Ädelbooks & More, a new used bookstore located in Middletown, CT, was featured in The Middletown Press last month. The interview, which celebrated the launch of Ädelbrook’s new vocational storefront, provides the opportunity for students with autism and developmental disabilities to learn and practice vocational skills. During the interview, Ädelbrook’s President & CEO, Alyssa Goduti, along with the Director of Education, Jackie Peck, shared the incredible impact of the bookstore in the lives of students at the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy. Alyssa Goduti explained, “We work with kids and young adults with an array of special needs but particularly autism spectrum...
Middletown, CT (Fox61 News) – New bookstore provides opportunities for people with all abilities
In February, Ädelbrook Behavioral & Developmental Services celebrated Black History Month with Keith McGilvery on Fox61 News. During the segment, Jackie Peck, Adelbrook’s Director of Education, alongside Taiya, a student at the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy, shared the incredible impact of a new used bookstore, Ädelbooks & More in Middletown, CT. In addition to providing a space for individuals with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities to learn and practice employment skills, the storefront also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and DEI&B, celebrating the unique strengths and abilities of all individuals. Keith shared, “There is a new used bookstore in Middletown...
Ädelbrook Celebrated their 27th Annual Golf for Kids Tournament
Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services celebrated their 27th Annual Golf for Kids tournament on September 14th at Lyman Orchards Golf Course in Middlefield, CT. Through the support of community partners, volunteers, advocates, sponsors, and donors, Ädelbrook was able to raise a total of $65,000, the most money raised in the history of this tournament. The generosity and support of Ädelbrook’s mission partners will continue to enrich the lives of Adelbrook’s youth and young adults throughout the year. The beautiful fall day included not only a great day of golf, but also raffles, an auction, a student art display, and...
Ädelbrook Selected 2023 NASET School of Excellence
Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services Cromwell Academy has been selected as a 2023 NASET School of Excellence. Since 2008, the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) has bestowed this honor to qualified private special education schools that meet a certain criterion and have validated extraordinary dedication and commitment to the students served. According to NASSET, schools are awarded this distinction when they “meet rigorous professional criteria and have demonstrated truly exceptional dedication, commitment and achievement in the field of special education.” Selection as a NASET School of Excellence is the highest level of recognition a special education school can...
Monica Carras, Ädelbrook’s Director of Behavioral Services and Training, Named a 2022 Healthcare Hero by the Hartford Business Journal
Each year, the Hartford Business Journal identifies outstanding leaders in the healthcare industry who, through their work, exemplify what it means to be a hero. Monica Carras, MS, BCBA, LBA of Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services has been named one of this year’s Hartford Business Journal Healthcare Heroes Award recipients. Monica Carras, Director of Behavioral Services and Training, is a dedicated leader in the field of behavioral analysis and an expert in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Monica’s compassion, commitment, and expertise, has helped hundreds of individuals find futures of achievement, happiness, dignity, and hope. She holds a Master’s degree in...
Dr. Sabrina Demsky-Cameron presents in The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities (NLCDD) Webinar: “Trauma as the Elephant in the Room: Transforming I/DD Organizations and Systems to Being Trauma-Informed with I/DD.”
NLCDD hosted the webinar “Trauma as the Elephant in the Room: Transforming I/DD Organizations and Systems to Being Trauma-Informed with I/DD” on Wednesday February 22nd, with speakers Steve Brown, Dr. Sabrina Demsky-Cameron and Ashleah Yates. This webinar highlights two I/DD organizations that participated in an 18-month trauma-informed care (TIC) learning collaborative aimed at embedding TIC training and practices systemically into the fabric of their organizations. For more information, visit the NLCDD website here: natleadership.org/upcoming
Hartford Business Journal: Alyssa Goduti Honored as Top 25 Women in Business
Alyssa Goduti, MPA, President and CEO of Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services Honored as one of the Hartford Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business for 2022 Alyssa Goduti, President and CEO of Cromwell-based Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services, was named one of the Top 25 Women in Business (Alyssa Goduti, Top 25 Women in Business 2022 Honoree | Hartford Business Journal) by the Hartford Business Journal. This award honors the region’s most talented women in leadership roles throughout central Connecticut. Winners are nominated by readers and selected by a panel of judges. Alyssa has been a nonprofit...
