It’s that time of the year again! ADAPT Community Network’s preschools have opened their doors to more than 1,300 children with special needs to start a new school year this fall.
ADAPT Community Network is the leading provider of preschool education for children with special needs in New York City. ADAPT and its network partner, New York League for Early Learning, bring high quality education, related services, therapies and technologies to families and children with special needs at 13 preschools throughout New York City. Families with children who have special challenges are often hard pressed to find an appropriate placement within the city’s public school system.
What makes ADAPT’s classrooms special is the ability for many of our students to graduate into integrated learning environments after attending our preschools. This is due to our robust curriculum and services that include speech, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, adaptive equipment, vision training, assistive technology, as well as specialized classroom models including augmentative communication and computer assisted instruction. At the beginning of the school year, each child receives an educational evaluation that will help ensure that the placement is right for them.
None of this would be possible without our excellent teaching staff. All of our classes are taught by certified teachers with Master’s Degrees, teacher assistants, therapists and other qualified support staff who work in small classroom settings that offer as much individualized attention as possible. Our teachers are certified early childhood special educators who provide services and supports for children with special needs, which is critical in each child’s early learning development. Additionally, ADAPT’s teachers are supported by Curriculum Coordinators who provide access to the latest resources and support best practices in our preschools.
Students are also able to express their creativity through music and art and each day, there’s plenty of play time both inside the classroom and outside at local parks and playgrounds. Many of our locations have their own special offerings, such as a large indoor adaptive swimming pool in Brooklyn, 12 acres of open play space in the Bronx, easy access to shopping and parks in Manhattan, and outdoor and indoor adaptive playgrounds on Staten Island.