Angela Nelson was an undergraduate psychology major at UCLA when she began working with children with autism. In 1993, autism was a newly recognized diagnosis and there were no tools or materials created specifically to meet the educational needs of children on the spectrum. Angela spent hours creating her own materials by cutting pictures out of magazines, catalogs, and advertisements (ads still came in the mail back then) and gluing them to cards.
Soon other therapists and families were asking Angela to make a set of “flashcards” for them. As the requests grew, Angela started photocopying the cards. After creating hundreds of sets she overheard someone talking about “offset press printing,” where thousands of pieces can be printed with higher quality and less cost. The next day, armed with a phone book, Angela started calling printers.
A few months later, Angela started teaching a four-year-old named David. David’s mother, Karen French, is an amazing wedding photographer in Southern California. Within minutes, Angela began to tell Karen about her flashcard project.
Karen and Angela immediately started planning their new business venture. Stages was officially born in Karen’s photography office, and the two launched into months of taking pictures.
Stages’ first product was the Language Builder Picture Cards, released in 1997. Angela became sole owner shortly thereafter.
Since then, millions of children with autism have benefited from Language Builder products. Over the years, we have updated the images, making the switch from film to digital, and ensuring that kids are learning from the most recognizable, attractive, and updated pictures we can find.
Stages now offers hundreds of photo-based teaching tools, manipulatives, games, books, puzzles, and posters; a selection of apps and software; and a line of sensory seating and toys.
Stages also hosts a rich online resource with hundreds of articles, tools, lesson plans, research, and reference materials. The original content is created in partnership with students from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and features guest posts from the industry’s most respected professionals and influencers.
Perhaps the most exciting phase for Stages is the development of the Language Builder Academic Readiness Intervention System (ARIS). ARIS pairs the full line of photo cards and manipulatives with 202 comprehensive and easy-to-follow lesson plans, a behavior management system, assessment and placement tools, and an extensive implementation process with professional development opportunities. ARIS is the most complete curriculum for students with autism and other language delays available today, transforming the special needs/autism education classroom. Stages’ online learning platform, releasing in time for fall 2022, will provide a digital option to ensure educators can support learners with autism and language delays in even more ways.
We look forward to many more decades of innovation to support the learning needs of children on the autism spectrum. We believe information and tools empower teachers to support student learning at the highest level. We are committed to ensuring equitable access to the best possible education for learners of all abilities because we believe every child can learn and thrive.