academy website.
