Episode Details

At first look, the playground at the Children's Guild-Transformation Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, looks like any other. It has swings, slides, and places for children to climb and crawl. 

乍一看，马里兰州巴尔的摩儿童协会转型学院的游乐场与其他游乐场没什么两样。里面有秋千、滑梯，还有供孩子们攀爬和爬行的地方。

But the playground is not just a place for fun. It is also a place where students can learn, grow and gain independence. Everything — from the kind of surface it sits on, to the color of its sitting areas, to the placement of the surrounding fence — is specifically designed for kids with autism. 

但游乐场不仅仅是一个玩耍的地方。它也是学生学习、成长和获得独立的地方。从它所处的表面类型，到休息区的颜色，再到周围围栏的位置，一切都是专门为自闭症儿童设计的。 

Mark Rapaport is the managing director of autism services at the Transformation Academy. He told VOA Learning English the school accepts students aged 5 to 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are lower-functioning. 

马克·拉帕波特 (Mark Rapaport) 是转型学院自闭症服务部的总经理。他告诉美国之音学习英语，学校招收 5 至 21 岁患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 且功能较低的学生。 

“None of our kids will ever drive,” Rapaport said. “None of our kids will ever live fully independently ... None of our kids graduate high school.” 

“我们的孩子都不会开车，”拉帕波特说。“我们的孩子都不会完全独立生活......我们的孩子都没有高中毕业。”

Rapaport said the goal of Transformation Academy is to make the students as independent as possible in an effort to help them prepare for adult life. The school aims to provide help with developing communication and social skills, as well as practical abilities like cleaning or cooking. 

拉帕波特说，转型学院的目标是让学生尽可能独立，帮助他们为成年生活做好准备。学校旨在帮助培养沟通和社交技能，以及清洁或烹饪等实践能力。 

“And learning through play is a big deal,” Rapaport said. “The classroom is great. But it's [things like play] that’s at the heart of the mission, which is building independence and getting them to be able to go into the adult world.” 

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