Via Traumatic Stress Institute: IDD Organizations Selected for TIC Learning Collaborative
Read the story below, via Traumatic Stress Institute: The Traumatic Stress Institute (TSI) is excited to announce the four agencies participating in the first-of-its-kind Pilot Trauma-Informed Care Learning Collaborative for Organizations Serving Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The Pilot Learning Collaborative is a 16-month initiative where organizations work intensively together to implement TSI’s Whole-System Change Model with the goal of transforming their organizational cultures to ones that are trauma-informed. After a national marketing campaign to spread the word, applications from four organizations were accepted to participate. These four represent a wide spectrum of organizations in the IDD sector...
Via CT Mirror: Connecticut’s Children Benefiting From a Strong Continuum of Support Services
Read the story below, via CT Mirror: The Department of Children and Families, sister state agencies, community partners, contracted providers, families with lived-expertise, and other stakeholders have collaborated for decades to meet a shared vision of “Partnering with communities and empowering families to raise resilient children who thrive.” To meet that mission, Connecticut has evolved to have a strong and vibrant continuum of services — from prevention to therapeutic residential programs. Fundamentally, we all believe children are best served in families, within their own communities and schools, surrounded by people familiar to them. Public/private partnerships have worked...
Residential Placement Admission Process
Placing a child in a residential facility can be a stressful and confusing process, but we’re here to help. We have broken down the process into 5 major steps for you to use as a guide to help navigate your child’s residential placement. Ädelbrook’s residential services are funded through the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), and School Districts/other. The first step of residential placement is to obtain a referral from one of these funders. The funding source will then reach out to us with your child’s referral. After receiving the referral,...
Education Outplacement Admission Process
Outplacing your child to an approved private special education school can be a stressful and confusing process, but we’re here to help. We have broken down the process into 5 major steps for you to use as a guide to help navigate your child’s outplacement. Ädelbrook’s Director of Admissions will gladly hold your hand and help you through the entire admissions process for your child to ensure they are placed in an appropriate school to meet their needs. The Ädelbrook Academies and the Transitional Academy at Ädelbrook are school district funded. The first step of educational outplacement is...
Via NBC Connecticut: Nonprofit Employees Continue to Work During Pandemic to Take Care of Children In Need
Read the story below, via NBC Connecticut: Despite the state shutting down earlier this year because of the pandemic, thousands of nonprofit employees continued to work and take care of children. Watch the news story on the NBC Connecticut website here.
Summer Break Offers New Opportunities for Hands-On Learning, Offline Time for Children
With a Difficult School Year in the Rear-View Mirror, Here is a Tip for Skill-Building at Home This Better Hearing & Speech Month After a challenging year of virtual, hybrid, and modified in-person learning, speech-language pathologists are offering advice and encouragement to families on low-stress ways they can support their children’s language, literacy, and learning skills at home this summer. This message is a timely one, as May is celebrated nationally as Better Hearing & Speech Month (BHSM). Many parents have been understandably concerned about their child’s academic progress this school year, given all of the changes necessitated...
Confronting COVID-19-Related Harassment in Schools
The U.S. Departments of Education and Justice (USED and DOJ) released a new resource for students and families: Confronting COVID-19-Related Harassment in Schools. This fact sheet is available in multiple languages and will be a valuable addition to our toolkit as we work together to counter racism and ensure equity and equal opportunity for all. We want to be sure students and families are aware of their rights in school settings and of how to access help, if needed, including from USED and the DOJ. Please share this resource widely with your networks.
Pfizer Vaccine Recommended for Children Ages 12-15
This week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use among children ages 12-15. Therefore, as outlined in the Governor’s press release, the State of Connecticut is preparing to make the Pfizer vaccine available to children as young as 12 through several channels: pharmacies, mass vaccination sites, some primary care providers, and school-led efforts.
Via WFSB: Bright Spot, Shedding Light on Ädelbrook Bark-ery
Read the story below, via WFSB: MIDDLETOWN, CT (WFSB) — Wednesday’s Bright Spot sheds light on a small storefront in downtown Middletown that offers more than just items for sale. Nestled right off of Main Street in Middletown, next to the police department, is the Ädelbrook Bark-ery, a one-stop shop that specializes in all things for the dog in your life. “We work very hard on everything that we do here,” said a student named Cheyenne, who works at the shop. The store is almost entirely run by students of the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy, a community-based vocational...
