Since its founding in 1972, Orchard Village has provided community-based residential options including supervised group homes, transitional (toward independence) living options, and intermittently supported independent living arrangements. In 1977, Orchard Village began providing vocational & job placement services to persons with a variety of developmental challenges. Since the 1980’s, Orchard Village has provided services to families who care for a loved one with a developmental disability living in their home. In 2007, Orchard Village established Orchard Academy, an Illinois State Board of Education approved special education high school focused on successfully transitioning students from secondary to post-secondary employment, college-level coursework, community integration and independent living. Two new programs successfully launched in the last few years: Abilities in Motion, an outcomes-oriented therapeutic recreation program, and InnOVations, a vocational day program focusing on job training. Orchard Village tailors its programs to meet the needs and goals of each client so that they can live the lives they want to the best of their abilities.