New Perspectives
THE MELMARK SCHOOL New Perspectives
Feb 26, 2004, 12:44
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Peter McGuinness, M.A., MSS, Director of Admissions
610-353-1726 or 1-888-MELMARK ext. 4969 www.melmark.org
The Melmark School is a private day and boarding school licensed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Private Academic Schools and Programs, and approved by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education. Melmark is a non-profit campus offering “the highest quality of programs and services in the least restrictive environment with an emphasis on personal worth and achievement.”
Melmark uses an “interdisciplinary team approach” to serve children ages 5-21 with challenging behaviors and learning difficulties secondary to a diagnosis of autism, pervasive developmental disorders, acquired brain injury and other neurological impairments. The school offers a variety of healthcare services including a 24-hour nursing staff, physicians and specialists both onsite and on call 24-hours a day to provide a wide range of medical, dental, vision, auditory, podiatry, psychological and psychiatric support.
The Melmark School believes that “social, recreational and athletic activities are important for social development.” The school has Special Olympics Teams participating in basketball, tennis and swimming.
Melmark Schools have residential services designed to accommodate students at every phase of development. The staff provides training in functional living skills, communication and other needs according to the goals developed in the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP,) with a 24-hour learning component.
Customized programs with small enrollments create “highly individualized and goal oriented programs” to meet the specific needs, abilities and interests of the students with a goal of taking each student as far as they can go in academics and mastering daily living skills.
Melmark Schools are located in three different states with a 77-acre country campus in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, where they offer residential housing, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, therapeutic riding, an adaptive playground, gymnasium and recreation center.”