Ädelbrook Students Give Back
Although this school year has looked different due to Covid-19, the staff and students at the Cromwell Learning Center felt it was more important now than ever, to give back to the community. Each year we hold our annual Turkey Trot fundraiser. Our students look forward to this activity and we did not want to disappoint! Each student that participates in this walk, asks staff to sponsor them and then they walk around our track, as many times as they can. Even with Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing, our students stepped up to the challenge and were proud to have...
Via The Middletown Press: Ädelbrook CFO to Receive Service Award
Read the story below, via The Middletown Press: CROMWELL — Susan M. Brosseau, Chief Financial Officer at Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services, has been selected by The Connecticut Society of Public Accountants (CTCPA) to receive their 2021 Distinguished Service Award, according to a statement. Founded in 1908, CTCPA is a professional association that promotes and supports over 6,000 certified public accountants through advocacy, community and education. The 2nd Annual Women Awards Ceremony, set for Jan. 20, celebrates exceptional female CPAs and recognizes their many contributions to the industry. Given in two categories, Distinguished Service and Women to Watch,...
Susan M. Brosseau to Receive 2021 CTCPA Distinguished Service Award
Susan M. Brosseau, Chief Financial Officer at Ädelbrook Behavioral and Developmental Services, has been selected by The Connecticut Society of Public Accountants (CTCPA) to receive their 2021 Distinguished Service Award. Founded in 1908, CTCPA is a professional association that promotes and supports over 6,000 certified public accountants through advocacy, community and education. The 2nd Annual Women Awards Ceremony, to be held January 20th, celebrates exceptional female CPAs and recognizes their many contributions to the industry. Given in two categories, Distinguished Service and Women to Watch, awardees represent exemplary CPAs in business, public accounting, government and the non-profit sector. Susan...
Congratulations, Breanna!
Congratulations to Breanna, a senior at Ädelbrook’s East Hartford Learning Center, for her acceptance into the Forensic Chemistry program at Western New England University! In addition, Breanna has been awarded the Presidential Scholarship of $22,000 per year. We are so proud of the hard work Breanna has put into shaping her future and wish her well!
Ädelbrook Co-Sponsors Press Conference – Ädelbrook Staff as Heroes of the Pandemic and Always Essential
On a more positive note, we had a great press conference with the Governor, DCF Commissioner, and local legislators. We (me and two other children’s service providers, Naomi Yaidom from our staff, and a foster mother) had 45 minutes in advance of the press conference to speak in a small group with the Governor, Commissioner, and local Senator. The governor acknowledged our staff and talked about a plan to direct federal funds into our program via the CARES act. We weren’t clear on what he meant and how those funds would be allocated, but I’m following up with the Commissioner...
Ädelbrook’s 2020 Winter Appeal
Please click the link below to read our Winter 2020 newsletter, and consider giving a gift to the Ädelbrook 2020 Annual Fund. As always, thank you for your support.
Great News for Students and Families!
State of Connecticut Department of Education Ruling—Update Regarding IDEA Eligibility Extended Until Age 22 Case Title: A.R. v. Connecticut State Board of Education Ruling Date: September 4, 2020 As a result of the court ruling made in A.R. v. Connecticut State Board of Education, students who have not yet turned twenty two years old and have not received a regular high school diploma remain eligible for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) until either: their twenty second birthday or until they have received a regular high school diploma. With this said, students receiving special...
Via Cromwell Life: Ädelbrook Returns to Extended School Year Program
Read the story below, via Cromwell Life: When one runs a school that provides year-round instruction and support for special needs children and young adults, you can’t shut the place down for long. Not even when there is a virus pandemic. So after nearly three months with its doors closed Ädelbrook reopened in early July with numerous new safety protocols and procedures to keep everyone safe. Ädelbrook is based in Cromwell and operates special education schools in this town as well as Middletown, East Hartford and Manchester. School resumed July 6 with a blended learning model. After...
How are Ädelbrook’s Special Education Teachers Using Synchronous Learning in Their Classrooms?
