Benhaven's Learning Network

Working to Include Students with Pervasive Developmental Disabilities

Benhaven’s Learning Network (BLN) is a group of consultants who work with local school systems to improve their capabilities for serving students with autism. In operating our own school for children with autism (read more about Benhaven’s School here), it became clear that we could only address a fraction of the need for educational services for autistic children within the limited capacity of our school. Due to space limitations, we were able to accept fewer than half of the students referred for our school program. In addition, it was clear that a significant number of students referred to our school had the potential to be well served, educationally and socially, in their local school systems, given some degree of specialized assistance in student assessment, establishment of support plans, or staff training. At the same time, the number of students diagnosed with autism was rising rapidly, just as new state and federal regulations required school systems to emphasize preparation for inclusion, as opposed to exclusion, in community life.

For several years, school staff consulted with local school systems, at their request. The success of these consultations prompted us to expand our consultation services and form the Learning Network. The consulting model allows us to reach more students, and fits well with our overall mission of helping people with autism participate in community life. BLN further promotes collaboration with local school systems, and provides a cost-effective alternative when compared to enrolling a student in a special school. BLN’s preferred clients are those public school systems that wish to invest resources needed to have high-quality educational services.

At present, in its third year as a free-standing program, BLN has consulted with 30% of the school districts in Connecticut. In addition, a great deal of additional work with preschool providers, such as local birth-to-three programs, has been developed.

To learn more about the specific services offered by Benhaven’s Learning Network, click here.