KINGSTON, Pa. — A diner, photography studio, clothing store, and more.
There's a lot inside Small Town at Keystone Behavior Services inside this building along Market Street in Kingston.
"We created a small functional community called 'small town' for kiddos with disabilities," said Brandon Zlotek, Keystone Behavior Services.
It is open to any child that may want to practice social or functional skills in a life-size but secure setting before going out for the real thing.
"If a kid isn't understanding what's going on or they're overwhelmed or they're not used to that environment, then very often they'll engage in some type of inappropriate behavior," said Jacque Kishbaugh, Small Town at Keystone Behavior Services.
"So we take them to the store, the grocery store, and we teach them what it's like to be in an actual grocery store," said Zlotek.
"May not be able to cut their hair, but we can get them in the chair and we can wash their hair and we can have that hair and dryer going and we can have that keep on them. And we can be touching their hair," said Kishbaugh.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony invited many to come to take a look at the opportunities for their families. Folks at Keystone Behavioral Services are thrilled with the response.
Parents are excited about what a place like this will do for their children in the long run.
"I think it's incredible a difference in the community really giving the children the ability to have some real-world life skills. Where they can apply them in a controlled environment. So they can learn them in a way that really helps them take it out," said Ryan Nolan, Duryea.
So many opportunities under one roof mean a lot to the parents in the community.
"Absolutely gives them a real comfort, giving them a place where they can take their children, feel safe, and really get them through to different areas of life like the grocery store, that diner, the hair salon, a movie theater, and let them get comfortable those types of places before they go back out into the real world," said Nolan.
Even though the inspiration behind 'Small Town' was children who live with special needs, it is open to all children and even offers things like summer camps.
To learn more about Keystone Behavior Services, check out their website by clicking here.
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