Why Stepping Stone?

young boy pokes his head out of the hole in a wooden fence

Look into the eyes of a child. What do you see? Hope, love, purpose? The children of Stepping Stone School are nurtured, taught, and loved by caring therapists and competent teachers. This environment helps compensate for a variety of developmental disabilities as they learn their school subjects, social skills, and build determination.

Every child can and does learn. Parents and teachers work together to teach and develop these little ones to face their unimaginable challenges with courage and determination.

Many we serve also face the challenge of coming from financially disadvantaged homes. While this may limit their access to some bigger-pay institutions, nothing limits their access to Stepping Stone, which has the most effective program in Arkansas.

There is simply no other organization as caring, nurturing, and competent. Stepping Stone School has proven results that increase year by year. Stepping Stone does not refuse service due to an inability to pay. We do not turn anyone away.

Today, Stepping Stone provides services to 275 children on our campus. These are children who deserve the same opportunities offered to all children. Opportunities to dream, learn, laugh, and play. At Stepping Stone, children receive the chance to be the very best they can be. Stepping Stone leads in success results across Arkansas. Research shows an average of 8% of children transitioning from similar programs in Arkansas require full-day special education classes. Last year, less than 1% of children transitioning from Stepping Stone required full-day special education classes in their public schools. This low percentage indicates our high performance and places us in the top percentile of effectiveness in the entire nation!

History of Stepping Stone

Three children sitting close to each other on the step of a sidewalk - middle child has his arms around the shoulders of the two children beside him

Stepping Stone was organized in 1972 and began with two staff members providing services to six individuals. Today, Stepping Stone is no longer just a school; it has become a comprehensive service provider to people with developmental disabilities and their families. Our program provides a model for other organizations in the state on how to reach and serve people. Stepping Stone is the parent organization for four programs: Therapeutic Preschool, Adult Development Center/Jobs Plus, Cedar Ridge, and a Medicaid Waiver program. The therapeutic preschool is the only full-time non-profit of its kind in Crawford County. We offer educational training, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and behavior management, as well as family case management and training.

What makes us special?

  • Stepping Stone serves as a model to other organizations in the region for best practices on how to reach people with developmental disabilities.

  • Stepping Stone provides services to people who desperately need our help but have not yet received funding from state or federal sources.

  • Stepping Stone provides services to children who have been turned away from other institutions.

  • Stepping Stone receives referrals from physicians all around our region.

  • Stepping Stone is succeeding in raising awareness in our region for people with developmental disabilities.

  • In 50 years of operation, Stepping Stone has always operated with a balanced budget.

  • Stepping Stone successfully transitions many children to traditional public school classrooms, a milestone they might not reach if their needs were not met.

  • Stepping Stone has a commitment to careful planning for how to continue to meet the fast-growing needs of our region.