May Institute

May Institute is a nonprofit organization that is a national leader in the field of applied behavior analysis, serving autistic individuals and those with other developmental disabilities, brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders, and other special needs.

Founded nearly 70 years ago, we provide a wide range of exceptional educational and rehabilitative services across the lifespan.

The organization is one of the largest and most well-respected providers of services and special education schools for autistic children and adults and those with other special needs in Massachusetts and in the U.S.

May Institute has evolved into a national network that serves thousands of individuals and their families annually. With corporate headquarters in Randolph, Mass., the organization operates more than 140 service locations across the country, including six special education schools.

Since 1955, May Institute has been a pioneer in the treatment of autistic children and adolescents and those with other developmental disabilities.

We offer a wide variety of programs to help children and adolescents reach their highest potential. Through our May Centers for ABA Services, we provide center-based and home-based services to children and families in multiple locations. We also provide early intervention services and in-home behavioral services.

Early Intervention addresses developmental delays as early as possible,
and can make a profound difference in a child’s life. Our May Center for Early Intervention in western Massachusetts is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and provides supports to children from birth to age 3. A child may be eligible for services if s/he has a developmental delay. This could mean that he or she is not saying many or any words; not sitting, crawling, or walking when expected; has a diagnosed disability such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or autism; and/or lives in an environment that would put him or her at risk for developing delays.

The May Center for Early Intervention serves children from birth through age three in the following communities: Holyoke, Chicopee, Granby, South Hadley, Southampton, Belchertown, Ludlow, Palmer, Monson, and Ware.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) services in our centers help young children build skills and reduce challenging behaviors. Our early childhood center-based services, based on ABA, target the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through interventions that focus on communication, social, play, and daily living skills. We tailor instruction to be developmentally appropriate for early learners and use materials, toys, and activities that are preferred by the child and family.

Evidence-based services
Parents whose children attend the center can receive parent training and consultation at the center or in their home. Parent consultation focuses on teaching parents to work with their children to reduce problematic behavior and generalize, or transfer, skills they learn at the center to their home setting.

What to expect:

An initial assessment is conducted to evaluate the child’s current strengths and weaknesses. Both standardized testing and criterion assessments will be conducted, as needed, and reviewed with the family. Following the initial assessment, one-to-one treatment services are provided using a blend of discrete trial and naturalistic teaching strategies. The focus of intensive services is to ensure each child meets the communication and related goals necessary to participate in the least restrictive educational environment possible.

In-home Behavioral Services
The goal of In-home Behavioral Services in Massachusetts is to train parents, caregivers, and family members to implement strategies that will help them prevent and manage their youth’s problem behaviors at home and in the community. They also receive coaching and support on how to implement these individualized interventions.

In order for families to qualify for services, their youth must be under the age of 21 and enrolled in a MassHealth insurance plan for primary or secondary insurance. The program serves Boston Metro and surrounding areas, South Shore, and Fall River communities.

Home-based Services
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy in the home helps children build skills and reduce challenging behaviors. Our May Centers for ABA Services are based on universally recognized, developmentally appropriate teaching methods, and help to improve the lives of autistic children and adolescents and those with other developmental disabilities, as well as those with neurobehavioral disorders. These services are funded through insurance.

Our highly trained behavior therapists help children develop and improve communication and social interaction skills in the security and comfort of their own homes. May therapists also provide early intervention services in preschools as well as in public school settings.

May Institute supports families as they make important choices for their children, encouraging them to participate in the planning and delivery of services. Parent training programs help parents move from passive roles as “observers” to involved “co-teachers.”

Autism Schools
The journey through childhood and adolescence is a unique experience, filled with joy, challenges, accomplishments, and countless opportunities for learning. For children and families with autism and other special needs, the journey includes unexpected turns and unfamiliar territory. For nearly 70 years, May Institute has been guided by its mission of providing compassionate care and helping families navigate the challenges — and celebrate the successes — of their children’s journeys through the complex world of autism and related disabilities.

May Institute is one of the largest providers of private schools
specifically serving children with autism.
Our five May Center Schools for Autism and Developmental Disabilities in Massachusetts and California offer full-day, year-round educational services to children and adolescents. Our schools focus on building communication, social, behavioral, vocational, and academic skills. We base our programs on applied behavior analysis, or ABA, which has been shown through hundreds of scientific studies to be the most effective method to teach children and adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities.

We also operate a sixth school that serves student with brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders.

Working together with families to prepare for the transition to adulthood, and utilizing the considerable resources available to us, our caring professionals help each child to reach his or her highest potential.

Services for Schools
For schools and districts seeking to enhance services for students with learning, cognitive, and behavioral challenges, we offer on-site and virtual consultation and professional development, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

In the last fiscal year, we served thousands of individuals and school systems, including:
305 children through school consultation services
191 schools through PBIS training and consultation
91,942 students who benefited from PBIS

Adult Services
Our May Centers for Adult Services in Massachusetts provide a wide range of community-based services for autistic adults of all ages, and adults with other developmental disabilities.

These services include more than 100 residential group homes and supported living apartments, day habilitation programs, and vocational training and supported employment. Our dedicated, experienced staff are committed to providing respectful, effective, and supportive services within community settings.

Supportive Technology
The promise of technology in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities cannot be understated.

May Institute’s Supportive Technology team provides the highest-quality supportive technology evaluation, intervention, consultation, and training to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) of all ages and backgrounds and in all settings. We provide Assistive Technology and remote support services to individuals, families, organizations, and schools, including individuals served through May Institute programs.

Our Goals:

Enable every person we serve to reach their highest level of independence, achievement, connection, and happiness through the use of technology.

Enable staff, support teams, and organizations to deliver more effective and efficient services so they can do what they love best: provide meaningful and joyful care.

National Autism Center & Global Services

May Institute Offers a Wide Range of National and International Services,
Support, and Training.

The National Autism Center at May (NAC) is dedicated to disseminating evidence-based information about autism and offering comprehensive and reliable resources for families, practitioners, and communities. NAC provides free live and on-demand webinars to parents and care providers about subjects of interest. We also offer parent and Educator manuals, virtual consultations, and in-school consultations. For practitioners, we provide training and consultations. To learn more, click here: https://nationalautismcenter.org.

Our global autism services include customizable onsite and remote training and consultation focused on autism spectrum disorder and applied behavior analysis for organizations, governments, professionals, and parents.

We also offer technical assistance to governmental agencies regarding systems of care, including diagnosis, treatment, and operational management of services. Recent partnerships have included organizations from Oman, UAE, China, and Singapore.

CONTACT MAY INSTITUTE:

41 Pacella Park Drive
Randolph, MA 02368
USA
Phone 800.778.7601
TTY 781.440.0461