Vincent Mallon’s patience, kindness and compassion have touched the lives of thousands of students with disabilities. Mallon came to The Y.A.L.E School in 1980 when the school had only two campus locations. He joined the staff as the school’s first wood shop teacher. As the expectations for positive outcomes for students with disabilities grew, Mallon kept pace by expanding services and programs to help them get ready for life after graduation.
Mallon is credited with building Y.A.L.E.’s comprehensive vocational and school-to-work program from the ground up. Working along with The Y.A.L.E. School’s founders, Mallon established the school’s Industrial Arts programs, the School-to-Work program, the Transition Curriculum and Mobility programs. He worked with Fred Gruber and Margaret Chapman in the development of the post secondary transition curriculum, which eventually developed into the current Standard Nine Transition Concentration. Now, part of his work includes supporting students at job sites and internship settings in the community. Mallon’s program helps students gain real world job experiences, and build the skills needed for employment. Read more »
Prom. It is a rite of passage for many teens. This spring, the students at The Y.A.L.E. School’s Voorhees campus along with students from the Y.A.L.E. Audubon HS campus will enjoy dinner, dancing and dressing up as they arrive for the campus’s first prom. The theme, “When You Wish Upon a Star, Your Dreams Really Do Come True,’ was inspired by teacher Joy Blatherwick.
“We really want our students and their families to experience the things other students do,” said Ann Davidson, principal at the Voorhees campus. “In planning the prom, we worked to create an event that would be memorable and enjoyable.” Read more »
More than a dozen staff and students from three Y.A.L.E. School campus locations — Audubon, Mullica Township, and Voorhees — joined forces with tens of thousands of other autism advocates on May 18 for the ‘Walk Now for Autism Speaks.’ The nation’s largest grassroots autism walk raises millions for research.
Team Y.A.L.E., this year donning neon tee shirts, has been part of the event for more than a decade. Read more »
The Y.A.L.E. School Northfield campus recently marked “Children’s Mental Health Day” with a creative program that drew over one hundred students and guests. The event was covered by local TV station NBC40.
Working in close cooperation with the Atlantic Cape Family Support Organization, students participated in confidence-building activities, lectures on mental health and a drum circle led by Mike Veny, a nationally recognized professional drummer and inspirational speaker. Other speakers included Andrea Burleigh, FSO Director; Dr. Inua Momodu, Psychiatrist; Elizabeth Manley, Executive Director from the New Jersey Children’s System of Care; Dr. Buzz Mingin, Y.A.L.E. School therapist and martial arts expert. Read more »
Earlier this spring, nationally-recognized autism and transition expert Dr. Peter Gerhardt visited The Y.A.L.E. School Audubon and Mullica Township campuses, and met with teachers and parents. Here is what he had to say about the program:
I have been consistently impressed with the adolescent and transition programs at Y.A.L.E. While maintaining a solid commitment to evidence-based intervention, they regularly ‘push the envelope’ to apply best practices in the community, the typical school environment and the work place. This broader definition of ‘educational context’ allows them to develop and implement quality services to adolescents with autism, their families and the communities in which they live.
More testimonials about the Y.A.L.E. School from experts in the field of autism and special education are available on our Testimonials From Experts page. Read more »
