For Parents

Your child’s educational. social, emotional, and therapeutic needs will be met in a safe and caring environment. This resource page offers parents key information on our educational programs, therapeutic services, and community resources. Please contact us anytime for additional information.

FAQS

Students are referred by their local school districts. If you live in New Jersey, contact the child study team in your public school district. Then, ask your case manager to consider setting up a tour.

While you and representatives of your school district work as a team to develop an appropriate educational program for your child, you have the right to have your child placed in the Least Restrictive Environment, which is not always in the public school. It is important for you to understand your rights in the special education process – this knowledge will help you advocate for your child’s placement. We suggest you review the N.J. Department of Education guide.

The Matheny School serves children ages 3-21 who have a variety of medically complex disabilities, including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, traumatic brain injury, and other neurologically-based disorders.

Most students have multiple disabilities including motor, intellectual, speech/language, visual or hearing impairments, learning disabilities, and the need for medical support.

Yes, we have a full-day ESY program that runs for six weeks, Monday through Friday, from early July to late August. It’s a continuation of the student’s IEP (individualized education plan), including all designated services. Whether a student attends or not is a joint decision between the parents and the sending district child study team.

Student to staff ratio is 1 staff member to 3 students. This does not include 1-1 aides, 1-1 nurses, or therapists.

Parents are important participants in their child’s education, and we maintain frequent contact through in-person meetings, phone, and email. At the end of every school day, students are sent home with a daily communication sheet for parents. Information on the sheet includes the day’s specific instructional activities, the day’s lunch menu, ADLs, and other relevant information about their child’s day. Parents are also issued quarterly progress reports and are included in annual IEP meetings.

Helpful Links

ARC New Jersey
http://www.thearc.org/find-a-chapter/new-jersey

Disability Rights NJ
https://disabilityrightsnj.org/

Easter Seals NJ
http://www.easterseals.com/nj/

Center for Parent Information and Resources
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/

The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities
www.njcdd.org

Social Security Benefits for Children with Disabilities
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10026.pdf

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network
www.spanadvocacy.org/

Center on Technology and Disability
https://www.air.org/project/center-technology-and-disability

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
http://www.resna.org

Matheny Rehab Technology Department, call:
(908) 234-0011, ext. 1258

The Friends of Matheny
friendsofmatheny.org
The Friends of Matheny are a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provide financial support for equipment and programs not covered by school tuition.

Rutgers Biomedical Engineering School
bme.rutgers.edu
Matheny and Rutgers launched a program in 2017 to enhance medical device development that could help those with developmental disabilities. Rutgers students learn from Matheny students and residents to better understand their challenges. They then use these insights to envision devices that serve as the basis of their senior design projects.

The Knights of Columbus
Somerville Knights of Columbus
somervillekofc1432.org/index.html

Martinsville Knights of Columbus
blessedsacramentnj.org/knights-of-columbus

Sean P. Murphy, Principal/Director of the Matheny School, (908) 234-0011 ext. 1721, smurphy@matheny.org

Anne Bruno, Assistant Principal/Director of Curriculum, (908) 234-0011 ext. 1239, abruno@matheny.org

Dr. Bonnie Wilkenfeld, School Social Worker, (908) 234-0011 ext. 1262, bwilkenfeld@matheny.org

Members:

Dr. Kristen S. Labazzo (School Board Chair) – Professor of Bioengineering – Rutgers University

Edana Desatnick – Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant, Educator

Paul Frascella Esq. – Chairperson, Matheny Board of Trustees

Elaine Lerner – NJDOE OSEP Representative (Retired)

Dr. Marshall Strax – Professor of Education – Saint Elizabeth University

Members Ex-Officio:

Nancy Hamstra, FACHE – Executive Director/Interim President & CEO

Sean Murphy – Vice President of Education, Principal/Director of the Matheny School

College Support for Students with Disabilities
http://www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/students-with-disabilities/

Parental Rights in Special Education
www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise.pdf

NJ Department of Education-Special Education
www.nj.gov/education/specialed/

NJ Youth Resource Spot – IEP
https://www.nj.gov/njyrs/education/iep/

NJ Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
www.state.nj.us/humanservices/ddd/home/index.html

Division of Disability Services in the New Jersey Department of Human Services
www.nj.gov/humanservices/dds

NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF)
www.nj.gov/dcf/contact/index.html

DCF Children’s System of Care (CSOC)
http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/providers/csc/

PerformCare New Jersey
(the Administrative Service Organization (ASO) for the State of New Jersey’s Division of Children’s System of Care)
www.performcarenj.org/

DCF Frequently Asked Questions for Families with Children with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
www.state.nj.us/dcf/about/divisions/dcsc/FAQs_FamilieswithChildren.pdf

IEP Development and Resources
www.nj.gov/education/specialed/policy/iepdevelopment.shtml

Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board
https://www.thegrwdb.org/

DAWN Independent Living Employment Services
http://dawncil.org/

The Family Resources Network
www.familyresourcenetwork.org/

NJ Division of Vocations Rehabilitation Services:
www.nj.gov/labor/career-services/special-services/individuals-with-disabilities/

Partnerships for People, Inc.
www.partnershipsforpeople.org/

Total Living Center
https://totallivingcenter.org/