Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > New Info
Aspen Education Group: Any former students?
Anonymous:
My experience with SUWs of the Carolinas, an Aspen Wilderness camp has so far been very good. I am basing this on the letters that I am receiving from my daughter and the weekly conversations with her therapist. My daughter is 14 was just expelled from a boarding school and has major issues with being adopted and her learning challenges. I'll get a better sense of the truth when I pick her up next week. But from what I can tell she is in a better space than she was two months ago when she was threatening to run away, drinking, and treating me like crap. Hope this helps.
Anonymous:
Please do not let them talk you into sending her to a long term residential program, which they almost always try to do. If you are tempted, please seek help at home first, with a competent professional. Many of the programs out there do more harm than good, and very few offer any type of real therapy. Also, in case you aren't aware, many of the residential programs have no licensing requirements and are subject to no oversight by state child protective agencies. Montana, for one, has absolutely no regulation of private residential programs. Beware of any facility that limits outside contact and restricts family visitation.
Anonymous:
We just visited Aspen Ranch as a possible placement for our son who is currently at Redcliff Ascent.
I didn't care for it personally. They had a nice facility but something didn't feel right.
We got to talk to several of the kids and ask them questions but I had the feeling that they didn't feel able to really talk.
The food looked pretty distastful as well especially considering you pay almost 7K a month.
We went to another facility in New Mexico and the feeling was totally opposite. The kids were all talking and smiling and eating pizza and and a healthy green salad. The school was clean and the kids just seemed more relaxed.
Could be that this one was non-profit where Aspen Ranch is definately for profit -- big profits.
As a Parent I would say that if you would consider any of these places, check them out up and down. Check out web sites such as these as well as the state and local authorities.
Check out the local newspaper for stories. You can also try to call the local law enforcement people to see if there have been any complaints.
There is no substitute for a personal visit. Show up early or unannounced... Stay a while and look around -- if they want you to only see what they want you to see you will be able to tell that there is something not right.
The one we chose let us have free run of the place. They spent quality time with us and let us go where ever we wanted and talk to who ever we wanted and they also let us walk around on our own...
Big difference -- If you get a bad vibe at all -- trust your gut.
Good luck.
Anonymous:
yeah i went to aspen achievement academy and i was there for over a month and got kicked out i ran away all the way to a town in one nite 22 miles and didnt get caught till later the next day...... i have a huge long story about aspen that no one else has because not alot of people get kicked out for being there over a month... well my email address is luara1@hotmail.com
i still have everything from aspen the sleeping bag all my clothes everything that they gave me all the school work we had to do..... has anyone been there lately.. i heard that brat camp 3 will be filmed at aspen in loa utah....
Anonymous:
My son is currently at Aspen Ranch in Loa. I just came back from a long Thanksgiving visit. The last visit was in October when there was a lot of firing of staff and new managment.
Matt Alexander is in charge and he seems to be a good guy. The therapist and teachers also are very good and dedicated. Non the less the program itself has many flaws and at 7100 a month I feel it should be flawless.
I don't really see any real abuse, yes they are a little hard on the kids but it's only because the babysitters as I call them are not smart enough to figure out the rules. They can't figure out the difference between freedom of speech and negative talk therfore the kids cannot voice there opinions as freely as they wish. Also, the condition of the school is a shamble the ropes course that they sell you on has not been in working order in 7 months. They sell you on the idea that if you have a bright child, which I do he can excelorate in his studies, well he really can't if the library and computers are not available on the weekends to use. Also, the food is really disgusting, although there are nice cook outs and they have treats now and then.
I'm in touch with many other mothers and we are always visiting talking to the kids and snooping around. I do agree that I don't think that it's the answer
to everything but if you have a kid that might end up dead from drugs or alchol etc. It's a fairly safe place and right now the staff is pretty good.
My son wants to go to another boarding school one that is a little more free one without levels and more demanding in school. He does not have a substance abuse problem he is very bright but is suffering from deppression and has to work at his own pace in school. He might have PDD a very slight case. I was looking into Oak Hill Academy in VA or Hyde school in CT anything bad about those schools? Any suggestions? He is great at debate loves the japanese language excels in verbal skills is weak in math and science. Nee!
ds struc
ture and a good therapist. Thank you KK:)
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