Tree House International School gets new wing

The new wing of The Tree House International School for Special Needs was officially opened on October 1. Those who participated in this ceremony from left: Chrystal Honsaker, Assistant Director of The Tree House International; Dr, Anton James, Founder and Director of The Tree House International; Prof. Athula Sumathipala; Maldivian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad; British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick

The Tree House International is said to be Sri Lanka’s only international school dedicated exclusively to children with special needs.

British High Commissioner to Sri LankaAndrew Patrick is seen officially opening the new wing of the school on October 1

• The school academically follows the UK’s Functional Skills curriculum
• Every student follows an individualised educational plan designed with the goal of achieving independence
• In just three years, 82 percent of students have relocated from London, Japan, Australia, and beyond to study in Sri Lanka

The new wing of The Tree House International School for Special Needs was officially opened on October 1 by British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Andrew Patrick, Maldivian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Masood Imad, and Professor Athula Sumathipala. The Tree House International, situated at Captain Sumudu Rajapaksa Mawatha, Dehiwala, is said to be Sri Lanka’s only international school dedicated exclusively to children with special needs.

The Tree House International is for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, Dyslexia, and all other learning disabilities.

The Founder and Director of The Tree House International, Dr. Anton James, spoke to Daily Mirror about the inspiration that led him to introduce a school of this kind to Sri Lanka. “It began as a deeply personal mission. I discontinued school at Grade 9, because I found the environment too loud, overwhelming, and filled with bullying that made it difficult for me to focus. Growing up in Sri Lanka, I was often misunderstood and forced to self-study under a system that could not accommodate my needs. When I left Sri Lanka at the age of 16, I was finally diagnosed as neurodivergent. This revelation shaped my lifelong goal of creating the kind of school I never had,” Dr. James said.

At present, Dr James is a Chartered Behavioural Psychologist, Chartered Educational Assessor, Chartered Scientist, and Certified Behaviour Therapist. During the Aragalaya, when professionals were leaving Sri Lanka, he returned home to build an evidence-based inclusive education system for children with special needs, a school he never had.

According to Dr. James, at The Tree House International, students as young as 2-years-old are accepted, with admission continuing at the discretion of the school based on whether it can meaningfully support each child’s needs. “Every student follows an individualised educational plan designed around holistic development in social, behavioural, sensory, communication, academic, and psychological growth, with the goal of achieving independence,” he said.

 Led by Dr. James and Chrystal Honsaker, an American behaviour analyst specialising in ASD and ADHD, the school academically follows the UK’s Functional Skills curriculum, focusing on real world abilities rather than rote learning.

“In just three years, 82 percent of students have relocated from London, Japan, Australia, and beyond to study in Sri Lanka, reversing the long trend of affluent families leaving the country for special needs education,” Dr. James added.

The name, The Tree House, carries Dr. Anton’s childhood dream. “As a boy, I would climb trees to eat my lunch, imagining a place where I truly belonged. Today, that dream lives on in every child who finds theirs,” he said.

“Hundred percent of our graduates who have completed our programmes have joined mainstream schools or vocational training centres. This is possible due to the dedicated expertise of certified behaviour analysts, psychologists, and chartered scientists. We are proud that every certified and regulated practising behaviour therapist in Sri Lanka is employed at The Tree House International,” a representative of the school said at a presentation organised for the event.

The school aims to position Sri Lanka as a regional hub for inclusive education within the Indian Ocean region. The Tree House International recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the largest educational institute in the Maldives, establishing the first autism research collaboration in the region. “We are conducting ongoing international training programmes for Maldivian officials and professionals in evidence-based practices to ensure that children beyond Sri Lanka also have access to inclusive education,” the school said.

During the event, the guests also formally inaugurated the Behaviour Therapist Registry at the school.