New Autism School, The Aspen Academy, Opens In Eatontown, NJ

New Autism School Opens In Eatontown - Long Branch-Eatontown Patch, NJ Patch

The Center for Vocational Rehabilitation has opened a new facility for their autism school in Eatontown. 

A ribbon cutting for the Aspen Academy, located at 15 Meridan Way, was held on Monday March 4, and was attended by Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo. 

The Aspen Academy is a day program structured to provide every individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmentally disabled individuals with cognitive impairments, an appropriate foundation to learn in the areas of vocational skills, daily living skills, work skills, pre-employment development, supported employment and social independence, according to the school's web site.

Princeton Family Affected by Autism Thrives at Eden Institute, Special Olympics - Princeton, NJ Patch

Princeton Family Affected by Autism Thrives at Eden Institute, Special Olympics - Princeton, NJ Patch

Eden Institute, located in Plainsboro, provides year round educational services for people with autism between the ages of 3-21.

Eden Institute for Autism

About Eden : Eden Autism Services

Eden's philosophy of lifespan services is based upon the premise that the majority of individuals with autism require services throughout their lifetime. While the extent to which these services are needed will differ from person to person, their specialized nature will not.

Lifespan services are at the core of Eden's service continuum that ranges from early intervention programming to services for older adults with autism. Lifespan services are the vehicle by which individuals who have autism continue to learn and to grow - and to become active, contributing members of their communities.

More Autism Schools Proposed in New Jersey - Good or bad thing?

More Autism Schools Proposed in New Jersey

Gov. Chris Christie has proposed creating additional specialized public schools for educating children with autism in New Jersey, a departure from the current practice in many communities of integrating those children into neighborhood schools.

The governor proposed creating “centers for excellence” in every county, suggesting that such schools could save money for districts and ensure a higher quality of instruction. He told the audience at a town-hall-style meeting in Paramus on Thursday night that “the start-up costs of these programs, if you do it district-by-district, are mind-blowing and the quality is variable.”

Parents and advocates are split over the idea of creating specialized schools for children with autism, reflecting a larger debate nationally over whether those children are best served in separate programs or in general-education classes.

Critics of the idea say that children with disabilities gain valuable academic and social skills from interacting with their peers without disabilities, and also develop closer ties to their communities.

“We’re horrified at this suggestion to have another segregated setting for children with autism in every county in New Jersey,” said Diana Autin, executive co-director of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, a nonprofit group that assists families. “It would also send a message to parents that children with autism can’t be included.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES HERE

The Eden Institute

The Eden Institute

• 13631 Learning Court South
  
• Fort Myers, FL 33919
  
• (941) 437-5335 or 5336
  
• (941) 437-5337 (Fax)
• Send email

The Eden Family of Services

• One Eden Way
• Princeton, NJ 08540
• Telephone: (609) 987-0099
• Fax: (609) 987-0243
• Foundation fax: (609) 987-1346

Eden, a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization, was founded in 1975 with a mission to improve the lives of children and adults with autism and their families. Parents and professionals alike joined together to develop a family oriented, multifaceted program with a well-trained and dedicated faculty. Inherent in Eden's founding was the commitment to provide a cost-effective, community-based alternative to institutionalization and to offer programming that would meet the changing needs of children and adults with autism.

The May Institute

The May Institute (800) 778-7601 Send email


May Institute Corporate Headquarters
41 Pacella Park Drive
Randolph, MA 02368
781-440-0400
Toll free: 800-778-7601
TTY: 781-440-0461
Email: info@mayinstitute.org

May Institute, Northeast Region

Cape Cod
722A Main Street
Yarmouthport, MA 02675
508-362-5647

Southeastern Massachusetts
37 Purchase Street
Fall River, MA 02720
508-675-5888

Western Massachusetts
1111 Elm Street, Suite 7
West Springfield, MA 01089
413-734-0300

Connecticut
360 Tolland Turnpike, Suite 2D
Manchester, CT 06042
860-643-9844

May Institute, Mid-Atlantic Region

1900 Mount Holly Road
Building 1, Suite A
Burlington, NJ 08016
800-778-7601

May Institute, Southeast Region

Georgia
280 Interstate North Circle, Suite 430
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-956-8511

