Goals & Objectives

LADDERS is a highly successful program designed to evaluate and treat children and adults having a wide variety of developmental and handicapping conditions. Our mission is to provide the highest quality clinical, social and support services to those diagnosed with autism, pervasive developmental disorders and other developmental disabilities.

LADDERS is unique because of the population it serves and because it uses a multidisciplinary approach which begins with comprehensive medical evaluations and extends to supporting the well-being of patients and families. Nurses, social workers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, neuro-psychologists, special education professionals and family members are involved in the treatment processes in addition to the physicians. Each has a depth of expertise in their respective fields. The team, as a unit, plays an integral role in the continuum of care for individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities.

The services and therapies of LADDERS include:

• Extensive diagnostic evaluations;
• Medical, cognitive and behavioral interventions including speech and language
• Therapy, occupational and physical therapy and psychological evaluation and counseling;
• Parent skills training and family empowerment; and
• Referral support for additional medical and educational resources at locations near each patient’s home and throughout the New England region.

LADDERS is committed to improving the medical, social and psychological well-being of children, adolescents, adults and families. To this end, the goals and objectives of LADDERS are to:

• Provide a stable, consistent and structured environment within a medical context;
• Provide opportunities for each individual to achieve;
• Develop self-control, social skills and self-esteem in each individual;
• Support and educate families in order to transfer the learned skills to home, school, work, and community environments.
• Provide teaching to physicians and professionals in training and to pursue research related to the treatment and causes of autism, pervasive developmental disorders, and other devlopmental disorders of the central nervous system.

With respect to the support and education of families, the LADDERS staff believe that it is crucial that families become strong advocates for their children. In order to facilitate this empowerment, parents are given appropriate information about their family member's disorder, about the community resources which are available to them, and about their rights as parents under Massachusetts education laws. LADDERS staff also assist in obtaining services for clients over the age of 22 years.