NLG’s Day School Program provides outstanding, comprehensive, individualized education, training and intervention. Our program is based on the scientifically validated principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, delivered by highly trained and supervised teaching staff, and customized for each student in partnership with the family. Our school program runs year round, 216 days per year and serves students ages 3-22. Progress is measured daily and summarized for monthly clinic meetings with the family. Home consultations offer an additional opportunity to coordinate between home and school and ensure that skills are generalized. Students also spend time in the community as part of our program to work on life skills and skills generalization.
NLG’s program is approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Chapter 766 private special needs day school. We serve currently 93 students sent by their local school districts. We have operated our School program at 10 Oak Park Drive in Bedford, MA since moving there in 2008. We are proud to announce that on July 13, 2015 we opened a second School site at 170 Lexington Road in Billerica, MA! This School site occupies the first floor of the building and our Adult Program occupies the second floor. We have moved 15 of our current students and associated staff to this site and we plan to gradually add a total of 40 new students across both of our school sites over the next few years.
Each student works on individualized goals and objectives established annually through the Individual Education Planning (IEP) process by NLG, the family, and the sending school district. Goals encompass appropriate behavior, communication, speech and language, social skills, academics, daily living skills, motor skills. In addition, students 14 and over are served by our Vocational Program.
Students are sent to NLG because they are not making appropriate progress in their prior placement and/or they exhibit inappropriate behavior which requires expert intervention. At NLG, our students become successful, motivated learners. On average, students master 34 learning objectives per year, or 66% of objectives introduced. Students make significant progress on 96% of objectives per year.
NLG students are served by individualized comprehensive behavior management plans, based on functional assessment and developed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Plans focus on addressing the causes of inappropriate behavior through prevention activities and environmental modifications, teaching replacement behaviors such as communication and appropriate alternatives, and providing reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Plans also specify how inappropriate behavior that does occur will be managed safely and effectively. Students at NLG achieve rates of reduction in targeted inappropriate behaviors of 66- 100% while adding a variety of functional skills.
Students have achieved these results at NLG because of highly-skilled, dedicated teachers and clinicians using research validated Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) teaching that is customized to each student as well as an individually tailored comprehensive, functional curriculum. ABA is most effective when delivered by highly trained, experienced therapists and clinicians who customize the approach to the needs of the student. NLG has 12 clinical directors and 136 staff members, a retention rate of 85% and a required 120 hours of professional development and mentoring annually. The leadership of NLG knows that the recruitment, training and retention of high-performing staff provide the foundation of the school’s success.