At the Cromwell Learning Center of Ädelbrook, we serve students across a variety of abilities and ages from middle school through high school. For our students attending in person, they have been working hard to learn our new safety rules, wear masks, and adapt to new schedules. For our students learning from home, they are learning and improving their ability to learn through Zoom and Google Classroom. However, it cannot be discounted how much learning our teachers are doing. With students starting back-to-school both in-person and online on August 28th, our teachers are adapting to “synchronous” learning and teaching. ...
Some good things can happen via ZOOM!
Because of the pandemic, our Learning Center in Manchester is able to visit their classmates in their homes, via Zoom. One of our classmates lives on a farm and others of course live in the city. Well, the class was zooming together and the child that lives on a farm had chickens who were hatching, so they brought them onto the zoom and the entire class—hybrid and zoom—got to watch the entire process. The students were in awe!! This was one of those positive moments of being on Zoom! It probably would not have happened otherwise.
Ädelbrook’s Educational Centers Return to School for the Extended School Year Program
Ädelbrook’s special education schools located in Cromwell, Middletown, East Hartford and Manchester started back to school with a blended learning model on July 6th. After 4 months of teaching through Zoom, Teams, and Google Classrooms our teachers are back to what they love the most – teaching their students in-person in the classroom! Ädelbrook schools follow a regular school year schedule with an added 7 week summer program. Following very strict guidelines and adapted schedules, students, teachers and para-professionals are happy to be back together in person. Students are in school on a rotating basis Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays....
Via iCRVRadio: Autism Awareness Month
As we approach Autism Awareness Month we learn of the great things happening at Adelbrook with a visit with CEO Alyssa Goduti. Listen to the full story here, from iCRVRadio’s Feel Good Friday story, aired on March 27, 2020.
Virtual Field Trips
Below, you can find a list of exciting museums, zoos, parks, and more that you and your child can visit virtually! Click the names below to visit each location. San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour! Yellowstone National Park Mud Volcano, Mammoth Hot Springs, and so much more. Tour Yellowstone National Park! Mars Explore the surface of Mars on the Curiosity Rover. 360 Mode offers a digital view while the website updates from WEBVR to WEBXR. Animal Cameras Click the individual zoos and aquariums listed...
Apps for Kids with Special Needs
Below are a variety of educational apps that will making learning fun for your child. Click the app’s name to view and download it from the App Store. Apps for Dyslexic Learners SoundLiteracy $3.99 Dyslexia Quest $9.99 Happy Math Multiplication Rhymes Free Phonics with Phonograms $2.99 Apps for Autistic Learners Sight Words $0.99 See.Touch.Learn Free Verbal Me Free Autism iHelp Free Autism/DDT Shapes $7.99 Autism DDT Letters $6.99 Apps for the Visually Impaired Light Detector Free TapTapSee Free Be My Eyes Free Talking Calculator $1.99 Visual Brailler Free Apps for Learners with Writing Difficulties The Writing Machine Free iWrite Words...
Talking to Your Child About Coronavirus
Below, you can find some tips and resources to help you with talking to your child about coronavirus. Via PBS: 1. Share age appropriate facts and corrected misinformation. 2. Reassure them that they are safe 3. Emphasize simple things your family can do to be “germ busters” Here are four ways we can help young kids build germ-busting habits. Wash Your Hands Make it a family routine before every meal and snack to wash hands. If you do it together, you can model for them how to use soap, rub your hands together and rinse. For a timer, try...
Tips to Keep Kids Structured
We understand that there may be unique challenges for students with disabilities and this may be an especially stressful time for families. The first step in adjusting to this period of time is to maintain structure at home and keep students engaged in positive, productive activities. The following are some tips and suggestions to keep a structured schedule for kids. Keep activities with start and end times Have structured breaks Allow for downtime Keep routine Allow for exercise and movement Suggested Schedule 7:00–8:00 Wake Up: Morning Hygiene & Chores Brush teeth, wash face, shower, apply deodorant, make bed 8:00–9:00 Breakfast...
