Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School

About Us

Founded in 1915, the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School (O-School) serves students with significant social-emotional needs, including students with autism disorders. The O-School’s Therapeutic Day School seamlessly melds therapeutic care with rich educational experiences, placing relationships and community at the heart of its therapeutic model to build a school culture that facilitates trust. Because of this, the O-School is a safe haven, offering a path to hope for its students. A highly collaborative treatment team works closely with families, school districts, and other stakeholders to ensure a successful treatment plan for each student.

In 2020, the O-School expanded and restructured its programs to address the education and mental health care disparities and needs of Chicago's South Side. These changes included tripling the size of its Therapeutic Day School while launching a new Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, a summer program for youth with significant social-emotional needs, and a new post-secondary transition program for super seniors who need additional time and support to successfully transition to college and/or a career.