Empowering Special Education Classrooms Through Community-Based Instruction
CBI helps neurodivergent students build confidence and independence through real-world experiences.
Nurtures confidence, fosters joy, and celebrates each studentʼs unique way of engaging with the world.
Allows communities the chance to learn inclusion through connection and exposure.
Students gain the skills and confidence to thrive beyond school walls.
Community-Based Instruction (CBI) connects Special Education classrooms to the world around them.
CBI helps neurodivergent students build confidence and independence through real-world experiences — while giving communities the opportunity to practice inclusion through genuine connection and exposure.
At its heart, CBI turns learning into living. Students practice skills where they’ll actually use them — in grocery stores, libraries, parks, restaurants, and workplaces — supported by educators and volunteers who understand their unique needs.
1. It Bridges the "Generalization Gap"
For many neurodivergent learners, transferring a skill learned at a classroom desk to a real-world setting is a significant challenge. CBI removes this hurdle by teaching the skill in the environment where it will actually be used.
The Result: Instead of learning the idea of money, students learn the utility of money.
This direct application builds strong connections in the brain, making independence a reachable goal rather than an abstract concept.
2. It Strengthens Executive Function
The real world is the ultimate classroom for executive function. Navigating a grocery store or ordering at a restaurant requires a complex symphony of mental processes:
• Planning & Organization: Following a list and navigating a layout.
• Working Memory: Holding information in mind while completing a task.
• Inhibitory Control: Managing impulses and staying on task amidst sensory distractions.
3. It Fosters True Community Inclusion
Inclusion isn’t just a seat at the table; it’s being an active participant in the community.
• Visible Learning: When students learn in public spaces, they become visible, valued members of their neighborhood.
• Community Growth: Local businesses and patrons gain exposure-based empathy, learning how to better support and communicate with neurodivergent individuals. This reduces stigma and builds a more accessible world for everyone.
4. It Increases Quality of Life and Autonomy
The ultimate goal of CBI is to provide students with the keys to the city. By mastering public transit, library systems, and retail interactions, students gain the agency to make choices about their own lives.
CBI turns 'I can't' into 'I DID' through supported, repeatable success.
Covers the cost of one student’s participation in a CBI outing, including admission, lunch, sensory regulation tools, and practical purchasing funds.
Covers transportation (bus/van rental) and admission fees for an entire special education classroom to visit a local community site.
Help us expand our reach, develop teacher resources, and ensure that no classroom is turned away due to lack of funding.
We are working toward a future where neurodivergent individuals are present in our communities, and are active, confident participants. We envision a world where a student ordering a meal, riding a bus, or visiting a library isn’t an exception—it’s the norm.
P.O. Box 150902
Austin, Texas 78745
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