WHO WE ARE
SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH
NYCLI was founded in 1994 as a state certified nonpublic preschool for children with autism. In 1995, educational services were extended to school-age children between the ages of five and eleven. In 2002, NYCLI was certified to serve the needs of learners up to age 21. The institute implements a science-based educational approach and is committed to providing the highest standard of education for its students.
Although it is an independent, nonpublic institution, NYCLI's preschool and school are accredited and certified by the New York City Department of Health and the New York State Education Department.
OUR PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL PROGRAM
The New York Child Learning Institute is a preschool and school-age program for children with a diagnosis of autism. The school provides effective educational services so that children with autism can acquire critical language, social and academic skills. As competencies in these skill areas are achieved, the students begin to develop meaningful relationships with others and to live productive lives within their communities.
The Institute’s educational model is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Having demonstrated effective outcomes, this science based teaching model is used by the school’s professional staff with warming care and dedication, producing a ladder of sequential skills that accommodates each child’s capacity.
OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
After gaining basic skills, NYCLI provides its students with work experiences in job settings that have been created by the Apprenticeship Program and partnered with local businesses. Young adults can enter the work force in jobs such as building maintenance, retail, data entry and food service.
With the help of a Life Skills Coach from NYCLI, students are coached to complete tasks to an employer’s required specifications. These Coaches are trained by NYCLI to provide an excellent intervention between the student, the merchants, and the community.
OUR RESEARCH
An integral part of the New York Child Learning Institute’s mission is to expand our knowledge of the treatment of youth with autism. An intensive research effort is underway at the Institute to investigate new teaching strategies and to further our understanding of accountability systems. In an effort to further our technology and to better understand the disorder, NYCLI’s research is being published in various peer-reviewed journals.
At present, the Institute is at the forefront of conducting research to better the development and evaluation of language intervention strategies. A series of articles have been published by NYCLI over the past five years in an effort to increase conversational language in youth with autism. Similarly, a series of articles are in the process of being published to investigate strategies to increase appropriate affective responding in youth with autism.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Over the past 10 years, The New York Child Learning Institute has worked with Master’s and Doctoral Graduate Students to conduct Dissertation research, Pre-Dissertation research, and class research projects. These partnerships have enabled graduate students to receive an in-depth understanding of Autism, hands-on training in the principles of applied behavior analysis, and opportunities to participate in applied research activities.
Graduate students receive training in skills such as: (a) current data collection and graphing conventions; (b) professionalism; (c) experimental design; and (d) data analysis.