The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment

I went here about three years back and looking through my journey from boarding school to boarding school, Aspen was one of my favorite places to be. Sure it’s just a temporary home while they try to figure out where the best place to send you is, but the staff were all super kind and caring. I don’t think there was one time when one of the staff wouldn’t sit and join us in a game of Monopoly or try to help us out when we needed it. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not total push overs and the rules are enforced here but Aspen really worked with me and tried to make my stay seem less torturous compared to where I had been before. I remember my counselor, Lexi, she was amazing and I could not have felt anymore comfortable when talking to her, and I was able to send letters frequently between my parents and I.
I’m not all for sending your child to boarding schools (it is traumatizing, but I also understand that sometimes it is necessary if the parent does not have the right tools to help their child anymore), but if you don’t know what to do or what steps to take I would certainly recommend Aspen as a temporary placement. Your child will be confused and probably hurt but they will be talked through everything with the counselor, treated WELL by the staff, given privileges to play in the gym and outside, given opportunities to earn more games or playtime, and my main thing is that your child will just be treated well. It’s hard for a kid to be sent away and Aspen makes them feel welcome. And I guess a huge point is that my counselor was able to find a terrific school to send me to that fit my parents budget.
Ok! I think I’ve written enough, if you have any questions feel free to message me (: