FAQs

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex disorder of brain development that is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and relationship forming, verbal and nonverbal communication, rigidity to change, and repetitive behaviors. For more information please consult your pediatrician or the DSM-V diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Dr. Donald M. Baer (2001) concisely defined Applied Behavior Analysis as “A scientific process of identifying environmental supports for improving behavior.”

More specifically, Applied Behavior Analysis is an experimental science of behavior. It produces analysts who can demonstrate that observed improvements in behavior are a function of procedures put in place by them. These analysts turn to their data and learn from it when a procedure fails to determine what might be done next.

Applied Behavior Analysis focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place – the relationship behavior has with environment. Behavior Analysts objectively describe, quantify, and analyze behavior. They operate from assumptions of all natural sciences: the belief that the world is an orderly place where events occur because of other identifiable events rather than by chance.

Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing dysfunctional ones. These techniques (e.g., contingency management, positive reinforcement, incidental teaching, etc.) are used in the structured classroom environment as well as in the home and community.

In order for a child to be considered for enrollment in the Institute, parents or school district personnel must make a referral. To make a referral, please mail:

1. A copy of the initial report of the child’s diagnosis
2. A one-page cover letter, including:
   1. A description of the child
   2. Information regarding any services the child is already receiving
   3. His/her date of birth
   4. A return address and phone contact information

Referral Policy

We do not operate from a waiting list, rather we have a referral file to which we turn when we have a vacancy. That means children are not enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, when we have a vacancy, we consider the needs of the students we currently serve and the needs of the referred children. As such, you are welcome to make a referral at any time.

Mail Referrals To:
Kevin J. Brothers, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Executive Director
Somerset Hills Learning Institute
1810 Burnt Mills Road
Bedminster, NJ 07921

Yes, the Institute hosts visitors’ days approximately every six weeks. Visitors’ days generally begin at 9:00 AM, lasts two hours and consist of a presentation, tour, and brief question and answer session. For more information or to register to attend, please contact Patty Scott at (908) 719-6400.

Thank you for your generous consideration.  *Please note that the Institute does not accept donations from families who have children in our referral file. Others may contribute via PayPal, over the phone by calling Tara Ferrigno at 908-719-6400, or by mail at Somerset Hills Learning Institute, 1810 Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster, NJ 07921. We also accept automobile donations. For information on making stock contributions, please contact Dave May at 908-719-6400.

Thank you for your interest in becoming employed by Somerset Hills Learning Institute. Regrettably, we have no positions at this time but can accept your resume via email at info@somerset-hills.org for consideration for future positions. In the meantime, we wish you all the best in your search for employment.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Somerset Hills Learning Institute. We currently have no volunteer projects left unfilled. Nevertheless, please consider sending your resume and cover letter including the type of volunteer experience in which you are interested for consideration for future volunteer opportunities. Thank you.

The Safe Drinking Water regulations as specified in N.J.A.C. 6A:26-12.4 and N.J.S.A. 58:12A-1 et seq. Requires the testing of Lead in drinking water in all New Jersey schools. We are pleased to inform you that the levels of Lead for all the taps tested in June at the Institute do not exceed the action level of 15.0 parts per billion (ug/L). The link below will direct you to the test results as well as other pertinent information regarding Lead tap water monitoring.

Somerset Hills Learning Institute takes very seriously the purity of its water and has contracted with McGowan Well Water Management Company and The Portasoft Company to manage and maintain our water system since we moved into the building in 2007. The Institute will continue to remain diligent to ensure its water is safe for consumption.

Click Here for Test Results

This link leads to the machine-readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to more easily access and analyze data. 
https://www.cigna.com/legal/compliance/machine-readable-files

Somerset Hills Learning Institute closely adheres to the amendments to P.L. 2010 Ch. 122, following guidelines from the New Jersey Department of Education outline in P.L. 2022 Ch.338. Our school actively makes the safety, security, and emotional well-being of all students a priority always. The school prohibits all acts of harassment, intimidation, and bullying.

The Somerset Hills Learning Institute is required to have an Anti-bullying Specialist, as outlined in the new law. The Anti-bullying Specialist’s responsibilities include chairing the school safety team, leading the investigation of any reports of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, and reporting on the investigation to administration.

Bullying, intimidating behavior, and other harassment is expressly prohibited at the Somerset Hills Learning Institute. Harassment, intimidation or bullying means any gesture or written, verbal or physical act that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus and that a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of harming a student or damaging the student’s property or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or to his or her property; or has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the school.

Any student who feels that he/she is the object of any form of harassment should share his/her concern to any member of the teaching, or administrative staff, including the Executive Director. The Somerset Hills Learning Institute Anti-Bullying Specialist will investigate the matter and take appropriate measures to prevent further offensive conduct. No student complaining of harassment will be the subject of any retaliatory or reprisal conduct, whether by school staff or fellow students and any such retaliatory or reprisal conduct will result in severe consequences.

Failure or refusal to comply with the Anti-Bullying Policy may result in proceedings that will lead to termination of placement.

Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Defined

When trying to determine if an incident is HIB, compare it against this definition:

Does the incident meet all of the following?

• Harassment, intimidation, or bullying means any gesture, any written, verbal, or physical act or any electronic communications whether it be a single incident or series of incidents that:
• is reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or mental, physical, or sensory disability; or by any other distinguishing characteristic.
• takes place on school property, at any school sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds.

• substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students.

And does it meet one of these?

“A reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the act(s) will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property.”

• Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students.
• Creates a hostile educational environment for the pupil by interfering with a pupil’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student.