NSSA currently offers an educational
program, consultation services to Long Island
school districts, in-home respite services, a Saturday recreational program,
an adult services program, Assistive Technology Program and Summer Camp
program.All of our programs are
staffed by trained employees who are supervised by Masters or Ph.D. level
psychologists and special educators.Our support is derived from the New York State Education Department,
the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), and
private fundraising.
Education Program / The MartinC.BarellSchool
In January 1993, NSSA was proud to open The Martin C. Barell School, named in honor of then New York State
Board of Regents Chancellor, Martin C. Barell.
Chancellor Barell shared our vision and advocated
for our programs to the New York State Education Department. The MartinC.BarellSchool provides a
full-day, twelve-month program for preschool and school age children ranging
in age from three to twenty-one years. It enrolls a maximum of twenty-five
students, with an instructor-to-student ratio of 1 to 1.5. The small size and
high teacher-to-student ratio are integral to achieving optimal results for
each student. They allow for the promotion of a significant degree of
individualization of each student’s program, curriculum, reinforcement
and motivation systems, as well as intensive clinical oversight and on-going
data analysis.
The highly structured program is based on the principles of Applied Behavior
Analysis (ABA), in which each child has behaviorally defined and measurable
goals. Each child’s progress is reviewed regularly so that if the child
is not learning, adaptations to the teaching method can be made immediately.
On-going assessment of each student’s reinforcement preferences leads
to the development of highly individualized motivation systems for all
students. Ultimately self-monitoring, or the ability to deliver one’s
own reinforcement in the absence of teacher supervision, is the goal of each
system. Students receive instruction in a variety of settings (i.e. in the
classroom, at home, and in the community). Student-to-teacher ratios are
based on the individual needs of each student. Some receive instruction on a
one-to-one basis for some or part of their day, others are taught in small
groups, and still others are slowly integrated into public school special or
regular education classrooms in their home district.
Each student’s program is designed to teach pre-academic and academic
skills, communication, recreation, socialization, and daily living skills.
Depending on the needs of the student, behavior reduction plans to reduce and
replace inappropriate behaviors are designed, implemented, and monitored on
an on-going basis. Careful attention is placed on the systematic
generalization of skills from school to the home and into the community. The
goal of each child’s program is to increase independence,
communication, and socialization skills and to enable students to maximize
their full potential and become contributing members of their families and
communities.
An ABA
trained Master’s level Speech and Language Pathologist provides
on-going consultation to the education program. This affords NSSA’s clinical staff and students’ access to
the most current knowledge from the field of Speech and Language Pathology.
Recommendations based upon on-going evaluation, observation, and discussion
with the clinical team, are then incorporated into each child’s
program. This collaboration between disciplines enhances the quality of
programming and optimizes the communication skills of each student.
Parents play an integral role in their child’s education. At the MartinC.BarellSchool parents receive
extensive training, both in school and at home, in the principles and
application of behavioral theory and teaching techniques. This training
empowers the parents to be active participants in their child’s
education program and enables them to support the transfer of newly acquired
skills to the home and community. In addition, families receive specific
instruction in their home on an as needed basis, to address goals and
challenges specific to their child and family (e.g. eating and/or sleep
disorders, aggression, dining out in restaurants, attending a sibling’s
sporting event, etc.) Family support is also provided through NSSA sponsored
parent and sibling support groups and on open door visitation policy.
NSSA
receives funding through the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities to provide much needed respite services to
families struggling with the responsibility of caring for a child with
autism. Services are provided during the day or evening in the family’s
home by NSSA-trained staff members.
In addition to in-home respite services, NSSA offers a bimonthly Saturday
recreation program. The program is held at NSSA twice monthly from 10 am to 3
pm. The program, which is also staffed by NSSA-trained staff members, offers
a variety of leisure and recreation activities to individuals with autism.
These activities include arts and crafts, baking, sports, game playing,
puzzle and block building, and music participation.
NSSA is
deeply committed to providing quality services to individuals with autism
residing in Nassau and Suffolk counties. As such NSSA continually
strives to increase the availability of these services to children and
families in need. The provision of consultation services to school districts
is one way that NSSA fulfills this commitment.
NSSA staff provides observation and assessment of students with autism in
public and private school settings at the request of the student’s home
school district. In addition, NSSA provides training and consultation
services to district personnel supporting students in inclusion or
self-contained public and private school settings and home programs.
In 2004 when
the first student attending NSSA’s Martin C. Barell School reached the age of twenty-one and could no
longer be served in the Education Program, NSSA launched an Adult Services
Program to serve the needs this student and the many others who will graduate
after him. With each passing year NSSA will be serving an expanding
population in its Adult Services Program.
Through this program, NSSA is helping to foster the skills that develop
greater independence for our clients throughout their lives. Whether through
job sampling, or job training, NSSA works to ensure that the adults we serve
are still able to grow and develop to their maximum potential. Our primary
concern for the adults that we serve is that they continue to grow to their
greatest level of independence through employment and skills required of
daily living. The intricacies of appropriate behavior in the community are
also addressed through the Adult Services Program.
NSSA’s commitment is to high quality lifelong
support. Through the Adult Services Program, NSSA is living up to that
commitment.
NSSA launched its Assistive
Technology Program in order to better address the learning and communication
needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders through the use of
technology.The program provides
evaluations of individuals with autism spectrum disorders to identify
reading, writing, and communication strengths and weaknesses that can be remediated or compensated through the use of Assistive
Technology (AT). The program also provides consultation services and on-going
support and training to educators, service providers, and family members on
the incorporation of AT into the school, home, and community settings. NSSA
works directly with the child’s education team and family members to
modify curriculum, facilitate learning, and meet the child’s
communication needs in varied settings. The Assistive Technology Program also
provides continuing education to those working with and caring for
individuals with ASDs on existing technology to
help remediate both communication and literacy deficits. On-going training
and demonstrations to professionals and family members will help them
identify simple technology solutions to remediate many learning and
communication challenges of autism.
NSSA
established a week-long summer day camp program to help provide additional
structure and recreation opportunities for children with autism at the close
of summer school sessions, a time when it is typically not available. In
addition to developing sports and leisure skills, the camp benefits children
with autism by giving them opportunities for social and community
integration. The camp program also helps to lessen the burden placed upon
their families during a particularly challenging period of time each year.
NSSA
receives funding through the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities to provide much needed respite services to
families struggling with the responsibility of caring for a child with
autism. Services are provided during the day or evening in the family’s
home by NSSA-trained staff members. 
NSSA is
deeply committed to providing quality services to individuals with autism
residing in 
In 2004 when
the first student attending 
NSSA launched its Assistive
Technology Program in order to better address the learning and communication
needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorders through the use of
technology.
NSSA
established a week-long summer day camp program to help provide additional
structure and recreation opportunities for children with autism at the close
of summer school sessions, a time when it is typically not available. In
addition to developing sports and leisure skills, the camp benefits children
with autism by giving them opportunities for social and community
integration. The camp program also helps to lessen the burden placed upon
their families during a particularly challenging period of time each year.