Watson Institute Social Center for Academic Achievement (WISCA)

The Watson Institute Social Center for Academic Achievement (WISCA) at the W. Bruce Thomas Education Center in Sharpsburg is designed to meet the individual needs of children and adolescents with Asperger’s Syndrome and high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder who require therapeutic intervention and supports that cannot be delivered in a traditional setting. We are committed to providing a safe, comfortable, flexible and supportive environment so that each student can experience success in learning. The WISCA curriculum is supported for each student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Students enroll in classes according to their grade level, cognitive level and graduation requirements. Electives can be chosen based on individual interests. Therapeutic training that provides instruction and practice in pragmatic language, social, organizational and life skills are integrated into the daily schedule. Community based instruction and service projects are scheduled to program for the generalization of skills taught in the therapy and social groups and to prepare students for transition to post-secondary opportunities.

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The Watson Institute helps children with special needs achieve their fullest potential in all aspects of their lives.

We envision The Watson Institute as:

The region’s premier provider of special education services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, brain injuries, behavior disorder and emotional disturbance and nationally recognized for its expertise;
A provider of a comprehensive array of cost-effective, accessible services and programs that serves children with special needs from their birth through age twenty-one;
The place that parents of children with special needs turn to for information and help;
The first choice of school districts and professionals who need professional development services so that they can better serve children with special needs.
An organization that is noted for its expert, professional and compassionate staff, who do whatever needs to be done to help children with disabilities achieve their fullest potential in all aspects of their lives.
Recognized world-wide for providing services to professionals working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and behavior disorders.

The Watson Institute is the legacy of Mr. and Mrs. David Thompson Watson. A Pittsburgh business leader and well-known international attorney representing such notables as A.M. Byers, Andrew Carnegie, W.H. Vanderbilt, Henry Phipps and Henry Clay Frick, David Watson and his wife, Margaret, dedicated considerable time and resources for the care, education and treatment of children with disabilities. After David’s death in 1916 and Margaret’s death shortly thereafter, the Watson’s “Sunny Hill” summer estate in Sewickley, PA became the D.T. Watson Home for Crippled Children. Their legacy continues today.