Via Hartford Courant: At Ädelbrook’s Bark-ery and Recently Expanded Transitional Academies, Students Find Support and Skills for Life
Read the story below, via Hartford Courant: At Ädelbrook’s Bark-ery, students don’t just learn how to bake dog treats — they get hands on work experience in a safe and fun environment that prepares them for employment and life out in the community. Ädelbrook was founded in Cromwell in 1915 and serves 300 children and young adults who are on the autism spectrum or have other behavioral or health challenges. The transitional academies and the Bark-ery, just off Middletown’s Main Street, teach young adults who have finished high school the life skills they need to hold down a job and...
Special Cookies and Treats Made at The Bark-ery!
Watch the video here, and read the story below via WFSB.com: Looking for some healthy treats for your pup? The Barkery in Middletown has homemade treats and fun accessories for dogs. Some of the people who work there are students of Adlebrook, a non profit organization that provides services for children and young adults with developmental and behavioral challenges. For more information visit https://adelbrook.org/adelbrook-transitional-academies/bark-ery/
Believe in Yourself and You Will Be Unstoppable
At Ädelbrook, we focus on ability, not disability. Our Jordan and Greenbriar residents continue to discover their unique capabilities through innovative programming and community partnerships. While some of our residential youth are able to participate in Special Olympics and other team sports, not all can. However, one activity that suits them all is running. Running is arguably the world’s most accessible sport; from jogging to sprinting, it all begins with putting one foot in front of the other. Thanks to a grant that has paid for race registration from the Hartford Wolf Pack Community Foundation, many of our young men...
Some Cool Tools from our Occupational Therapy Department
Here at Ädelbrook we strive to increase the student’s independence in every way. This means providing and teaching our students different ways that they can provide themselves with deep pressure input. The steam roller machine is designed to provide deep pressure input that the students are able to control themselves. Students crawl through the sets of rollers and can adjust the pressure exerted through tension springs. Our students can start their day with the steam roller machine, and are able to use it throughout the day as needed. The scooter and ramp are another great therapeutic piece of equipment we...
The Perks of Our New Coffee Business
Introducing the newest business at the Ädelbrook Learning Center: “Cook’s Coffee Cart!” In an effort to create more on campus job opportunities we opened a coffee cart — where students get to practice job skills, and on Fridays staff get the “perk” of having coffee delivered to them! Throughout the week, there are a number of jobs students complete to get ready for Friday coffee cart days. The students cut out the order forms, place them in envelopes, and deliver them to each classroom. They then go around and collect the order forms and ensure customers have paid the appropriate...
An Event That Only Gets Better With Age
Cheers for Ädelbrook continues to get better with each passing year. This year’s event, being held on Friday, October 18 will be at Saint Clements Castle in Portland, CT. Willowbrook Spirit Shoppe will once again be providing the wine, craft beer and spirits for the tastings and Sweet Harmony will be there with delectable desserts. The event will be catered by Saint Clements with hand passed hors d’oeuvres as well as macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and stir fry stations each with an assortment of toppings. There will be live music and both a silent and teacup auction. While the...
Ädelbrook Staff Named “40 Under 40” Honoree!
Ädelbrook’s Executive Vice President Sabrina Cameron has been named one of the “40 Under 40” in the Hartford Business Journal! Click here to read the announcement. [HBJ PHOTO | CHRISTINA ZURAW]
Ädelbrook Announces New Executive Vice President
Ädelbrook is pleased to announce the promotion of Sabrina Cameron, LCSW to the role of Executive Vice President. Sabrina joined the Ädelbrook team in September of 2009, as a Program Director of Potter’s House, a Therapeutic Group Home for young women. She was promoted to the Clinical Program Director in 2011, and in 2014 became the Director of Residential Programming. In January of 2016 she became Ädelbrook’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all residential, education, in-home, and community based programming. In her ten years with the agency she has helped usher in a change of population at what once was The...
Via Cromwell LIFE: Golf Tournament Benefits Ädelbrook
Thanks to Cromwell LIFE for featuring Ädelbrook’s Golf for Kids in this local news publication’s photo story below, which appears in their July edition:
Via WFSB: Families remind people to be Cautious of Kids with Autism While Using Fireworks
WFSB Eyewitness News Channel 3 sits down with Ädelbrook’s Sabrina Cameron in this news story to discuss how Fourth of July festivities can present challenges for those on the autism spectrum. The story continues to show how it’s still possible to celebrate the holidays with your loved ones on the spectrum, with a little creativity… Watch the video here, and read the story below via WFSB.com: CROMWELL, CT (WFSB) – by Shawnte Passmore — When people think of the Fourth of July, they automatically think of fireworks, but sometimes it’s hard on loved ones who are autistic. Fireworks are an...
