It's currently a tutoring center for children with special needs, opened in memory of a young life lost. But the Christopher Donovan Center aims to expand to an elementary day school program, catering to students who have difficulties thriving in a traditional school setting.

"We're very eager to get the day school up and running," said Christopher Donovan Center President Helen Bradbury. By law, a new private school must be approved by the School Committee in the district in which it resides. It then can seek accreditation from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The center, which opened in 2007 and moved to its Recovery Road location in Wareham from Carver last December, is named for Bradbury's son, Christopher, who whose life was taken from him in 2005. He was just 22 years old. Christopher was a plumber by trade, but enjoyed working with children and helping people with special needs.

"He just had a gift," Bradbury said of Christopher, adding that children gravitated toward him. "We're touching the lives he can't."

Bradbury is a certified teacher for early childhood (pre-kindergarten through second grade) for students with or without disabilities, and is also certified to teach students with moderate disabilities in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and students with severe disabilities at all grade levels. She also has degrees in occupational therapy and psychology. Before opening the tutoring center, she taught in various public and private schools and provided occupational therapy in school systems.

Once receiving approval to operate as a full-year elementary school, the Christopher Donovan Day School, a non-profit, will cater to 15 students who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and other social pragmatic disorders, Bradbury said. The small, controlled environment will also be helpful for children with compromised immune systems. It will serve grades one through six, with a 3-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, and many students receiving one-on-one attention. The school will have nine staff-members.

The tutoring center will operate separately from the day school, providing students with therapy in sensory motor skills, social skills, and behavioral management, in addition to academic help.

The school is intended to serve children who struggle in traditional classrooms, who do not have alternative options, and who need a therapeutic learning program. "We're able to tailor each program to the individual students," Bradbury said. She stressed the importance of working with each child's parents and public school district to determine if the Christopher Donovan Day School would be the most appropriate setting for the child.

"Life's too short not to get the most out of it, so that's what we try to do for the kids, help them get maximum independence," Bradbury said. "The more kids we reach, the greater tribute [to Christopher.]"

For more information about the Christopher Donovan Center tutoring programs or day school, visit www.christopherdonovancenter.com.