Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic: Hamilton Township
Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic, located in Hamilton Township, provides year-round, full-day educational programming to children with autism or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). The program provides educational services to students ages 3 to 7 within a public elementary school located in Hamilton Township, NJ. The class consists of up to 7 students with a 1:1, student-to-staff ratio. The Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic program offers a 10-month program plus an extended school year program during the summer.
The Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic Autism Program is one of two satellite campuses operating under the umbrella of the Y.A.L.E. School Southeast Autism Program. This program is based on the principles and practices of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the only empirically proven treatment for autism and PDD. All of the teaching procedures and behavioral intervention strategies are derived from the professional literature in order to ensure that staff members and supervisors employ "best practices," and staff performance is evaluated quarterly. Students’ goals are measured objectively and frequently and performance data are graphed weekly. Changes to a student's instruction and services are based on data trends, clinical conferences, parent conferences, and IEP requirements.
A variety of strategies are implemented at the Y.A.L.E. School Autism Programs in an effort to maximize success in academic skill acquisition and behavioral competency - such as:
- 1:1 student-to-staff ratio
- On-site highly-trained professional staff
- Supervision provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) employed at the Y.A.L.E. School Autism Programs
- Integration opportunities provided on an individualized basis
- Intensive, frequent staff training
- Integrated and consultative speech services
- Comprehensive curriculum focusing on academics, life skills, functional communication, fine and gross motor skills, adaptive behaviors and independence
- Intensive transition support
To help parents and guardians better understand and support their children, Y.A.L.E. stresses school-family collaboration and ongoing communication between school, home, and the referring district. Services that foster such a relationship include:
- Daily, data-specific activity reports
- Monthly parent observations
- Regular district observations
- Quarterly parent workshops
- On-site parent training
- Bi-monthly program newsletter
- Quarterly progress reports
- Transition consultations
To contact a supervisor of the Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic - Hamilton Township Autism Program, please call or write:
Y.A.L.E. School Atlantic
1004 Laurel Oak Road
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Phone: (856) 346-0007
Fax: (856) 346-0706