Southeast Regional Autism Center
705 17th Street, Suite 401
Columbus, GA 31901
706-571-7771

Florida
1409 Kingsley Avenue, Suite 1A
Orange Park, FL 32073
904-269-0773

May Institute, Midwest Region
900 West Heading Avenue, Building A
West Peoria, IL 61604
866-219-6935

May Institute, West Coast Region
5400 Soquel Avenue, Suite F
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
831-462-9620
www.thebayschool.org

For more than 50 years, the caring professionals of the May Institute have set a national standard for providing comprehensive, research-validated services to children and adults with autism, brain injury, mental retardation, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and behavioral healthcare needs. May's award-winning network of educational, behavioral, and rehabilitative programs blends science with service to help make progress possible for thousands of individuals every year.

With corporate headquarters in Randolph, Massachusetts, and regional offices in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and on the West Coast, the Institute offers a broad range of services in more than 200 sites throughout the country:

• Home-based early intervention for infants and toddlers
• Schools for individuals with autism and brain injury
• Counseling for adolescents and young adults
• Consultation in home and school settings
• Positive Schools program and Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Services
• Geriatric day health services for senior adults with mental illness

May Institute is an active center of research and training, maintaining affiliations with more than 40 universities, hospitals, and human service agencies worldwide. Our state-of-the-art services reflect the talent and expertise of our doctoral-level clinical leadership and hundreds of highly trained teachers, therapists, and other specialists. We also benefit from the expertise of a Professional Advisory Board whose members include leading authorities in the field.

Click here to download a May Institute overview brochure.

History of the May Institute
May Institute was founded in the seaside village of Chatham, Massachusetts, by Dr. Jacques M. May and his wife, Marie-Anne, in 1955. Their vision was to help children with disabilities lead the fullest lives possible. The Institute's first school developed as a result of Dr. and Mrs. May's determination to provide a supportive environment and progressive treatment for their twin boys with autism. Today, May Institute is among the largest, most respected, and innovative behavioral healthcare organizations in the country. May was featured in the book, In Search of America's Best Nonprofits (Jossey-Bass, 1997), and the Chatham school has been honored as one of the nation's "Schools of Excellence" by the U.S. Department of Education.

May Institute Philosophy
Our values and vision drive us to understand each person's unique needs and find effective means to help each individual reach his or her potential and live independently.

AL
Auburn (In-home/Autism,DD)

CA
San Francisco (Positive SchoolsSM)
San Jose (Pediatric Specialty Services)
Santa Cruz (Sp. Ed. School/Autism, PDD, DD)

FL
Jacksonville (Children's Services/Autism)
Jacksonville (In-home/Autism, DD)
GA
Atlanta (Pediatric Services)
Atlanta (Positive SchoolsSM)
Columbus (Southeast Regional Autism Center)
Georgia (In-home/Autism, DD)
Georgia (School Consultation)
Georgia (TAPP Program)

