Lotts Legacy / High Top

[Anonymous]

Lotts Legacy Boarding School
High Top Academy

Any Feedback on these Programs?

[Note: Antigen took the liberty of switching the subject line "Any feedback..." for the program names in order to draw attention from ppl who know those names]

[Lee Ann]

I know very little about Lotts legacy.  What I do know is that it is owned by a couple of sisters.  I believe it is a co-ed program.  It is located in the southern remote town of Escalante Utah. http://www.lottslegacyboardingschool.com
I am very familiar with High Top.  It is a sister program of Sorenson's Ranch School.  It is owned by Ell and Chad Sorenson both brothers of Burnell Sorenson who owns SRS.  Ell and Chad have very strong educational backgrounds.  Ell recently retired as a school district superintendant in the Anchorage Alaska area.  
High Top works with boys ages 10 - 14.  They have therapy, education and outdoor activities.  It is a secure environment.  They also have a charter with the Boy Scouts of America.
 http://www.hightopranch.com/

[Anonymous]

Lotts Legacy appears to be a "transitional" kind of program.  For kids who have already completed a program but need assistance "practicing".

http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives ... /np02.html

High Top is targeted as Lee Ann said for boys ages 10-14.  Personally, my opinion is that 10 years old is awfully young for a child to be away from home for as long as a year, regardless of the circumstances.  

Anybody else have an opinion on this?

[Lee Ann]

I agree that 10 is very young for a program, however, I have had the opportunity to visit High Top personally and have seen with my own eyes the behavior of these boys.  I spent the better part of a morning with Ell and a few of the boys.  I, as a parent myself, would have a hard time sending my young son away for specialized help but after spending time at High Top, it was very apparent that the boys there did, in fact, need residential help beyond most parents capabilities.
 
Please don't misunderstand, I am not saying that a program is appropriate for all "troubled children." The boys that I spoke with and observed, in my humble opinion, were appropriate for this type of program. The boys are attended to 24/7 by what appeared to be very caring and VERY patient staff.

The residents appeared to be well cared for, the student-teacher ratio from what I observed was 3:1, group was being conducted by a certified couselor and the facility was clean. And I think more importantly the boys seemed happy and eager to interact with me.  

Yes, again I agree that 10 is very young but on occasion this type of residential program is needed and in some cases a God send.

[Anonymous]

Lee Ann, are you an educational consultant?

[Antigen]

Lee Ann, I have my doubts.

How do you determine that the problem exists in the child and is not a natural, healthy response to the way the child has been treated?

In my time in Straight, Inc. I saw a LOT of fairly normal kids come through the door, somewhat shell shocked after the routine intake initiation. Some kids bore up pretty well at first, some just went along almost immediately. But the normal response was to resist in some way. Some did it passively, just refusing to say what they were expected to say or to pretend everything going on was normal, others got angry and responded w/ violence to unwelcome physical contact and really horrible accusations and demands for confession.

If a stranger walked in and saw one of these kids acting out, they might conclude that the kid was crazy. But it's sort of a dancing frog situation. You don't see what the parents and program people have done to the kid to evoke an angry response.

How do you determine, based only on what you see of the kid under program care, that the problem is in the kid?

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
-- John Muir

[Lee Ann]

Anonymous: As for the Educational Consultant - Yes and no.  My husband and I have been in the program industry for the past 11 years.  We have worked for various Utah programs. I will give a straight unbiased opinion of each program discussed.  This last spring I thought I would give it a go at helping parents wade through the -what I call "brochure bullcrap".  But I no longer do it for pay.
 
Antigen:  I have worked with children that have ripped the heads off kittens, set fired to their house on numerous occassions, and exposed themselves playing in the yard, at grocery stores, etc. just to name a few. About 15 years ago I was a certified Day Care provider with the state of Utah.  My speciality was respite care for parents with children 8 - 14. I helped parents that were desperate for time off.  Not to go on vacation, but to get this, take a shower, get a couple of hours sleep, maybe go to dinner or even just take a few minutes to read a book with one of their other children.  These parents loved their children very much but did not have the where with all to handle this type of behavior day after day after day.  

I stated before that a program is NOT appropriate for all children, but in some cases it is necessary for life to function normally for both parents and child.  A highly structured daily format is very comforting to this type of child.  A parent can not always guarentee that lunch will be right at 12:00 each day and reading time will happen at exactly 2:30, especially if there are other children in the home.  We all know "Shit happens" and this can be very disturbing to a child that depends on the structure.

You are right, it is possible that home life can be contributing to the childs behavior.  I only saw this one time.  The authorities were called and the child ultimately was removed from the home.

I will be the first to say that out of home placement or residential care should the the LAST resort when all other avenues have been exhausted.

[Anonymous]

Lee Ann - so you're not an expert on Lotts Legacy High Top. You went to visit.  I'd rather hear from parents or the kids themselves and then decide for myself.  You help people wade through brochure bullshit.  I don't buy the fact that you don't get paid - maybe it's just your husband and you reap the benefits of the high fees paid to educational consultants who have only visited the schools on occasion.  I respect your opinion, but it really is only an opinion, as is mine. Youre' really on the wrong site.  This is a bash site.  There's no room for positive stories here.

[Lee Ann]

Lotts Legacy and High Top are two different programs.  Truth is I don't know that much about Lotts.  I have never visited.  I have talked with an adimssions person there over a year ago.  Things change and I have not kept up on that particular program.  

My husband and I are at present both employeed by different programs here in Utah.  As I stated, at one point I tried my hand at the ed. con thing but didn't make any money because I was much to willing to give the infomation away rather then make people pay for it.  And as for programs paying a fee, I never recieved one.  

I was only responding to a request for information.  "Youre' really on the wrong site. This is a bash site. There's no room for positive stories here."  I believe you are wrong.  There is or at least should be room for positive, unbiased opinions.  Trust me I have lots of  things to say about many Utah programs. Some of it good ~ some of it bad ~ some indifferent. ::heart::