18 Reasons to Play in Ädelbrook’s Golf for Kids Tournament
Ädelbrook’s Golf for Kids Tournament will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2019, at the Robert Trent Jones Course at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield, CT. This golf tournament is celebrating its 24thyear. Maybe you’ve golfed in it before, and you know what a great tournament it is. In the event that you haven’t golfed in Ädelbrook’s tournament before, and even if you have, here are 18 reasons you should register yourself and three friends. Golfers of all abilities are welcome! 1 — Golf on a beautiful course 2 — Exclusive Ädelbrook gift for each registered golfer 3 —...
A Letter from the White House
We empower our students to get involved, to speak their minds and to be themselves. So when East Hartford Learning Center student Jonathan wanted to write the president to ask him how it is decided who gets to be on currency and wanted to suggest that Rosa Parks be considered for a bill, he was encouraged to do just that. When the staff sent the letter out, they didn’t expect to get a response. However, in mid-March a letter arrived from the White House addressed to Jonathan at the East Hartford Learning Center. No one was more surprised than Jonathan....
Ädelbrook Announces New President and CEO, Alyssa Goduti, MPA
Ädelbrook is pleased to announce the selection of Alyssa Goduti as its new President and CEO. Alyssa brings nearly 20 years of leadership, advocacy, and business development experience in Connecticut’s nonprofit human service sector. Most recently she served as the President and CEO of the CT Council of Family Service Agencies, a statewide association of human service providers which collectively serves over 180,000 people, employs 5,000 staff with total funding of over $250M. Previously, Alyssa served as the Vice President for Business Development and Communications at CHR and as the Vice President for Public Policy of the Connecticut Community Providers...
Caregiving Around the Clock
November is National Caregivers Month and the theme this year is Caregiving Around the Clock. Being a caregiver for someone can be both rewarding and stressful. When being a caregiver is around the clock it can become downright exhausting. It’s not just the needing to be “on” that can take its toll, but it’s also the pain and suffering that the caregiver has to bear witness to. Caregivers often put their needs and feelings aside to ensure that the person they are caring for has all that they need. They are selfless and expect no accolades for the hard work...
Fall Festival Provides Sense of Community
A sense of community can be different for everyone. For parents of children or young adults with a disability, that sense of community can be hard to find. At events like the Fall Festival at the Cromwell Learning Center the sense of community can be seen, heard and felt. It may be through the students’ smiles and laughter with their parents, guardians or staff while painting a pumpkin. Or it may be through parents meeting other parents totalk with each other to share similar challenges and successes. The Cromwell Learning community extends beyond the students and staff who interact daily, it includes the parents, guardians and...
Voices from the Community: Ädelbrook Bark-ery Visit
We received this kind email from Laurie, who recently visited, and this is what she had to say about Ädelbrook and the Bark-ery… My name is Laurie and I was in the Ädelbrook Bar-kery in Middletown about a month ago. The education your schools provide for people with disabilities is something that’s near and dear to my heart. One lesson my mother always taught me and my siblings is that it’s important to give back to the community. She always had us volunteering for MDA, Special Olympics, school functions, and Relay for Life. The day I was at the Bar-kery...
Onward and Upward
Looking back at the promotion and graduation ceremonies earlier this month, the staff at Ädelbrook can take great satisfaction in their success in serving this special population of young people. At the Learning Center in East Hartford, Joel Cruz, from the Institute of Hispanic Families gave the commencement address in the newly painted gymnasium. In Cromwell, students offered words of enthusiasm as they prepared to receive their certificates of promotion. In Manchester, the Step-Up Ceremony opened with a sixth grade student as master of ceremonies and another student giving an overview of the history of Ädelbrook. Finally, at the Transitional...
Welcome to Our New Website!
