Parent-teacher conferences are around the corner. For some parents it’s a time of good news and pride. For other parents, it may be the time they learn their child is struggling. To hear that a mainstream environment may not be meeting a child’s needs can be extremely difficult and stressful. Enter The Springboard School. The afternoon program, based out of the Lubavitch on the Palisades School (LPS), accepts children from preschool through kindergarten, focusing on “bright children who have challenges with communication, socialization and self-regulation,” said Director Lois Mendelson. “Our students have a variety of developmental challenges, including communication and learning disorders, ADHD, emotional and behavioral problems, selective mutism and high-functioning autism, though not all have a formal diagnosis.”
The Springboard School only takes up to nine students a year. The group can include children from 4 to 6 years of age, who, though intelligent, may struggle with a variety of developmental issues. These groups are carefully selected to ensure that the children will work well together. Mendelson explained that “part of the intake process is finding that harmony within the group.”
Springboard’s program is a half day, allowing students to participate in typical classes each morning, with a shadow, if needed. In this way, they can mix with children who have good play skills and they can get used to the size and the fast pace of these classes. These two different classroom experiences support maximal growth in the children and prepare them best for eventual success in a fully mainstream placement.
Many of the students attend LPS in the morning and join Springboard classes in the afternoon. “That convenience is very attractive to families,” said Mendelson. The close proximity allows Mendelson and her staff to check in on their students while in the mainstream classes and keep a close eye on their progress.
This is Springboard’s third year at LPS. In its 43 years, the program has been in three different locations under a different name at each. Prior to moving to LPS, it was known as The Therapeutic Nursery at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. Since moving to its newest home, “LPS has really embraced Springboard’s program,” said Mendelson.
Mendelson has a lifetime of experience in education, having been with the program since its inception in 1978. Twenty years ago, she devised a preschool version of a comprehensive social curriculum created by Dr. Michelle A. Dunn for school-age children. This curriculum, which is central to the success of The Springboard School, teaches the students directly how to play and talk with their peers and how to self-regulate. This is done through role play, scripts, visuals and stories, which are all practiced at school and also at home. They include lessons on how to be a good sport, how to compromise, how to be flexible, what to do if you don’t get your way and what to do if you get too mad. Parents are taught how to use the lessons at home in order to help their children generalize these new skills.
“Ours has always been a parent-child program,” shared Mendelson. Prior to COVID, parents were invited to participate in the class when they could. Mendelson feels that parent participation in their child’s treatment plays a major role in their child’s dramatic gains. “Parents are key because continuity is key,” explained Mendelson. “Parents are given strategies to help their children at home, thus creating, essentially, a 24-hour-a-day program.”
Since COVID, parents have not been able to join their child in the classroom. However, they are still included in the treatment. They meet with Mendelson once a week, now via Zoom, for counseling and support. Parents also speak with teachers on Zoom every week to ensure they are up to date on their child’s progress. “We help the parents, but they also help us. They provide essential information about their child, which helps us create the best treatment plans. We respect the fact that parents always know their children best.”
Mendelson loves to hear from previous students. Sometimes former students who are now in middle school reach out to report using the tools from the program as they continue in their education. Sometimes former students, now in college, come back to volunteer. She even hears from students when they become adults who, with families of their own and successful lives, credit the program and give donations to Springboard to support its mission.
Mendelson stressed that this program “isn’t for everybody.” Springboard’s comprehensive program is for bright kids who may fall through the cracks in large, mainstream classes, because of social, emotional or behavioral issues. Their strengths and their talents may be missed and their self-esteem severely damaged. Springboard can give these students a strong foundation and the needed support to help them reach their best potential.
By Michal Rosenberg
