Y.A.L.E. School NJ Southeast at Marlton Campus

Y.A.L.E. School Southeast campus is located in Evans School on Rt. 73 in Marlton and serves students 3 to 21 years old with autism or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS).

The program provides a full day of educational programming, and instruction is based on the principles and practices of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an evidence-based treatment shown by research to be highly effective for students with an autism spectrum disorder.

The high school curriculum at our Marlton campus emphasizes functional academics and training in prevocational and life skills. Older students continuing beyond high school receive vocational training, job sampling, and/or job coaching on an individual basis. Weekly community outings allow students to generalize the knowledge and skills they learn in classrooms.

To improve student outcomes, the goals in each student’s IEP are measured objectively and frequently. Changes to instruction and services are based on data trends, clinical conferences, parent conferences, and IEP requirements.

The Southeast at Marlton campus offers:

  • Low student-to-staff ratio
  • Small classes limited to 6-8 students
  • Highly qualified teachers
  • Six onsite Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
  • ABA-based instruction
  • Data-based instruction and intervention
  • A curriculum that stresses academics, life skills, functional communication, fine and gross motor skills, adaptive behaviors, and independence
  • Instructional strategies including errorless teaching, incidental teaching, functional behavioral assessments, individualized activity schedules, and verbal behavior
  • Individualized schedules of reinforcement
  • Frequent communication between school, home, and the student’s home district
  • An extended school year program
  • Transition consultation services

Y.A.L.E. School Southeast at Marlton Team Leaders:

Rachael Sautter, Ph.D., BCBA-D – Director of Educational Services, Y.A.L.E. School’s Autism Program

Dr. Sautter has been with the Y.A.L.E. School since 2007. She earned her Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis from Western Michigan University and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA-D). Dr. Sautter has conducted several research studies and her work has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals and books. With more than 12 years of experience in the field of developmental disabilities, Dr. Sautter has worked as a behavioral therapist for children with a diagnosis of autism both at home and in public school settings. Dr. Sautter has also taught at Western Michigan University and served as a practicum supervisor for graduate and undergraduate students completing behavior analytic fieldwork.


Ann Davidson, M.A. – Principal and Director

Ann has been with the Y.A.L.E. family of programs since 1989. As the school leader, she supervises school operations, staff, and programs, and provides overall administration. She earned her undergraduate degree in political science from Susquehanna University and her teacher certification from Rowan University. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Rider University. Ann began her career as a teacher assistant at Y.A.L.E. and all of her educational training has been at Y.A.L.E. She has worked with students with a range of brain-based disabilities, including those with neurological and emotional disabilities, as well as those with autism spectrum disorders. Deeply committed to evidence-based special education, Ann works to ensure that teachers and aids at the Southeast campus are aware of and implementing the latest in research-based instruction.


Melissa Luczkiewicz, M.Ed. – Assistant Director of Educational Services

Melissa has been with Y.A.L.E. since 2005. She is responsible for schoolwide staff training and supervision. Melissa earned her master’s degree in special education from Temple University and her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers. She became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) in 2005. She is also professionally certified as a Safety-Care trainer and by the Crisis Prevention Institute as a trainer. She began her work in the field of autism in 1999, and today works with educators to design and implement systemic approaches to helping students with autism learn and reduce behavior that gets in the way of their success.


Rebecca Forrestel, Ph.D. BCBA-D – Behavior Analyst

Rebecca has been with Y.A.L.E. since 2016. She conducts functional behavioral assessments, develops curriculum, supervises classroom teachers and teaching assistants, and provides staff training and supervision for the board certification in behavior analysis. She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology from Purdue University, her master’s degree in special education from Arcadia University, and her Ph.D. in educational psychology/special education from Temple University. She is certified in the state of New Jersey as a teacher of the handicapped for grades K-12, and is a doctoral level Board-Certified Behavior Analyst â (BCBA-D). Rebecca has particular interests in the scope and sequence of ABA-based curricula, as well as evidence-based teaching procedures.

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