Garden Academy
When Maplewood mom Jenny Bar Yaacov was unable to find the right services to educate her identical twin sons Nat and Jesse, both on the autism spectrum, she joined forces with like-minded parents to build a school that would allow her children, and others like them, to flourish.
The grassroots initiative blossomed into Garden Academy , an accredited, non-profit school that has been serving students with autism ages 3 and older since 2006.
By offering individualized one-on-one instruction, provided by highly-trained teachers, the specific needs of each student are addressed so that he or she may achieve the greatest levels of independence possible.
Seven years later, Bar Yaacov is enjoying the fruits of her labor of love. While it’s hard to summarize the numerous strides her boys have made, the mom, whose mission is to help her children and their peers have the brightest futures imaginable, shared how the school has made an incredible difference for her family.
“We have seen significant decrease in very dangerous behavior, such as running out into traffic,” she says, “a huge increase in language understanding, and the ability to enjoy themselves with appropriate games, as well as participating with us as a family in such activities as attending religious services and going out to our local diner. Everyone in Maplewood knows our sons, and can attest to how much progress they have made.”
As Garden continues to thrive—29 students currently attend the school located inside one of St. Andrew Kim parish’s buildings on Parker Avenue in Maplewood—it has outgrown its current space. In 2015, Garden Academy will move to its newly-purchased and renovated home in West Orange—an undertaking that is both exciting and expensive.
Imagine the Possibilities
Children who attend Garden Academy come from “Upper Saddle River to Toms River and out to Flemington and everywhere in between,” notes the school’s Executive Director Dr. David Sidener, a nationally recognized expert in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, who has been working with children and adults with autism for the past 20 years.
Sidener explains that while the students’ home school districts cover 85 percent of the cost of tuition, the difference is borne by the school and its parent community, largely through donations and fundraising efforts.
Garden Academy
To that end, the school looks forward to celebrating another year of making a difference in the lives of its learners and their families at its annual Gala on Saturday, Nov. 22. Garden Academy’s largest fundraiser, the event will be held at the Westminster Hotel in Livingston. The evening of cocktails, dinner, and dancing features silent and live auctions as well as wine and Super Bowl raffles.
This year’s theme, “Imagine the Possibilities,” captures the spirit of excitement the school community shares as it looks ahead to continuing to see each student strive to reach his or her fullest potential in Garden Academy’s new home.
“Every year the Gala is crucial, but this year I think it is more so because we are preparing to move into our new building,” Bar Yaacov says. “This is going to make such a difference in the types of learning that can take place. We will have the space to have a model dentist office so that our kids can learn to go to the dentist and cooperate in activities to ensure their health, as well as space to replicate similar activities that are crucial for our children’s ability to go out and participate in the world.”
Sidener looks forward to having the room to pursue more opportunities for pre-vocational training. The school is currently seeking grants that would fund document handling—meaning that young adults could learn data entry, scanning, shredding, printing, copying, and preparing large-scale posters.
“This could be done in-house or as a mobile business so kids who have those skills could go out in the community,” the director says. “It offers a nice range and the chance to train on a lot of different skills. We’re in the process of looking for grants. But it seems very fundable.”
As a best practices treatment center, Garden Academy also serves as a training ground for instructors, many of whom are pursuing masters or higher level degrees. These professionals go on to run district ABA programs and provide much needed behavioral expertise in school, home and community settings.
A permanent home for Garden also creates the opportunity to provide speakers and Q & A sessions to the community, an invaluable service given the staggering autism prevalence statistics. New Jersey has the highest rates in the country, with 1 in 45 children and 1 in 28 boys diagnosed with the developmental disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
It Takes a Village
Westminster Hotel
Karen Stewart-Ramos, mom to son, Christian, 9, who began his fourth year at Garden Academy, says she is co-chairing the Gala this year because she “can,” thanks to the support her family has received through Garden’s caring instructors, who provide weekly parent training.
“Last year at this time I could not have done it because our son’s behavioral issues took a toll on us that I was not sure we would survive. This year, I am picking up the mantle from other parents who may be battle-weary by the needs of their autistic child(ren). My co-chair, Kym Lesch and her husband, have twins at Garden Academy who are more severely impacted by autism. She has stepped up for a second year in a row. When I see how positive she is, it inspires me to do more,” Stewart-Ramos said.
Lesch, whose twins have been at Garden Academy for seven years, also has two other sons, one of whom has Asperger’s. While that child doesn’t attend the same school as his brothers, he does receive additional, after-school support from Garden Academy staff members. Despite her full plate, Lesch is working tirelessly to ensure the Gala’s success. Her passion is fueled by the strides she’s seen her boys make.
“Nathaniel (previously non-verbal) is finally now at 11 starting to make lots of sounds and form very small words,” she shares. “I am so proud of him and could not be happier to have found a school like Garden to not give up on him and continue to try and motivate him to talk.”
How to Help
Sidener is grateful for the continued support of the Maplewood community and hopes the school and its students will receive a warm welcome in West Orange. With its Gala fast-approaching, there are numerous ways to assist:
SPONSOR Become an Event Sponsor ($500- $20,000)
ATTEND Join Garden Academy in Celebrating at The Gala
DONATE Give (Make a tax-deductible contribution, which many companies often match),
Offer Goods or Services to be auctioned
ADVERTISE Support the Souvenir Journal ($100-$1,000)
Super Bowl raffle tickets are on sale for $20 each through the school and offer the chance to win:
- 2 tickets to the Big Game
- 2 premium venue hospitality passes
- 3 nights at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs
- $1,000 Visa Gift Card
“The gala is so important to raise the money that is needed to enhance our children’s learning,” Lesch notes.
“Caring for a child with autism can be very isolating for a family,” Stewart-Ramos explains. “It can be difficult to go out into the community or to visit friends and family. I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and expert programing that has helped our son continue to improve. He works incredibly hard at school and at home. Dr. Sidener and teachers like Tina Hansen are on the front lines guiding children with autism to heights that once seemed impossible.”
The co-chairs say every bit of support is appreciated and helps make a significant difference in the lives of all members of the school community and beyond. Since its inception, Garden Academy’s staff has published nine papers on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis and its effectiveness in teaching children with autism.
“We’re giving back to the field and that helps put us on the map and we’re contributing to what’s known about how to help kids with autism,” Sidener says. “The teachers here are called on to do difficult things but it’s that much easier if you’re able to see your students make progress. It sounds corny, but that’s why I get out of bed in the morning.”
For more information, visit Garden Academy’s website or call 973-761-6140.