It’s been a little more than five years since we put up our new site as Ädelbrook. It seemed like a good time to look at it with fresh eyes. It’s amazing how much we have grown and evolved since changing our name in 2012; we realized our website needed to reflect that change. Since we launched our website in 2012 we have grown our staff from about 150 to almost 600. We have opened up 11 Continuous Residential Support Homes, four educational learning centers, two residential extension homes, began providing in-home services and opened our educational retail venture, The...
Your Vote Can Help Us Win $100,000!
Ädelbrook is one of 15 finalists in the nation to be in the running to win $100,000 from Farmers Insurance Dream Big Teacher Challenge. Ädelbrook is the only Connecticut school to be a finalist.
Top 10 Reasons to Attend Cheers for Ädelbrook
Here are the top 10 Reasons to spend your Friday night with Ädelbrook on October 13, 2017…
Help Ädelbrook win $20,000 from Liberty Bank Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Grant!
Please help Ädelbrook win $20,000 from Liberty Bank Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Grant Competition. We are one of three finalists in the Education for Economic Success category.
22nd Annual Golf for Kids Tournament
Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Golf for Kids. It was a great day and we raised a lot of money for the children we work with.
Golf for Kids Tournament — June 1, 2017
Studies have shown that there are many benefits to playing golf: improved heart health, weight loss, stress reduction and more … but maybe you need another reason, maybe you want to know that enjoying a beautiful day on a gorgeous course would benefit others. Well, Golf for Kids is your tournament. By playing in Ädelbrook’s Golf for Kids Tournament on Thursday, June 1, 2017, at the Robert Trent Jones Course at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield, CT, you are helping children and young adults, right here in Connecticut, receive life-improving services. Our tournament, which has run for 22 years,...
No More Looking Back!
When this young girl first arrived at Ädelbrook’s Learning Center – Manchester, she was often unable to process her surroundings or communicate her wants and needs. Over time our teaching staff worked with her to build trust to develop coping strategies and to open her up to the wonderful world around her. This picture was taken this summer when we went on a field trip to an orchard to pick apples. As I looked back through pictures I had taken on that trip I was struck by this picture. I realized looking forward how much had changed … I see...
Bark-ery Open for Business
The Ädelbrook Bark-ery is up and running in downtown Middletown They are offering extended hours during the holiday season by opening during Middlesex County Chambers Holiday on Main Street. Make sure to bring your fur-baby to the Riverview Center Walkway Suite 125 and get some treats for your pooch and then just a couple doors down you can get a treat for yourself at Fusion Bakery. In addition to the barkalicious treats for Fido, made by the students at Ädelbrook’s Transitional Academy, they also have an array of toys, beds, leashes and other accessories including a weighted coat to calm...
Ädelbrook Bark-ery Opening Soon
When you have dedicated staff who think outside the box to create opportunities for students of all abilities to succeed, you get amazing results … and The Ädelbrook Bark-ery… Which will be opening to the public on Monday, November 14 at the 100 Riverview Plaza, Suite 125 in Middletown. What is a Bark-ery you ask? Well it’s a bakery for your furry, four legged best friend, well the barking one anyway. The Ädelbrook Transitional Academy wanted to develop more opportunities for students to get more and different experience in the workforce, so they began thinking about work that would be...
Our Dedicated Staff
When asked what sets Ädelbrook apart from the other agencies I often say that it’s the fact that we offer a continuum of care. However, that continuum of care means nothing if there aren’t top notch staff doing that work. So what I should be saying is that what sets us apart is the amazingly dedicated staff we have … at all levels. This dedication is illustrated with something that just happened last week. We got a call from the Department of Children and Families that they had a child, non-verbal and diagnosed with autism who had been removed from...
Finding Ways to Connect: Communicating Through Texture
While you wouldn’t notice it at first glance Tracy* is, in a lot of ways, a typical 18 year old girl. She’s boy-crazy, she has a sense of humor and while she may know what you’re asking, she’s not so interested in complying… She also has autism and is nonverbal … and as Rachal Hovey attests “She’s awesome.” Tracy came to Ädelbrook’s Learning Center in 2012, her first day also happened to be Rachal Hovey’s first day as the Speech and Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA), As the SLPA, Rachal was trying to help find ways to communicate with Tracy. Besides...