7 Best School Districts in New York City for Autism

If you want to make sure that you will have plenty of schools which offer programs for children with autism in your district, take a look at this list of the best school districts in New York City for autism. New York City is divided into five boroughs and 32 geographic districts. Each district has its own superintendent and receives guidance from a council made up of parents and local representatives. There are around 750 attendance zones and families with children often choose where to buy an apartment according to desirable zones and districts. Clara Hemphill, the editor of a website Inside Schools which provides details and statistics on every public school in New York City, stated that there was an enrollment boom in the most desirable school districts such as District 15 and District 2 and it declined in undesirable districts such as District 5 and District 16. Anyhow, New York City is generally a great place for children with special needs, including those with autism spectrum disorder. There are many great summer camps in the area and you can see the ones we recommend on our list of 10 best summer camps in New York for children with special needs.

Choosing the right school district is of major importance for every parent, especially those whose children have special needs. This is the case with families who have children with autism spectrum disorder. For such families it is a must to find a school which will suit the needs of their child and offer program designed for children with autism. There are basically two options: one is finding a school that focuses primarily on the education of children with autism and the other one is finding a mainstream school with programs designed for an autistic child. Specialized autism schools are often private and not every parent can afford them. However, they are usually the best choice for autistic children who need intense therapy and one-on-one instructions which mainstream school cannot offer due to limited personnel and resources. On the other hand, children with Asperger’s or high-functioning autism generally fit well into the mainstream schools which offer programs that meet their needs.

One of such programs is ASD Nest inclusion program in New York City. Through this program children with autism, who are able to do grade-level work, are “nested” within supportive neighborhood schools. Each ASD Nest classroom has two teachers who are trained to work with autistic children and implement instructional strategies used in ASD Nest program. It basically uses the standard New York City curriculum with additional assistance. Since it was created in 2003  in a single Brooklyn school, this program went through a significant growth. For the 2014-2015 school year, this program was present in 35 schools across all five boroughs. This presents a great relief for families with autistic children who cannot afford expensive private schools because their child can attend a public school in their district and get the attention and help he/she needs.

Compiling the list of the best school districts in New York City for autism is not as easy as it seems. No matter how hard you look, you will not find a concrete answer which is why we decided to create this list for you. Since there is no data you can rely on, I’ve decided to use information on ASD Nest program in New York City. I checked every school on the list of New York City Public Schools with the ASD Nest Program and to which District it belongs. Then I compiled the list of 7 best school districts in New York City for autism. Districts are ranked according to the number of schools in each District, from lowest to highest.

7. District 4

District 4 extends from East 96^th Street and Second Avenue to the East 125^th Street and the Harlem River. There are two schools included in the ASD Nest Program PS 112 and MS/PS 206. PS 112 or Jose Celso Barbosa school is one of the first schools in New York City to implement ASD Nest Program. Each Nest classroom has two teachers trained in SDI (Social Development Intervention) and various instructional approaches used in the program. In addition to ASD Nest Program, Jose Celso Barbosa is one of four schools in New York City which offers Intensive Kindergarten (IK) Program designed for children with autism spectrum disorder. It is a one-year transitional program which places emphasis on social interactions, language, etc. Most students from this program continue with ASD Nest Program the following year. MS/PS 206 is the same type of school and it received the Pete and Carrie Rozelle Award from the National Center for Learning Disabilities. In addition to these two, District 4, the starting point of our list of best school districts in New York City for autism is home to New York Center for Autism Charter School which found it place on our list of 6 best NYC schools for children with autism. This school has small class sizes with an average of four students per classroom. Besides traditional classrooms they have “real-life” classrooms designed to look exactly like some of the places that the children encounter in everyday life. For example, bathroom is transformed in teaching bathroom where children learn how to brush their teeth, etc.

6. District 10

Up next on the list of best school districts in New York City for autism is District 10 that has two schools which offer ASD Nest Program. P.S. 396 school offers small classes with supportive and well-educated staff. Kindergarten includes four children with ASD and eight typically developing children. The ratio changes as children mature and the class size grows. Second school offering ASD Nest Program in this District is The Academy for Personal Leadership and Excellence. You can find more information on their official website.

5. District 11

We are continuing our list of best school districts in New York City for autism with District 11 that has plenty of good schools, including those for children with autism spectrum disorder. It has three ASD Nest Program Schools. The first one is P.S. 068 Bronx. Then there is Bronxdale High School which focuses on inquiry-based learning. You can find out more about this school at their official website. One World Middle School also offers ASD Nest Program. Teaching in this school is based on Project Based Learning where students often work on various multi-subject projects. The core curriculum includes New York State standard subjects: Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Physical Education. Additional courses include Visual Arts and Technology.

