Part of the Missouri public school system, the Missouri Schools for the Severely Disabled (MSSD) program serves young people between the ages of five and 21 who have advanced physical and developmental disabilities. A child is referred to the MSSD when his local school is unable to fulfill his needs. The program's instructional staff is appropriately trained to serve children with extreme disabilities; each classroom has one full-time teacher's assistant. Physical education teachers, speech therapists and registered nurses are available to help students. MSSD courses last six hours each school day in specially-designed facilities. A free bus service transports children to and from their classes.
Founded in 1963, the Camphill Special School serves children with intellectual and developmental disabilities on a 57-acre farm in Glenmoore, Pennsylvania where a converted barn known as Whitestone houses classrooms and living spaces. The Children's Village has 12 houses, a meeting/performance space, therapy building and schoolhouse. Camphill also includes transitional housing for high school students learning vocational trades. In addition to speech and physical therapy, the school offers horseback-riding care and therapy designed to improve balance and motor skills. Camphill is a Waldorf school based on Rudolf Steiner's principles of "anthroposophy," a philosophy that combines the teaching of practical skill with arts and spiritual subjects to give severely disabled students a rounded education. It is a Pennsylvania Approved Private School.
A nonprofit service for special education students in Bellmawr, New Jersey, the Larc School helps severely disabled children from ages three through 21. Classes are small, with one teacher for every three students. A group of concerned parents formed Larc in 1968 with a mission to educate disabled students in a supportive and dignified environment. Half- and full-day options are available for preschoolers, with lessons tailored to the individual students who receive speech therapy, adaptive physical education, art and music. A multi-sensory room and multimedia library are available for students of all ages. Occupational therapy, sign language instruction, and state-of-the-art technology help older children master standard elementary and secondary academic studies. Larc services are available at no cost to families of disabled children.
The Association to Help Retarded Children (AHRC) Foundation in Suffolk County, New York operates the Saul and Elaine Seiff Educare Center for physically and mentally challenged children from preschoolers to age 21. The school's "Early Intervention" program aims to bring children the help they need at a young age to eliminate the need for expensive care later in life. The program stresses socialization, everyday activities and motor skills along with academics. The school has physical, speech and occupational therapists to assist students with clinical needs.