A History of Service

Since 1974, LABBB Collaborative has partnered with the families and schools from across the commonwealth to provide developmental programs for students with special needs to prepare them for greater independence in adulthood.

Working in collaboration with area school districts, our name became an acronym for our member towns: Lexington, Arlington, Burlington, Bedford, Belmont, and Watertown Massachusetts.

From the Beginning

In late 1972, three parents from Lexington and Arlington (the “L” and “A” of our name) met with their district’s special education directors in hopes that a program could be developed to help prepare their children for the adult working world. After much deliberation, the parents purchased a house in Lexington to pilot the infant program. They hired a teacher, and the Burlington School District came on board.

The Massachusetts Department of Education approved the LAB Collaborative to officially begin offering programs in 1974.

An Expanding Reputation

Before long, the quality of our programs inspired neighboring school districts to get involved. Schools began requesting information about enrolling their students with similar needs into our programs. We were happy to oblige as funds and space allowed. Then, in 1979, Bedford formally became a member of the collaborative, and our name was changed to “LABB.”

In 1996, the Belmont School District joined us, changing our name yet again. And in 2023, we welcomed the town of Watertown to our program.

Positioned for Success—A Philosophy of Education

Today, LABBB provides educational programming and support services to over 300 special needs students from our six member districts. We serve students with a variety of special needs, including those on the autism spectrum, students with multi-handicaps, students with pervasive developmental disorders, and those with developmental delays, language deficits, and social/emotional learning challenges. All of our programs are located within the public school buildings of our six member districts.

We believe that every student is unique, with special talents and abilities that should be fostered in an inclusive learning environment that best meets their needs. Our specialized teams support each student through collaborative, comprehensive services that promote the development of the whole child—socially, cognitively, and emotionally—through an interdisciplinary approach. Our strengths-based philosophy focuses on building and generalizing student skills to maximize independence and self-reliance.

Our Mission

LABBB Collaborative designs and delivers special education services that promote academic, social, and career independence in the most inclusive setting possible.