4. District 22

There are three ASD Nest Program schools in District 22: P.S. 222 Katherine R. Snyder School, P.S. P.S. 255 Barbara Reing School and J.H.S. 278 Marine Park School, making it one of the best school districts in New York City for autism.  Katherine R. Snyder School is a recipient of Blue Ribbon award in 2013-2014. This school also offers additional student services including speech therapy, occupational therapy, Academic Intervention Services, adapted physical education, etc. These services can be highly beneficial for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, especially speech and occupational therapy which is often recommended for children with autism. Barbara Reing School offers ASD Nest Program for: Kindergarten, 1^st Grade, 2^nd Grade, 4^th Grade and 5^th Grade. Kindergarten program accommodates four autistic students and eight typically developing children while ICT (Integrated Co-teaching) grade classes serve four autistic children and twelve typically developing children. Ration for higher elementary grades can be slightly higher. Introducing ASD Nest Program in Marine Park School was a revolutionary move because prior to this decision there were no other intermediate Nest programs in the entire area of southern Brooklyn meaning that children with autism had to travel either to North Brooklyn or Queens.

3. District 15

There are four ASD Nest Program schools in District 15 that ranks 3rd on the list of best school districts in New York City for autism. P.S. 32 The Samuel Mills Sprole School included the Nest Program to provide the opportunity for children with ASD to attend collaborative teaching classes with general education students. You can take a look at their class in practice on their website. MS 442 Carol Gardens School for Innovation is an award winning school offering ASD Nest Program for autistic students. According to their Facebook page, they provide a special social curriculum designed to support students with ASD and there are speech, occupational and physical therapists available at any time. M.S. 447 The Math and Science Exploratory School is another very good school in District 15 which offers Nest Program. They support experiential-based learning and operate based on a belief that all children have a natural curiosity about the world around them and how it functions.  They offer a standard-based curriculum with emphasis on mathematical and scientific skills. If your child shows special interest in math, numbers and science, in general, this school will be perfect for them. They have ICT program along with Nest Program. Finally, there is Millennium Brooklyn High School with a rigorous academic program which prepares students for future education. Find out more about this school on their official website.

2. District 25

The second place on our list of best school districts in New York City for autism goes to the District 25 that is home to four different schools which host ASD Nest Program. P.S. 165Q Edith K. Bergtraum has programs from Prekindergarten to 5^th grade. This school is notable for requiring students to keep math and writing portfolios in order to track their progress. All classes are structured to accommodate the needs of students with different learning styles. This is very helpful for students with autism since they are often visual learners. Besides the Nest Program, this school offers ICT classes in every grade and couple of separate classes designed only for kids with special needs.  P.S./M.S. 219 Paul Klapper School has 10 separate classes for children with special needs only as well as “inclusion programs” including the Nest Program. East-West School of International Studies is somewhat different from the above-mentioned schools. It serves students in grades 6 to 12 and they offer Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages. Each student is required to choose one of the three languages which they will study for the minimum of three years. This school is a perfect choice for families of Korean, Chinese or Japanese origin because the child will have the ability to meet this culture and language along with standard academic studies, all within the Nest Program. The Queens School of Inquiry: An Early College Initiative School (6^th-12^th)  is designed as early college program culminating with 11^th and 12^th graders attending classes at Queens College. Teachers have different approaches for different students and struggling learners are supported and encouraged during their studies. Besides the Nest Program, this school also offers ICT classes as well.

1. District 31

And finally, the first place on our list of best school districts in New York City for autism goes to the District 31 that has the largest number of schools with ASD Nest Program which is why it takes the number one spot on our list. P.S. 004 Maurice Wollin is the first school on Staten Island to host ASD Nest Program. Approximately one-third of students have special needs at PS 4 and school offers adaptive physical education classes, speech and occupational therapy as well as ICT classes. P.S. 069 Daniel D. Tompkins received Staff Pick for Special Education from Inside School Website. This school offers multiple programs and approaches for children with autism. Besides Nest Program, they have Horizon Program which offers self-contained classes for students who need more support. Intensive Kindergarten is designed to serve the needs of autistic students with average or high aptitude. After attending Intensive Kindergarten, students continue with the Nest Program the following year. I.S. 075 Frank D. Paulo accommodates students from 6^th to 8^th class. It has a high percentage of students with special needs and besides the Nest Program, it also accommodates District 75 program.  P.S. 9 Naples Street Elementary School is unzoned school open to students from across Staten Island. If your child is creative and enjoys art, this school will be perfect for them since it focuses mostly on art. Besides ASD Nest Program, it offers Horizon program, ICT classes as well as speech and occupational therapy. You can find more information on their official website. The last school on our list is Tottenville High School which also offers both, ASD Nest Program and Horizon program for autistic children. We hope that this list of the best school districts in New York City for Autism will give you a glimpse of education offered for children with autism in New York City. Additionally to this list, you should also check out other services your child might need, including the ABA therapy.