Chartwell is now a licensed provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

Chartwell Center was founded, after extensive research, in 1999 by parents and professionals concerned about the urgent lack of autism-specific education in the greater New Orleans community, and has developed into a non-profit, private educational program that provides direct educational services to children, adolescents, and young adults. We offer training and technical support to parents, teachers and other professionals. For the school year 2016 - 2017, Chartwell will accept children ages three to maturity.

The 2016/2017 school year and our 5000 square foot building has allowed the Chartwell educational program to grow and improve. We are now able to accept additional students, including students from area public and charter schools. Additionally, we have incorporated Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) into all our classrooms as well as opening the Chartwell Clinic. ABA is a specific type of behavior modification that is systematically applied and based on principles of learning theory used to modify, change, or improve behaviors to a meaningful degree.

Although treatment approaches grounded in ABA has been in use by therapists since the 1960’s, today it is recognized to have the highest rate of success in treating ASD. Chartwell has enhanced our curriculum by integrating formal ABA into our program. Although we currently utilize elements of ABA, to continue to refine and update our educational program, we have become a credentialed ABA facility. In order to secure the proper credentials, Chartwell hired Julie Hickerson, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) as our Executive Director. She has hired licensed teachers, lead line technicians and line technicians. Chartwell is now credentialed with private insurance companies as well as with Medicaid.

Our Chartwell Clinic caters to children diagnosed with ASD, ages 3 to 6, and uses 1 on 1 discrete trial therapy to teach skills and academics. Behavior plans are written and reviewed on a consistent basis to reduce inappropriate behaviors.

Chartwell Center, the privately funded school for children, adolescents, and adults, ages 6 through 21, focuses on teaching academics and self-help skills. Our goal is to mainstream any student that is capable of going into a typical classroom to learn. However, if that is not likely, the student remains at the Center. Once a child reaches 16, he moves into the high school program which focuses less on academic skills and more on functional skills.

Our Program for Adults Transitioning Higher (PATH) is for adults. They go into the community and participate in on the job training. Each PATH participant has a therapist who shadows them and helps communicate and build relationships with employees. Our goal is to increase both the presence of autism in the community and to build positive relationships with people in the community to decrease their fear of autism. The PATH classroom includes a full kitchen. Each week the PATH learners make a menu for the week, a grocery list, and a budget. After grocery shopping, they prepare lunches they have planned. The PATH program is an incredible learning experience for each learner and a program that is hard to find in the greater New Orleans area. Learn more about our programs.

Chartwell directly serves students ages 3 to maturity from Orleans and surrounding parishes. The current enrollment represents Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines residents and Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic ethnicities. However, we welcome all qualified students without regard to gender, race, religion, ethnic or national origin.

You can help children with ASD develop communication and work skills which will give them the gift of independence, self-confidence, and joyful participation in everyday life by making your tax deductible gift by check, cash, credit card or online at

(https://commitchange.com/la/new-orleans/the-chartwell-center).

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