On a regular basis, staff from the New Jersey Department of Education visit private special education schools like The Forum School to monitor our work. We welcome this collaborative process, which is designed to help ensure excellence.

Our latest review was excellent. After completing their work, the state monitors asked me a parting question: “If you could change just ONE thing, what would it be?”

I did not have to think very long about my answer:

“I would tell districts and parents to place students with us in early childhood so we have more time to make a difference.”

News reports show that autism is on the rise, and the number of children who need specialized schools is growing. The literature is clear: effective, appropriate early intervention improves long term outcomes for children with autism. By teaching language, social skills, and learning readiness skills early in a child’s life, we can offer hope for greater progress and independence. In fact, researchers have shown increases in IQ, adaptive functioning, and other measures in children who receive effective early intervention.

Years ago, students as young as 3 years old were referred to us on a regular basis, allowing us time to teach important self-regulation skills to prepare for successful transitions back to their neighborhood middle and high schools. Today, many students don’t reach us until their teen years, it takes a lot of time to regain a student’s trust and address negative behavior patterns. Just this week, we received a referral for a student turning 21.

I am not suggesting that older students do not benefit from their time at The Forum School. In fact, they can and DO often make tremendous progress. But the opportunity for major developmental strides is lessened, simply by virtue of their age. Often, behavior patterns have become harder to change, so there is less time for learning.

Effective early education is important, not only for the child and the family, but also for ‘the system.’ When we invest in early treatment, students have more time to learn – growing up more able to care for themselves, participate in the workforce at greater levels, and in need of less financial support from public programs. If you are thinking about a specialized school, please give consideration to the literature on early intervention. It makes a lifetime of difference.

Best regards,
Brian Detlefsen, Director