The Carroll School is focused on meeting the educational needs of children with language based learning disabilities. The Carroll School offers a unique academic curriculum tailored to serve their student body. In addition to their school, Carroll also provides summer school programs and speaker series for students and parents. They also provide extensive professional development for teachers in the area. For more information visit their website.

The Lovelane Special Needs Riding program in Weston specializes in providing high quality therapeutic horseback riding. They offer more than 4,400 individual riding therapy sessions a year to children from Metrowest and Greater Boston communities. Students can participate in their general riding program, an Interactive Vaulting Program, or take a barn management class. To learn more about their programs, and how to get involved, visit their website.

The Community Therapeutic Day School (CTDS) provides a consistent, gentle, and supportive environment for children with neurological and emotional disabilities. The school embraces families and their children, supporting the social, physical, emotional, and educational growth of each child.

In addition to their regular programming, CTDS also provides numerous other services to parents and children. Comprehensive diagnostic and neuropsychological evaluations are available. The inclusion services offered at CTDS include a trained therapeutic tutor to work with the child, individual and group child guidance work with parents, occupational and speech therapy, and supervision and consultation with public school staff. CTDS also organizes a “sibling group” that allows for brothers and sisters of children in the program talk about their thoughts and feelings about growing up with a sibling with special needs. To learn more about the school visit their website.

The Brandon School has been providing top notch services to troubled boys and their families. They provide stabilization, diagnostic, educational, and clinical day treatment and case management services to over 150 boys and their families.

Located in Natick, Brandon’s treatment program seeks to move boys as quickly as possible to a home setting. Brandon offers family stabilization/ respite therapy programs, transitional group homes, and transitional family support services. All of these help the boys they serve to increase their self reliance and responsibility, so that ultimately they can learn to be successful independently. To learn more visit their website.

The Learning Center for the Deaf plays an important role in the lives of many deaf and hard of hearing students, helping them to achieve their full potential in an educational environment aimed at both academic and personal growth. With campuses in Framingham and Randolph, the Learning Center for the Deaf is able to provide crucial services to students from all over Greater Boston and Metrowest. The staff at TLC provides an Audiology Unit dedicated to providing comprehensive audiologic and hearing aid services to both students and the community. Occupational and physical therapy, as well as counseling, are available at the school for every student. For more information, visit www.tlcdeaf.org.

The Greater Waltham Arc is devoted to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Their “Paths to Independence” program works to give participants the social and technical skills needed to be more self sufficient, including paid work-training, exercise routines, therapeutic and support services. Additionally, they have a comprehensive recreation program, with numerous opportunities for physical and leisure activities, a Special Olympics training program, and an inclusive summer camp. To learn more about them visit their website.

The Charles River Center provides employment and job training, residential homes, therapeutic day programs, and recreational programs for children and adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. They provide programming for kids on Saturdays and over school vacations, host dances, and offer support programs for parents of children with special needs. To learn more, visit their website .