Nicole Puopolo

Matheny Medical and Educational Center

Matheny's mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Overview Matheny is a special hospital for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities . . . a special education school providing academics, combined with functional life skills, for students, ages 3-21 . . . and a comprehensive outpatient center meeting the health care needs of people with all types of disabilities in the community. Matheny also trains healthcare professionals, therapists and educators in how to work effectively with persons who have developmental disabilities. Matheny's main campus in Peapack, NJ, is home to 100 children and adults with developmental disabilities. Its five group homes, located in Somerset and Warren counties, provide a residence in the community for an additional 30 adults. Many of the children and adults currently at Matheny, in addition to their primary diagnoses, have a long list of associated clinical conditions such as vision and hearing deficits, seizure disorders, mental retardation and dysphagia, with resulting aspiration problems. While the great majority of Matheny patients have cerebral palsy as their primary diagnoses, Matheny also has patients with spina bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of uncommon conditions including Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Cornelia De Lange syndrome, Wolf-Hirshorn syndrome and 4Q Deletion syndrome. Lesch-Nyhan Disease is a rare x-linked recessive disorder associated with cognitive impairment, high levels of uric acid in the blood, kidney involvement and the hallmark symptom — severe and involuntary self-injurious behaviors. Matheny is recognized as the leading source of information on care issues regarding LND.