By HABEEBAH R. GRIMES About 20 years ago, I sat in a circle during one of my first group meetings at PEP Eastwood. As a newly hired one-on-one aide, I listened intently to the children discuss what had happened in their lives the day prior. One student’s story from the previous evening resonated deeply with
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Young people struggling with severe mental health issues are often unable to remain safely in their homes. To ensure that more families stay together, PEP Connections now offers Intensive Home-Based Treatment (IHBT). This all-inclusive service engages entire families to help these youth thrive at school, home and in the community. What does IHBT look like?
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Positive Education Program’s founding nearly half a century ago by Dr. Rico Pallotta – a local educator known for his work with children with special needs – can be traced to a quest for values. If he were to launch an organization that served the region’s most challenging students and their families, Pallotta felt it
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Movement matters. Yet, too often, society’s response to children with special needs is to isolate them from physical and social activities – a reaction that research shows could ultimately hinder healthy social-emotional development. Take running and football – physical activities typically not afforded to young people with complex developmental disabilities, autism, emotional regulation challenges or
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