Gillen Brewer School: Education for Kids with Special Needs
Here at New York Family, we’re always on the lookout for pioneers in education for kids with special needs. We know how important it is that our children feel safe, comfortable, and individually-recognized at school. That’s why, when we heard about Gillen Brewer School, founded in 1992 to support students ages 2.8 – 11 with significant learning challenges, we wanted to share!
Gillen Brewer strives to develop kids into confident, independent, and engaged learners so that they can achieve their full potential at school and beyond. If you’re in search of a school that will take the time to understand who your child is and what kind of support they need, then Gillen Brewer is for you. Teachers and therapists team up to address each student’s needs and pace of learning. Class sizes are small– ranging from 8:1:2 in Preschool and 10:1:2 to 6:1:2 in School-Age– so that your kids can thrive in a collaborative, yet individualized environment. The curriculum is enhanced by music, art, science, technology, and physical fitness, so your kids will be introduced to a variety of subjects and have the support to explore their interests.
What we also love about the school is their academic-therapeutic program. Therapy sessions are integrated throughout the school day and in addition to the three teachers in each class, there is one Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and Psychologist assigned to each classroom. During speech and language therapy, pathologists will guide your kids towards expressing their thoughts, and feelings in school, with their families, and in the greater community. In occupational therapy, students focus on visual-perceptual, gross motor, fine motor, self-care and sensory processing skills. And in counseling, psychologists encourage social-emotional learning, in which students work on building healthy relationships, managing their behavior, setting personal goals, and more.
If Gillen Brewer is sounding like the right school for your family, and you’re curious to learn more about the community itself, we’ve got you covered. The diverse student body commutes from all five NYC boroughs and surrounding areas. Specifically, Gillen Brewer supports students with learning disabilities, speech and language disorders, and deficits and/or delays in executive functioning, gross and fine motor, sensory processing, and social/emotional skills. This may also include students on the Autism Spectrum (mild/moderate to high functioning), as well as those with ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and a variety of genetic syndromes.
The Family Program facilitates the School-Home Partnership and supports parents as they develop an understanding of their child and acquire the information and strategies with which they can be their child’s strongest and most supportive advocate. There are even regular parent support groups, and workshops for families. Want to learn more about life at Gillen Brewer? Check out their approach to learning and apply today!
