6 Best NYC Schools for Children with Autism

If you are living (or moving to) New York City and are in search for schools that specialize in working with children who have been diagnosed with autism, take a look at our list of 6 best NYC schools for children with autism.

Selecting a proper school for a child is a big decision for every parent. However, the stakes are even higher for parents who have children with autism. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive patterns of behavior, difficulties with communication and interaction with other people.

The symptoms are often present from early childhood and affect child’s daily functioning. Some children with ASD avoid eye contact, have delayed speech and language skills, or become preoccupied with repetitive behavior. Despite the fact that there is no “cure” for autism, it is treated with behavioral interventions and therapies. According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, ideal interventions are those designed to meet the specific needs of the individual. Since autism appears in many different forms and with various symptoms, therapy for each individual must vary accordingly. These therapies are often skill-oriented training sessions that help children to develop social and language skills.

The beginning of school brings many challenges (and a lot of stress) for a child with autism. At the same time, it presents an opportunity to maximize the child’s ability to interact with others and to assimilate better. With this being said, it is essential to choose the best school for your child, where a team of professionals will help you to build a better future for your child. Also, if you are interested in summer camps designed to suit children with special needs, take a look at our list of 10 best summer camps in New York for children with special needs.

It is important to note that there are different types of schools for children with autism. Educational options include: public schools (from your own or different district), charter or magnet schools (these schools receive public funding and often operate using lottery), private schools (parents usually opt for private schools specialized only for children with autism spectrum disorder) and home schooling (choosing to educate your child at home often includes help of therapists and professionally educated personnel).

In order to compile this list 6 best NYC schools for children with autism, I consulted several sources like the website The Best Schools  and Google. I then compiled a list of nationally recognized schools specialized for children with autism after extensive research and e-mail inquiries. Schools on this list will include most frequently mentioned schools but they will not be ranked in a way that would claim “this school is better than that one”. Each school on this list is providing excellent education for children with autism and  “the best one” is the one that will suit the needs of your child and your family in the best possible way.

Let’s take a look at our list of the 6 best NYC schools for children with autism.

6. The Manhattan Childrens Center (MCC)

Parents commenting on this specific school claimed that is a top notch program with credentialed staff members. Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, The Manhattan Childrens Center was founded in 2007 and ever since it has been offering unparalleled instruction to children with autism. According to their website, MCC provides “scientifically-based world class treatment and education to children” ages 5 to 21. Children are provided with individual instruction according to their own needs and functional skills. Programs offered by MCC include: ABA 1:1 Classroom Model, ABA 8:3:1 Classroom Model, Crossbridge Program, Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. Teaching for each program is based on ABA and covers five clusters: academic, verbal behavior, social skills, community of reinforcement and self-management.

5. New York Child Learning Institute (NYCLI)

NYCLI, the next one on the list of best NYC schools for children with autism opened in 1994 as a certified, non-public preschool for children with autism. The following year, services were extended to children aged 5-11 and in 2002, NYCLI was certified to educate people with autism up to age 21. The Institute is also very active in conducting research in an effort to increase conversation skills in children with autism (which is often the biggest challenge). You can take a look at their recent publications. NYCLI is modeled after the Princeton Child Development Institute’s very effective program.

4. Rebecca School

At number 4 on our list of best NYC schools for children with autism we have the Rebecca School that is a private school in New York City that specializes in educating those, ages 4-21, with autism spectrum disorder. Program at Rebecca School fully integrates the DIR/Floortime model. Located at 40 East 30^th Street, the school covers 35,000 square feet, five floors and 16 classrooms. All teachers are highly qualified and trained to work with children with autism. You can find out more about them at the official website and educate yourself more about this school as well. It might be a perfect choice for your child.

3. Association for Metroarea Autistic Children Inc (AMAC)

As we continue our list of the 6 best NYC schools for children with autism, we have AMAC which was founded in 1961 by Patricia B. Selch and two parents of children with autism, Barbara Blum and Gloria Melin. The organization grew from dealing with three families to 350. It offers programs for people aged 4-21 with autism spectrum disorders. The Committee on Special Education (CSE) creates an individual education program for every child, according to his/her needs. School-age classes are structured according to age and functional skills. AMAC offers 4 different programs: Early Intervention (2-3 years old), Preschool (3-5 years old), Elementary and Secondary (5-21 year old) and Adult Day Habilitation (for adults with autism spectrum disorder diagnosis).

2. Imagine Academy

Imagine Academy is a school for children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 5+. It was founded by parents of affected children with the motto “We are dedicated to giving your child the best chance for success.” Teaching is based on one-on-one instruction with a multidisciplinary approach. It is the only school in Tri-State area offering a complete program that includes: ABA (applied behavioral analysis), DIR/Floortime (Developmental Individual Difference, Relationship-based model), occupational therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, and art therapy. Imagine Academy truly offers anything you can imagine for your child from fully equipped sensory gyms, culinary facilities, playgrounds, art and music studios to a visual motor therapy room and even a virtual reality zone. Moreover, Imagine Academy also offers residential facilities for those who need full-time care. We advise you to take a look at their website in order to see the full scope of their offering. It is truly amazing.

1. New York City Autism Charter School

New York City Autism Charter School is the first of its kind in New York City and it’s first on our list of best NYC schools for children with autism as well. It is a public charter school dedicated solely to children with autism. This school was opened in 2005, in New Harlem and this September, their new branch is opening in South Bronx as well. Executive Director Julie Fisher explained that the reason behind this decision is the large percentage of families from The Bronx who are on a waiting list. This is great news for everyone in the area who want their kids enrolled to this specific school. Class sizes are very small with an average of four students per classroom and the majority of classrooms offer one-on-one instructions. This school uses a very interesting approach: the school teaches in standard academic classrooms as well as real life “classrooms”. For example, they turned a regular bathroom into a teaching bathroom where they teach kids how to brush their teeth, tolerate haircuts, etc. This school uses ABA method (applied behavior analysis) and encourage positive behaviors and discourage negative ones.

Each one of the schools presented on our list of 6 best NYC schools for children with autism is a good school specializing solely in working with autistic children. All of them offer expert staff and amazing programs. We hope that the list helped you to find a perfect school for your child.