History
The Joseph Sams School, Inc.
The Joseph Sams School, Inc., previously known as The Early Years, Georgia remains a one-of-a-kind educational facility. Founded in l984 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Joseph Sams School is dedicated to the education and life skills development of children and young adults who are intellectually, physically, or developmentally challenged. Founded by a small group of parents seeking preschool early intervention services for their children with disabilities, the school began with one preschool class of six students with Down syndrome. Throughout is 36 year history, the organization has expanded not only in the programs and services it offers, but also in the numbers, ages, and diagnoses of the children it serves. While many schools serve students with a particular disability or level of functioning, JSS is broader in scope and holds the distinction of being the only fully-accredited school in the state of Georgia that provides educational and therapeutic services for individuals from birth through 22 years of age who have mild to severe disabilities.
JSS continues to “fill a gap” in quality educational services, typically serving those students with developmental challenges whose educational and therapeutic needs are not being adequately addressed through the public school system. The ultimate goal for our students is to have each child emerge as an active and contributing member of his or her family, community, and society. To achieve this, JSS strives to provide the best possible educational and therapeutic interventions available — allowing each child the opportunity to reach his or her academic and developmental potential.
