Showcasing Melmark: A Program Overview
Kate McKenna, M.Ed, M.S.Ed, BCBA, LBA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
In 1965, Paul and Mildred Krentel established Melmark as “The Home That Love Built.” When their youngest daughter, Melissa, was born with Down syndrome, the Krentel family wanted to create a warm, nurturing environment for Melissa and other children with developmental disabilities to be cared for, to learn, and to live a happy life. Their legacy grew to encompass an 80-acre campus in Berwyn, Pennsylvania where educational, clinical, vocational and residential programs, and healthcare and rehabilitative services are provided to children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
For more than five decades, Melmark has been a leader in serving individuals with complex profiles. Today, Melmark is a multi-state human service provider with premier private special education schools and professional development, training, and research centers. They address the special educational, behavioral, social/emotional, clinical, and therapeutic needs of their students through the Individualized Educational Program (IEP), applied behavior analysis (ABA), functional behavioral assessment, comprehensive treatment plans, and ongoing professional development, clinical training, and supervision. Melmark’s three campuses offer an array of residential and vocational programs, special education schools, and community outreach opportunities for preschoolers through adults.
Melmark Pennsylvania
The Melmark School is an approved private school, licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education that serves children and adolescents ages 5 to 21. The educational program focuses on the needs of students with learning difficulties and challenging behaviors secondary to a broad range of intellectual disabilities, including autism, brain injuries, and other genetic and neurological disorders.
At Melmark Pennsylvania the Chris Maurer Adult Day Community Program serves transitional students and adults who require individualized instructional, vocational and behavioral support. The overall goal of the Chris Maurer Adult Day Community Program is to assist each individual in identifying a job opportunity that allows them to enjoy his or her work. Instruction takes place in both classroom and community settings and supports participants in vocational skills training (job sampling, shadowing) as well as life skills training (safety, travel, personal finances, self-care). A focus on self-determination and teaching decision-making skills aims to provide individuals with skills needed to be as independent as possible.
Established in 1976, the Meadows Program at Melmark Pennsylvania is a day program for young and older adults with mild-to-moderate intellectual disabilities who live with their friends in staff-supervised, single-family homes on campus or in nearby communities with their families. Participation in the creative arts is also central to Melmark’s mission; therefore, the program combines vocational activities and creative arts, providing meaningful work for adults. Participants in the Meadows Program are members of the Country Guild and share in the overall profits from the sale of their products. Guild members are offered workshops related to horticulture and flower arranging, as well as fiber and art where they learn about fabrics, knitting and participate in a variety of art-related activities. In the wood, ceramic, and stencil workshop, guild members produce unique note cards and gift tags, handmade clay pots, and assorted cutting boards and woodcrafts. The Meadows Tea Room offers adults the opportunity to make and sell baked goods, participate in meal preparation, learn how to serve guests, and maintain a dining room. The Melmark Players theatre group, composed of over 40 adults from Melmark’s Meadows Program who enjoy acting and musical theatre, offered their first musical theatre production in 1998, with the debut of “Grease.” Since 1970, The Joybells, Melmark’s handbell choir, have performed regularly at churches, schools, colleges, and corporate and community events.
Melmark New England
Melmark New England (MNE) was established in 1998 in Andover, Massachusetts. The New England team brought more than 100 years of clinical, educational and administrative expertise serving children with ASD and other challenging behaviors to the development of MNE.
- MNE teachers adhere to best practices in ABA, education, and child development. A theme-based curriculum allows the goals and objectives for each student to be carefully embedded in educational activities. The result is a rich, meaningful learning experience for each child based on his or her level of readiness.
- The Early Childhood Program provides services for children beginning at age three. The Early Childhood Program offers large, bright classrooms, a beautiful playground, and bathrooms with child-size fixtures all of which provides a positive, comfortable environment for physical and social development. For many of the students, the goal is to return to a public-school setting.
- The School-Age Program at MNE has a 1:2 teacher-to-student ratio which allows teachers and staff to focus on each student’s personal growth and development, shaping a learning environment that fits each child’s specific needs. The School-Age Program provides specially designed classrooms for students unable to attend public school. All programs are based on the foundation of ABA and other evidence-based methodologies. In keeping with Melmark’s goal of independence and community involvement, pre-vocational and vocational training, and community work opportunities are an essential part of the program. Specially designed instruction and group arrangements are provided to facilitate progress in anticipation of transitions to inclusive settings.
- For students whose IEP objectives require a 24-hour therapeutic and structured learning environment, Melmark New England offers residential/educational placements within one of their six homes, which are supported by 24-hour on-call nursing support as well as administrative and senior clinical support. Under the close supervision of highly-trained staff, the children work on self-care, leisure time, vocational, daily living and community IEP goals in a homelike atmosphere. They enjoy outdoor play activities, a recreation room, and community recreational and leisure opportunities. Outings are a regular occurrence and include activities such as camping, horseback riding, biking, picnics, hiking, and skating.
Melmark Carolinas
In early 2019, Melmark Carolinas opened in Charlotte, North Carolina, in response to the high incidence rate of ASD and the increased need for expert clinical and educational programs in the region. Melmark Carolinas’ program focuses on those children not making adequate progress due to the severity of their educational disability or challenging behaviors. The mission of the new center is to provide the same high quality, integrated special education services to children in the Carolinas that Melmark is known for in New England and Pennsylvania.
Melmark Carolinas specializes in serving those students who require a more specialized special education and clinically sophisticated environment than what is available in a public-school setting. The 1:2 teacher-to-student ratio supports a focus on each student’s personal growth and development, shaping a learning environment that fits each child’s specific needs enabling progress on his or her IEP. Educational staff come to Melmark Carolinas with at least a bachelor’s degree. Staff participate in an array of educational training and in-service programs, in addition to extensive professional development opportunities. Faculty and staff work as teams in collaboration with community resources to ensure the implementation of IEP goals and objectives, as well as the inclusion of both pre-vocational and vocational training.
Melmark’s Broad Impact
Melmark currently serves over 250 children and young adults ages 3-22, including 105 residential students. Each year, another 500 children receive special education services through home and school-based consultation services. Over 230 adults participate in day programs and 155 are residential consumers.
Melmark offers professional development at each site, including graduate education programs and comprehensive staff training. An Expert Speakers Series is open to the public. Melmark’s professional staff actively conduct applied research, publish papers in leading professional journals and newsletters, and present routinely at local, regional and national ABA-focused conferences and educational programs. An interdisciplinary team of behavior analysts, special education teachers, and ancillary personnel is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals and their families by providing exceptional evidence-based and applied behavior analytic services to the students and families they serve. Melmark currently employs over 80 Board Certified Behavior Analysts and provides BCBA supervision and mentoring for approximately 50 staff each year.
Melmark is a nationally recognized provider of special education, clinical and consultation services, vocational training, and residential programs. Melmark’s vision, “Mission First: Every Individual, Every Day.” is to expand and raise the quality of service delivery systems throughout the country by disseminating and replicating the Melmark Model of Program Development and Clinical Treatment while ensuring that each individual served achieves his or her highest level of independence and confidence, and becomes an active member of their communities.
To learn more about Melmark, visit the websites of each respective site as linked above. Please follow them on Facebook as well:
