Welcome to Carousel Farm's Education Center

In order to assure that the program is comprised of a group of teens who will optimally benefit from the program, a brief intake process has been devised.  Criteria for admittance is as follows:  1) teens and young from 14 – 25 years of age who are emotionally and behaviorally stable, eager to join a social community, and motivated to gain greater independence.; 2) teens and youn adults with mild developmental disorders or mild autistic spectrum disorder who are capable and compliant of following simple basic directions with minimal supervision;  3) teens or oyung aults who do not pose a threat to the safety and well-being of self or others.  Children who are or can be physically or verbally aggressive or threatening are not suitable for this program. Teens must be able to move between an indoor and outdoor setting around young children and neuro-typical peers.

Teenagers who attend are offered opportunities to develop transition-related skills. This program involves the following: training for a job interview, fostering a sense of responsibility by each young adult having a weekly “camp duty” (gardening, maintenance, snack making, camp store etc.) that they learn to articulate, and developing an understanding of social situations that may be encountered. Role playing and social stories are utilized for this training. We hope to assist our teenagers in becoming special members of our community by bringing their creativity and zest for life into various job and community experiences.

Carousel Farm is licensed by the Department of Education, Private Academic Schools. With this certificate in place, public school districts have used our site for children to receive an Extended School Year Program. Our teachers, trained in special education, follow goals and monitor progress from an individual education plan (IEP). It is possible, should a school district desire, to receive private therapy at Carousel Farm, as part of the ESY program. There are tuition rates for this program listed on the application.

Carousel Farm serves teenagers with learning disabilities (mild intellectual disabilities) and mild autism (Asperger's Syndrome), ages fourteen through twenty-one years of age.  A brief intake process has been devised to assure that the program is optimal for each person.  Teens must be emotionally and behaviorally stable, eager to join a social community, and motivated to gain greater independence. Teens must be able to follow simple basic directions with minimal supervision.  Teens must not pose a threat to the safety and well-being of self or others.  Children who are or can be physically or verbally aggressive or threatening are not suitable for this program.  Teens must be able to move between an indoor and outdoor setting around young children and neuro-typical peers.

We would love for you to come and tour our program.  On your visit, you and your teenager will meet with Dan LaGrotte, the program director.  You will be able to share information about your child, visit our farm friends, and find out more about our program.  Each applicant to the program must submit a recommendation form from a teacher who observes the teenager in a group setting.

Teenagers enrolled will need to bring a small backpack or gym bag that includes a bathing suit, towel, plastic bag for a wet bathing suit, and a bag lunch (unless purchasing lunch).  

If your child requires medication at camp, you must fill out a “medication release” form.  Our nurse will distribute daily medications and should always be contacted if there are changes in the medication routine of your child.    If your teeneceives medication during the school year for anxiety, hyperactivity, depression, etc. please do not make any changes without informing us.  Summertime is a time when children should be engaged and having fun; sometimes, medication changes can cause behavioral variations in children and they are not able to fully participate in activities and act like “themselves.”  Our nurse is a wonderful resource with regard to monitoring medication of children with special needs.

At the Open House, we will give your teen his/her schedule of activities.  This schedule will reflect the program activities, including vocational training, swimming, horseback riding, art, music, dance, sports activities, Life Skills, nature, etc.  All teenagers will swim daily for forty five minutes as a group.  It is possible that your teen will also swim again if he/she is an apprentice junior counselor for Rainbow Academy.  The schedule reflects a balance of indoor and outdoor activities in order to provide respite from the heat (the school building is air-conditioned).  

If your child is being transported by us, your child's driver will contact you the week prior to camp to arrange a pick-up and drop-off time.  As noted on the application, we will attempt to transport children door to door, however there are times when there is a designated meeting spot for a route.  Please take this into consideration when arranging travel time and morning/afternoon routines.  There is an aide assigned to each van route that will assist the children with getting on and off the van and support children on the drive to Carousel Farm. 

Teens attending Carousel Farm will receive a letter in late Spring describing the pre-vocational opprtunitites available to them.  They will choose "priority" activities.  The directors of the camp will address each individual priority in creating summer "schedules" for the participants.  All teens will be urged to "try" each pre-vocational activity throughout the summer.