Schools for autistic childes in NY

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As a parent of a child with autism, I’ve always looked for ways to help my child thrive in a world that often doesn’t understand his unique way of processing information. Recently, I came across a program that caught my attention – the ASD Nest Program.

The ASD Nest Program is a New York City Department of Education initiative that aims to provide autistic children with the support they need to succeed in mainstream classrooms. The program is currently implemented in 39 public schools across the city, serving over 1,000 students with autism.

The program’s approach is unique. Instead of segregating autistic children in separate classrooms, the ASD Nest Program integrates them into regular classrooms, providing them with the support they need to thrive. The program’s success is evident because its earliest cohorts are now graduating from high school with Regents diplomas and going off to college.

One of the schools implementing the ASD Nest Program is P.S. 15 Patrick F. Daly, located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. At P.S. 15, children with intellectual or multiple disabilities join their peers in general education classrooms to learn together. This approach has been so successful that P.S. 15 is helping a small Texas district prepare to launch a similar program next year. You can read more about this in this New York Times article.

The success of the ASD Nest Program is a testament to the power of inclusion. It shows that when given the right support, children with autism can thrive in mainstream classrooms. However, the program is not without its challenges. As the number of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise, there is a need for more programs like ASD Nest.

In addition to the ASD Nest Program, other initiatives aim to support autistic students. One such initiative is Project REACH, a pilot program implemented on five City University of New York campuses. The program offers weekly workshops and one-on-one peer mentorship to students with autism. You can read more about Project REACH in this HuffPost article.