The Deron School of New Jersey

Sawtelle Learning Center has taught students with autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities through Applied Behavior Analysis since 1992. We are a New Jersey State Board of Education approved private, non-profit school in Montclair for students ages 5 to 21, and we are part of Youth Consultation Service (YCS), an agency serving New Jersey children with special needs and their families since 1918. Classes through middle school have no more than six students, high school classes cap at nine, and students receive 2:1 or 1:1 support as their IEP requires. Each program is shaped by a supervisor of instruction, a BCBA, a speech therapist and an occupational therapist. Speech-language pathologists work with augmentative and alternative communication devices, OT and PT sessions are part of the IEP, and parent training and home visits help skills carry over at home. Older students follow a functional curriculum and learn through Community Based Instruction: weekly grocery and lunch outings, travel training on New Jersey Transit, and volunteer and work experiences that lead into planning for adult services. Our building includes a fitness center, and an extended school year program runs each summer.