Academics

We are dedicated to providing the highest quality education available for students with neurobehavioral disorders.


Our academic instruction programs are based on published best practice standards for teaching children and adolescents with academic, social, physical, and behavioral difficulties ranging from a wide range of diagnoses.

While other programs for children with neurobehavioral disorders focus primarily on one or two of these areas, the May Center School addresses these areas equally. We understand how a child’s educational, behavioral, rehabilitation, and medical needs are related, and we develop a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to improve all four.

As we work with students, we take great care to address neurological issues that may impact academic and behavioral learning. This approach allows for the most successful reintegration into home, school, and community.

From the first day a child enters our classrooms, we carefully begin to create a very personal learning experience, assessing his/her needs, and developing specific goals and objectives. We regularly measure progress, reevaluating and adjusting each individual program as necessary in an effort to constantly challenge, motivate and encourage each student.

We work with family members, local education agencies (LEAs), and other members of the child’s life to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student. The IEP prioritizes academics, behavior, activities of daily living, communication, exercise and leisure, and transitional education that includes vocational education and community reintegration.

Our teachers and certified brain injury specialists (CBIS/AACBIS) work with students in small groups or individually, combining best practices from the fields of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and special education.

 

We continually:

  • assess the strengths, needs, and preferences of each student
  • develop integrated educational plans based on those assessments
  • apply effective teaching strategies
  • carefully monitor and evaluate student progress
  • prepare students for a fulfilling adult life

 

Our educational services focus on the following:

Evidence-based Learning
  • We follow standards and expectations indicated by the Massachusetts curriculum with frameworks clearly identified and integrated into teaching and student learning.
  • We customize education to each individual student.
  • We use evidence-based academic interventions to provide meaningful feedback and enhance teaching. We combine these teaching methods with best practices from the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and special education.
  • We provide professional development opportunities to enable teachers to improve and reflect on their instruction.
  • Our educational services are organized around providing students with the knowledge and tools they need to access the community, and providing opportunities for students to apply those skills directly in the community.
Community
  • Our educational services are organized around providing students with the knowledge and tools they need to access the community, and providing opportunities for students to apply those skills directly in the community.