Two decades after The Darnell School opened, we spoke with longtime faculty members to learn what makes this school community so very special.
When Stefanie Apostolos walked through the doors of The Darnell School in 2006, the school was just beginning its journey. Twenty years later, as program director, she has helped shape a community where students with autism and developmental disabilities can learn, grow, and build greater independence.
Founded in 2006, The Darnell School serves students ages nine to twenty-two with autism and other developmental disabilities. Through highly individualized instruction and close collaboration between families and educators, the school helps each student develop the skills and confidence needed to reach their fullest potential.
Teachers can teach the way each student learns best.
— Stefanie Apostolos, Program Director
What began with just two students has grown into a thriving school community. Even as enrollment has grown, one thing hasn't changed: the school's commitment to individualized attention. That flexibility allows educators to meet students where they are, adapting lessons, schedules, and supports to help them succeed. Stefanie shares, “Teachers can teach the way each student learns best. Working one-on-one with students lets teachers personalize instruction. If a student needs to take an hourly walk to maintain focus, we can do that. You can’t find that level of individualized instruction everywhere.”
Our location in downtown Hudson allows us to be an integrated part of the local community.
— Kari Dunlop, Clinical Director
The school's downtown Hudson location also gives students something many classrooms cannot: daily opportunities to practice skills in the community. Trips to local restaurants, the library, the post office, and area businesses become lessons in communication, independence, and confidence. Students learn how to navigate their surroundings, interact with neighbors, and prepare for future employment, all while building real-world experience. “Our location in downtown Hudson allows us to be an integrated part of the local community. Our staff and students are known by many local business owners, and students can learn and practice skills right in the setting where they’ll be using them,” shares clinical director Kari Dunlop, who has worked at Darnell since 2009.
I've worked with The Darnell School for so long because we teach valuable life skills that are individualized and meaningful.
— Nicole Heidenheim, Educational Administrator
Over the past twenty years, nearly 100 students have attended The Darnell School. Long-time employees have had the privilege of celebrating milestones both big and small, inside the classroom and beyond it. Educational administrator Nicole Heidenheim started at Darnell in 2011 as a lead classroom assistant and has watched students grow and thrive during her time at the school: “I love working with the students and families, and I’ve learned a lot from the students. I’ve worked with The Darnell School for so long because we teach valuable life skills that are individualized and meaningful.”
Looking back on her time at Darnell, program director Stefanie sees both how far the school has come and how faithfully it has remained grounded in its founding values. “In 2026, two decades after we first opened our doors, we’re still committed to the very same idea: compassionate, responsive instruction opens doors for learners. I’m both proud to celebrate our twentieth anniversary and so excited for all that we’ll do in the years ahead.”
