Matheny’s School Outreach Program Visits Students in Butler and Clinton, NJ

Butler High School student, Anna Gleason,
races an adaptive tricycle against the
wheelchair of Matheny adult patient,
Chris Saglimbene.

Matheny Medical and Educational Center therapists, educators and students continue to visit public schools in New Jersey as part of the hospital/school’s expanding outreach program, designed to give able-bodied students the opportunity to experience what it is like to live with a disability.

On November 29, Matheny demonstrated adaptive phys ed equipment to two senior sociology classes at Butler High School in Butler, NJ. On December 3, the same demonstration was given to two seventh grade gym classes at the Clinton Public School in Clinton, NJ. Butler and Clinton students tried their hand at racing in power and manual wheelchairs and in an adaptive tricycle. They also experienced playing adaptive bocce and bowling.

In addition to being eye-opening for the public school students, the program served as a confidence builder for the Matheny students, who easily won most of the wheelchair races. And the sessions also helped to break down the social barriers that often exist between able-bodied and disabled young people. Matheny is a special hospital and special education school in Peapack, NJ, for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities.

School Outreach Video

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