Philosophy

The Foundation believes in actively intervening in the lives of children and adolescents who are in need of specialized education and therapy in order to maximize their educational, social and emotional growth.

The major goal of the Leary School programs is to help students achieve successes that will enable them to adapt to less restrictive environments and to achieve maximum independence, achievement and happiness. To this end, the programs focus heavily upon students accepting increased personal responsibility, as well as improving problem-solving, communication and socialization skills. The staff of the Leary School programs strongly believes in students taking an active role in changing their own behaviors; while the staff attempt to meet student need's on an individual basis, this philosophy is integral to all the service areas of the programs.

The Leary School programs are based upon the following premises:

• Firm, fair, and consistent management of behavior promotes a secure environment, which encourages positive growth.
• Staff must understand student's unique and individual needs and seek to meet these needs.
• Groups can be a positive force in change.
• Students can set and achieve personal goals.
• Students can be responsible for their actions.
• Students at different developmental levels require different treatment and behavior management.
• For many middle and high school-aged students, post secondary transition should include actual work experiences such as placement on a job or on one of the Foundation's job site programs.
• Students learn and achieve best through successful experiences in a positive, yet challenging environment.

It is the belief of the Foundation that a comprehensive program based on these premises and delivered in a totally integrated manner provides the greatest opportunity for success.