Tuesday, July 17, 2007

New ABA School in Manhattan

Here's their announcement. Word from parents who have inquired is that they plan to have 30 pupils, and they will be Carter funded, with an estimated tuition of $90K. I'm thrilled to learn of new seats offering what sounds like a quality ABA program, but whew is that a big ticket.
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Manhattan Childrens Center
Opening its Manhattan Campus September 2007

Providing services for children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders.


The Children’s Center’s Upper West Side campus will provide scientifically based world class treatment and education to children ages 3 to 12 utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

The program’s Interdisciplinary Model will incorporate ABA, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy as well as natural environment training and family support.

The Children's Center is a partner in research and service activities with Columbia University, Teachers College faculty and students.

Program information may be obtained by contacting Abigail Szoszun-Weiss, Director of Admissions at 347-578-3442.


The Children’s Center’s Brooklyn Campus (www.schoolworksonline.org) was established in 1996 to provide educational and therapeutic services to children with developmental delays including children diagnosed with PDD and Autism. Over the years of its existence, The Children's Center has served over 1,500 children and employed over 200 professionals in its Interdisciplinary Model. It is this level of front line experience that gives The Children's Center its expertise in delivering quality services to the right children at the right time by the right people.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've actually met with the directors there and it seems like it is going to be a stellar program. The model they presented and ratio in each classroom are like nothing i've seen so far in the city

Anonymous said...

Not that big a ticket. I've looked into their program and highly credentialed staff. This is going to be a top notch program. I understand that seats arefilling up quickly. It's worth taking a look.

Unknown said...

I'd be more impressed with these exemplary comments if their authors had left names.

sara.anderson said...

My daughter is 5 years old and will be going to MCC in the FAll and I posted the above comment regarding how impressed I am with the program.

Judy Collado said...

How can you not think its expensive. My son has Pdd-nos and I could never afford a school like this. What about the people who are in my situation? Should these kids not have the same advantages because we can't afford to pay $90k a year?

Anonymous said...

This price is ridiculous! It is very sad how someone wants to become filthy rich using these innocent autistic children and their parents who desires to give them nothing but the best. Also they have selected the group of children to attend this school. I called many times and left messages and no one has returned my phones how fishy is that.

Anonymous said...

Judy, try going for reimbursement of tuition from Dept of Ed. Hire an attorney to ascertain your rights. Similar schools all charge about the same. Elija School on Long Island is at 90K and McCarton is over $100K. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

I don't know who anonymous is, but I have called Manhattan Children's Center many times and was always able to speak with Abigail Weiss the admissions person. I am going for my impartial hearing in a few days and hope for placement of my son at this school.

Unknown said...

Oddly, this post is suddenly generating more comment activity than the whole blog has gotten in months. There must not be very many places to talk about this elsewhere.

What I've said elsewhere, but maybe not here, is that even though the "Carter funded" schools that require families to put up tuition and sue the Dept. of Ed. raise equity concerns, they are the main source of new seats to serve kids on the autism spectrum in NYC, and with the exception of the Charter School, the only way that new school age ABA programs have come into being. [I don't count the Hawthorne Manhattan program because most of the kids served there initially were already attending the Westchester campus.]

With so many NYC kids unserved or inappropriately served, and the usual pattern being that "Carter funded" programs become non-public programs within about five years, this expansion in capacity justifies the equity problem in my view.

And as to cost, that is just what a high quality program costs.

Anonymous said...

You are absolutely correct Lynn.
There are only two high quality programs serving school age children with autism in NY City, McCarton and Manhattan Children's Center and their cost is high but appropriate.

Anonymous said...

Paul is correct. Note, however that Manhattan Children's Center is more Behavior Analytic than McCarton and also has a hugh language component.

Anonymous said...

Amazing....sue the Dept of Education for what? Have you actually tried placing your autistic child in a public school? I am a special education teacher and my students get an EXCELLENT education. My son's public school has no money for para's in pre-k or kindergarten. Where are the taxpayers money going?? Obviously paying for lawyers on bogus impartials. It is plain to see that these schools are being created on the fears of parents, so that they will do anything to pay outrageous tuitions that are making people rich. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So while you pay for someone to show dvd's and sensory spas which are nothing more than blue painted rooms, kids in public schools are learning to communicate, transition, share, take turns, and yes read, write, and all that jazz.

Anonymous said...

I hear this school is really special. Has anyone heard if they still have openings? My child"s BCBA consultant says this place is the best in NY. anyone know anything about this school?

Anonymous said...

It is amazing that anyone believes that NYC DOE is providing any sort of quality programming to children with autism. All of the Special Ed Teachers in the Public School system that I know decrie the the squalid state of programming for children on the spectrum. Private schools which invest in quality staff and programs are the only answer to parents who truly insist on the best programs for their child. The expense is very very high BUT not excessive given the necessary costs and expenses to provide high quality. Anyone who has taken a look at Manhattan Children's Center on the UWS will see what quality means. This is certainly top of the line- and if you cannot afford it you either sue the DOE,or go elsewhere. That's just the reality. A cost of $100000+ is what it takes today like it or not. My sister's child attends there after years of home schooling and results speak for themselves. So let's not rave and rant about costs and acknowledge the best when we see it.

Anonymous said...

My son is five years old, diagnosed with Autism and CP. I have been fighting with The Board of Ed. for placement in private school. Its been a year so far, but the Board of Ed. still has not given my son the opportunity. =/
Can anyone give me advice?
Please and Thank You.

Ray said...

I have a 6-year-old autistic son, and this pretty much follows the pattern I've found in my researches: There have been many wonderful advances made in the treatment and education of autistic children, and there are many reasons to be optimistic about your autistic child's future...if money isn't an issue. If you don't count yourself among the top 5% of America's wealthy, pray that your local public schools have good teachers.

I am curious to know how the school justifies their fees beyond the fact that people are willing to pay. $90,000 might be what a good program costs in Manhattan, but that doesn't mean it isn't obscenely expensive. The fact that there are many wealthy people willing to pay anything to get what is best for their children has skewed the supply and demand curve and effectively excluded all but the very wealthy.

I don't begrudge anyone doing whatever they can for their children. If I had the money, I'm sure I would send my son to the best school I could, but I don't have the money. Our family sits well above the poverty line but my wife and I might have made $90K in the past two years combined, so we have to take what we can get.

We are not pleased with the quality of education our son is getting in public school in Brooklyn. The teacher is very nice, but she is a first-year teacher and seems to know very little about autism. Plus, it took months for him to start getting the physical and occupational therapy required by his IEP. His progress over the past 6 months has been minimal. We are working on getting him a new placement.

My conscience wouldn't allow me to sue the department of education to make them pay more than 4 times what they spend per student for my son to go to a special school. That would just take more money away from the educations of other children who are no less deserving than mine.

Anonymous said...

I swear by the McCarton school, our child has been at the school for three years and is doing things we never ever ever ever dreamed possible. We beg and borrow and sue the B of Ed but it is more than worth it!