Admissions

Our admissions process for students begins with a referral from the student’s sending school district. Districts should send referral packets via email or mail them to 70 Blanchard Road, Suite 206, Burlington, MA 01803, attention Alyssa Limerick.

LABBB Collaborative: Admissions/Referral Process

The referral/admission process at LABBB occurs year-round, as we have rolling admissions. Our goal is to gather information and determine if we can effectively educate each student. 

Please find the steps below that outline our process. 

1: Referral from the Sending School District 

The process begins with the school district sending us a referral packet. This is done with parental consent.

A referral packet typically contains the following:

• Release of information (with parent contact information)
• Current/ACTIVE IEP and possibly proposed IEP
• Any rejection or partial rejection of the IEP documents (if applicable)
• Updated progress reports 
• Most recent evaluation reports (Speech, OT, PT, FBA, Psychological, Neuropsych)
• Behavior Support Plan and data (If applicable)
• Discipline record and letters (if applicable) 
• Health Care Plan (if applicable)
• Transcripts
• Extended Evaluation Reports (if applicable)
• Attendance Records

2: Internal Review of the Referral Packet:

The admissions team will review the referral information. At times, we may reach out to the district and ask for more information/data. We may also ask the family to sign a release so we can contact the student’s private placement and or any outside providers, if applicable. 

LABBB will assess whether our programs and services may meet a students needs. If we believe LABBB is a good match, we will schedule an initial intake meeting with the parent/guardian.

3: Initial Intake Meeting (done remotely):

Typically this takes place remotely with our Referral Coordinator and can last between 30 minutes to 1 hour. Some families have their child participate in this meeting however, it is not a requirement and we leave it up to each family’s discretion. The goal is for us to learn about the child, and what the family is looking for in a placement, and for us to educate parents/guardians about LABBB. The coordinator may share information about a particular classroom(s) that we may think would be a match for the child as well.

If it is mutually agreed between the Referral Coordinator and the parent/guardian, a tour would be the next step of the referral process.  

4: Tour  

The Program Coordinator of the particular classroom will provide the parent/guardian(s) with a tour of the building and potential classroom(s). Parent/guardian(s) will have the opportunity to observe the classroom and cohort along with meeting the classroom teacher and service providers who may be present at the time of the tour.  The tour typically takes 30-45 minutes. 

If the parent/guardian and Program Coordinator all agree that the classroom seems as if it would be a good fit for the student, then a student visit would be scheduled next.

On occasion both parties may agree it is not the right fit or there may be another program within LABBB we want the parent to see as well.

5: Student Visit:

LABBB requires families to complete a Student Visit Health Form before a student’s visit. The program secretary will send this via email to families prior to the visit. Student visits may last  2 hours, a half day, or a full day. It varies depending on each student and program. 

The goal for the student visit is for LABBB staff to interact with the student and determine whether the program is a good match and if we can address the student’s needs. It is also a chance to see the student interact with peers and determine if it is the right cohort.

On occasion, LABBB staff may ask the student to come back for an additional student visit or visit another classroom. Our goal is to make sure we have the right cohort and program match for each student. 

6: Determine Acceptance:

Upon completion of the tour and student visit, the LABBB team will determine if we can meet the student’s needs. LABBB will notify the school district of the determination, either acceptance or denial. If a student is accepted, the district will be sent an admissions timeline. At times, we may have to hire an additional staff in order to accept the student.

7: Acceptance Paperwork:

Upon acceptance, families will receive an Acceptance Packet via email. All paperwork in the packet must be completed prior to the student starting, including a signed placement page and accepted IEP.  Each student must also be medically cleared by our nursing department which requires evidence of a recent physical, within one year, and a record of up-to-date immunizations.

Referrals