Our mission is to empower children and adults with developmental disabilities to achieve their potential based on personal choices, abilities and interests...
For more information contact:
Regina Moore
Marketing Manager
phone: (914) 428-8330,
ext. 3117
fax: (914) 997-2985
or (914) 428-0322
rmoore@westchesterarc.org
Westchester Arc
Herbert Katzenberg Center
121 Westmoreland Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
(914) 949-9300
info@westchesterarc.org
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Press Release
Pre-schoolers with Developmental Disabilities Move to Community Kindergartens
White Plains, New York, July 11, 2005 — Nearly half of the 79 children who just graduated from Westchester Arc’s Children’s School for Early Development will attend typical kindergarten classes in their home school districts next year, including four children with autism. Graduates who were once non-verbal are now speaking in full sentences, singing songs and reciting the alphabet.
At a recent graduation ceremony in Hawthorne, students shook hands and said good morning to one another, spelled out their names, counted past 10 and recited the days of the week—demonstrating memory retention, speech and social skills they learned at the pre-school.
“Eight of this year’s graduates no longer require any special supports,” notes Fran Porcaro, the school’s director.
The Children’s School was first school in New York State to offer day-long, community-based classes for children with autism. The school’s staff are trained in state-of-the art techniques by Dr. Vincent Carbone, a nationally recognized expert in learning environments for individuals with autism. Their approach, known as ABA/VB (applied behavior analysis/verbal behavior) combines intensive, highly structured techniques with a flexible, natural approach to learning speech and communication patterns.
The Westchester Foundation for Autism and Related Developmental Delays (WFA) recently honored Westchester Arc and Children’s School Program Coordinator Phyllis Rizzi for their outstanding contributions to the education of children with autism. WFA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life for children with autism and other developmental delays through social events, recreational programs and educational workshops.
Based in Hawthorne, The Children’s School collaborates with 17 community-based pre-schools to provide innovative educational, social and support services to over 200 children with developmental disabilities. Community-based, or inclusion, classes enable students with disabilities to model the speech and behavior patterns of their typically developing classmates. The benefit is two- way, with typically developing kids learning important life lessons concerning compassion, tolerance and the range of individual differences. They also benefit from increased professional staffing, since the Children’s School provides New York State-certified teachers with graduate degrees, as well as psychologists, clinical social workers, and speech, occupational and physical therapists. In some cases, the parents of typical children have made special requests for their kids to attend the inclusion classes. Over 550 children have graduated from the pre-school since inclusion classes began in 1994.
Westchester Arc is the largest organization in the county serving children and adults who have developmental disabilities such as autistic spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. To signal a deepening desire by people with disabilities and their families for community inclusion, Westchester Arc recently revised its name. As Westchester “Arc” (rather than “ARC”), the agency name symbolizes its work to bridge gaps and build supportive connections between people with developmental disabilities and the community. Westchester Arc is funded through both public and private means.
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