Re: school question for Sara and Donna

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In a message dated 2/15/01 9:52:11 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Lucilledsl@... writes:

<< Sara and Donna, You both mention schools which seem similar, but can you

tell

me more specifically about them. Don't your children have to travel quite

far each day?

Lucille >>

Hi Lucille,

The name of Maddie's school is Melmark. It's in a suburb of Philadelphia

(where we live) and yes, it is far. During rush hour traffic, it's an hour

ride (I make it in 45 minutes, cause I've figured out all the short cuts).

Coming home is faster and she is home each day before 4. Initially, I never

even considered it because of the distance, but it turns out my husband ended

up renting space in an office building 10 minutes away from there and my son

was in college 10 minutes away (no longer, but now my niece is there).

Also, my MIL's neighbor lives one block from Melmark and volunteers there, so

I feel secure that someone could be there in a heartbeat UNTIL I got there.

Maddie is driven in each morning by a cab that is contracted by the school

district. She has an aide and a car seat and actually enjoys car rides. So

far (since September), it's going smoothly.

Melmark was started in the fifties or sixties (I forget) by a family who

had a daughter with DS. Originally, all the students had DS. Many of them

are still there living in group homes and working in the Melmark stores.

They make gorgeous things. Have their own garden and greenhouse where they

then dry the flowers and greenery and makes wreaths, swags, baskets...all

kinds of things. They weave their own baskets, have a rug loom where they

make various things; a wood making center, a pottery center.....all kinds of

things that they sell. Now Melmark caters to a high autism population and

also many students are medically fragile and they have the facilities to care

for them. Most of the students are residential; Maddie is only one of 20 out

of 80 academics who are day students. When I first went to check out

Melmark, I had a very closed mind. First the distance, then the fact that it

was residential; I had a pre-conceived idea of what it was. But I fell in

love with it and got such warm feelings about how the staff was with the

students and how they taught and believed in them. We went to our first IEP

there in October and the principal came to the table with a picture he keeps

in his office of Maddie. She stops in each morning before going to her

classroom because he's a basketball buff and has an autographed ball signed

by Wilt Chamberlain. He lets Maddie play with his ball each morning when she

gets off the cab.

They implement the ABA method of teaching and you may recall I was dead

set against that too, but decided since I loved the place, I'd give it a try.

We have seen such wonderful changes in Maddie that I've done an about face.

She's become so much more interactive, makes wonderful sustained eye

contact, can be in public places now, and is even making strides in toilet

training and is now eating with utensils. BIG things, *I* think, in a short

span!!

Not everyone can send their kids to a place like MM, nor do they want to.

It's one of the things that when I checked it out, realized it was a perfect

fit FOR US. It also took a REAL LOT of work to get her into it and have it

paid for by the SD (and state), but we are very happy she is there.

Donna