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Aurora School provides quality, individualized education for individuals aged 5 to 22 with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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Aurora School is a caring, educational community that offers quality education for individuals with disabilities.

Established in 2003 through collaboration between parents and The Arc of Loudoun, Aurora School is a private day school employing applied behavior analysis principles. We offer individualized education for students aged 5 to 22 with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with a focus on autism. Our school encourages personal excellence and independence in each student.

At Aurora, we believe that education is most effective when its application is based on valid research findings from the fields of education and behavior analysis. With this guiding us, our school provides a collaborative, progressive, and innovative learning environment for children of all ages and developmental disabilities.

The cornerstones of our school are positive reinforcement, continuous measurement of learning, and graphic-displayed data analysis. 

Verbal behavior, social skills, self-management, problem-solving skills, math, and reading are all systematically taught via evidence-based curricula, as well as curricula developed in-house by our teachers and behavior analysts. 

Teaching practices at Aurora School are derived primarily from the principles and concepts of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Services like SLP, OT, PT, and music therapy are delivered inside the classroom.

Aurora is a stimulating learning environment for both its students and staff.

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Why People Choose Us

Aurora School offers a 1:1+ staff-to-student ratio for early, intermediate, and advanced learners on an academic or an independent living curriculum. Each student has an individualized academic plan that is designed to best meet his or her needs. 

Aurora utilizes the Applied Behavior Analysis methodology with an emphasis in Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior to enhance the communication skills of our students.

All of our students are supported by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a licensed teacher throughout the school day. Aurora accepts student applications submitted from local education agencies and parents/guardians.

Accreditations/Licensure

Aurora School is accredited by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Aurora’s student programs are licensed and rendered with academic and vocational needs in mind. 

With VDOE licensure, Aurora is able to operate and provide students with exceptional educational services. 

We have a License to operate from the Virginia Board of Education. We also provide resources to support our parents.

Suhad Abdallah Principal
Aurora School

Suhad Abdallah is the principal of the Aurora School, having risen to the position through every level of the school’s instruction. Her first work at The Arc of Loudoun was as an intern at Open Door Learning Center in 2013. She joined the Aurora School in 2014 as an instructional assistant, earning her special education licensure in 2016 and her Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst in 2018. She is a Professional Crisis Management practitioner and earned a Master’s Degree in special education from George Mason University in 2018.
 
Suhad was part of the team that ensured the Aurora School’s services were delivered during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was named principal of the school in 2023.  Under her leadership the school added Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities (VAISEF) accreditation to its existing Virginia Department of Education accreditation. She is a two-time winner of The Arc of Loudoun’s Rick Berry Professional of the Year Award.
 
Suhad was born and raised in Jordan, earning her bachelor’s degree at the University of Jordan. Her passion for the work began at home—her younger brother has autism. Outside of work, she loves travel and baking for others.