CT
Manchester (Adult Services/Developmental Disabilities)
KS Wichita (Positive SchoolsSM) MA
Attleboro (Clubhouse/Mental Health)
Attleboro (Vocation & Education/Mental Health)
Barnstable (Positive SchoolsSM)
Brockton (Positive SchoolsSM)
Brockton (Sp. Ed. School/Brain Injury)
Central and Eastern Mass. (Home and School Consultation Services)
Chatham (Autism, PDD, DD)
Fall River (Pediatric Specialty Services)
Fall River (Children's Services)
Fall River (Clubhouse/Mental Health)
Fall River (May Counseling @ Hyland Clinic)
Harwichport (Clubhouse/Mental Health)
Hyannis (Clubhouse/Mental Health)
Leominster (Positive SchoolsSM)
Lowell (Positive SchoolsSM)
Marlborough (Positive SchoolsSM)
Mashpee (Adult Services/MR, PDD, DD)
New Bedford (Adult Services/Mental Health)
New Bedford (Child & Teen/Mental Health)
New Bedford (Clubhouse/Mental Health)
Northeast Region (Home and School Consultation)
Randolph (Corporate Office)
Randolph (Home and School Consultation)
Randolph (Positive SchoolsSM)
Randolph (Sp. Ed. School/Autism, PDD, DD)
Raynham (Adult Services/MR, PDD, DD)
Revere(Adult Services/MR, PDD, DD)
W. Roxbury (Eval. & Therapy/ Mental Health)
W. Springfield (Adult Services/ MR, DD)
W. Springfield (Home & School Consultation)
W. Springfield (Sp. Ed. School/Autism, DD)
Walpole (Eval. & Therapy/Mental Health)
Walpole (Vocational Services/Mental Health)
Woburn (Sp. Ed. School/Autism, PDD, DD)
MD
Baltimore (Positive SchoolsSM)
ME
Southern Maine (Home and School Consultation)
NH
Southern New Hampshire (Home and School Consultation)
NJ
Mid-Atlantic Region (Home and School Consultation)
Trenton (Positive SchoolsSM)
NY
Albany (Positive SchoolsSM)
PA
Philadelphia (Home and School Consultation)
RI
Northeast Region (Home and School Consultation)
Providence (Positive SchoolsSM)
SC South Carolina (In-home/Autism, DD) TN Chattanooga (In-home/Autism, DD) Knoxville (In-home/Autism, DD) Knoxville (School Consultation) VT
Southern Vermont (Home and School Consultation)

CTC School

• 345 South Main St
• Wharton , NJ 07885
• (973) 989-4033
• (973) 347-0686 (FAX)
• Celebratethechildren.org

Celebrate the Children's founder and director, Monica G. Osgood, is an experienced behavioral consultant and therapist who specializes in teaching social skills to children with autism and other disorders in relating and communicating. Monica has been working with this population for eleven years. Her experience includes four years at a school for autism in North New Jersey. She began as a classroom behavioral assistant and was promoted to Home Program Coordinator and eventually Social Skills Coordinator.

The responsibilities with this position included the development and implementation, with very encouraging results, of the social skills program for the entire school. She conducted social skills groups at the school on a daily basis for children of all ages and various developmental levels. In addition to running social skills groups, extensive work was also done transitioning special needs children into regular education settings. As a result of this work she has acquired an extensive range of materials and information on how to teach social skills to children with special educational needs. Currently, as a consultant to numerous school districts in New Jersey Monica's responsibilities involve curriculum and IEP development, teacher trainings, trouble shooting and the implementation of behavioral and social skills strategies for self-contained and mainstreamed students. In September of 1998 she started a public school program in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey for pre-schoolers and elementary age children with autism. The program is based on her own philosophies in combination with DIR (Greenspan). The program consists of a pre-school classroom and partial and full inclusion for older children. The program has been very successful and currently there is a waiting list. In conjunction with her work in the school systems, Monica also provides home programs and consultation for children with relating and communicating difficulties. This intervention includes social-emotional development, parent/sibling-child relationship support, self help skills, and academic support. In addition to therapy these positions include hiring and training staff and family members to work with the children; the implementation and monitoring of programs to be run with the children; staff management; and placement and support of the children into regular education settings. Monica is a faculty member of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders(ICDL) and has had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Serena Wieder who have been very supportive of the Mt. Arlington program and other projects Monica has created. Monica has completed a DIR certification program as one of the first professionals ever to receive this formal certificate. In July 2001 Monica worked as one of twelve faculty members (including Drs. Greenspan and Wieder) providing a DIR certification workshop to professionals. In November of 2001 she presented at the annual ICDL conference as a faculty member with Dr. Brazelton, and Dr. Greenspan, et.al. Additional accomplishments include many speaking engagements at conferences, regular consultations to school districts and conferences in Wales, and the supervision of annual DIR summer camps both in the USA and Wales. Most recently, Monica has appeared on Welsh Channel 4 and BBC1 sharing the DIR approach with British parents and professionals documentary style.