St. Michaels Association for Special Education - (928) 871-2801

Here in the middle of the vast Navajo Reservation come to us, most severely disabled of the Navajo youth. "Special people" come to us seeking love.

SMASE was established in 1968 by a Catholic nun named Marijane Ryan from Boston, known for the brown cowboy boots protruding under her white habit and with a single student began SMASE's legacy. A Navajo medicine man noticed her wheeling a six year old crippled Navajo boy outside the Franciscan clinic, parked his horse-drawn wagon behind the clinic and watched.

As a Registered Nurse, Sister Marijane Ryan came from Boston to care for another nun who was dying of cancer, but was taken by the boy and his plight, polio. She thought she could use her training in rehabilitation to help him walk. Each day the pair would wander outside for their training. And everyday the Navajo medicine man would arrive and watch them in silence - even if they change the time of their sessions.

The boy tried to teach her Navajo and she tried speaking to the medicine man, but she could never get any reaction from him. Then, one morning, after four months of therapy, the boy stood between two chairs.

The medicine man got really excited and he took off in his horse and wagon. That afternoon, he came back with his grandson, who was three years old and had cerebral palsy. Three weeks later, she had about fifteen children. Such was the start of Saint Michaels Association for Special Education.

We believe that a child with disabilities is foremost an individual in his/her own right and that he/she can grow and develop throughout his/her life regardless of his/her disability. Each child is assisted to the fullness of this potential so that he/she can live a richer life and participate as completely as possible in his/her family and community. It s also the philosphy of the school to work with a family and not just the child.

Our staff is very qualified to work with these special people. Every staff member must complete six different intense training courses in order to be qualified to interact with each individual. We have a full time nursing staff as well as volunteer nurses to see to our client's health and safety. We also assist with any emergencies. Our education curriculum is very important and always up to standards.

Our education program needs continued excellent staffing and facilities. We are contracted with several educational institutions for internships in nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy and nursing.

SMASE is located on a twenty-acre campus in St. Michaels, Arizona and is a not-for-profit entity in operation since 1970. Our school and residential home serves moderate to severely disabled children and adults from throughout the Navajo Nation. For more than forty years now, SMASE has provided educational services for as many as sixty school aged individuals and day program services for adults. These students and clients are often from outside local commuting distance and are provided transportation needs from as far away as 200 miles. Therapy, life skills, daily living skills, nursing, and infant services are provided in a home setting.

Clients are also provided the opportunity to participate and compete in Special Olympics, Skiing, Golfing, Swimming, Flying Color Art, and 4-H Programs. SMASE is a not-for-profit school as well as a State Certified Private School and greatly rely on the generous monetary or in-kind donations.

Student population for School Years vary, year to year and those that participate are as follows:
State of New Mexico
State of Arizona

State of Arizona School Districts located on the Navajo Reservation that participate are:
Window Rock
Sanders
Ganado
Chinle
White River (Apache Reservation)

Tags: School,Disabled Persons Services