Exterior of AHRC Middle High School

AHRC Middle / High School

AHRC Middle / High School

Educating Neurodiverse Students
ages 12-22

AHRC NYC Middle/High School empowers neurodiverse students with their acquired skills to be socially responsible, lead productive lives and become contributing members of the global community by modeling the core values of respect, dignity and perseverance.

Address Phone Principal Assistant Principal
1201 66th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11219 718-259-4389 Christopher Uccellini Trudy Pines

Virtual Admissions Information Session

Register for our upcoming admissions information session:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArfu6hpzosHtGXEoeImk-xahPfLRhRDcr0  

Video: School Overview


AHRC Middle/ High School, (also known as MHS,) provides services to adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and those classified with emotional disability, multiple disabilities, or other health impairments; as well as students with a Learning Disability and Intellectual Disability.

Programs

The MHS is divided into two district programs: a middle school program for students ages 12-14 and a high school program for students ages 15-22. The classroom teachers are New York State certified special education teachers and are supported by two New York State certified teacher assistants. The MHS contains a staff of experienced School Administrators, Therapists, and Transition Coordinators.

AHRC NYC MHS strives to meet the academic requirements of New York State Education across all subjects.

Instructional programming focuses on teaching core academics, independent living, vocational, and social and emotional learning. To teach the academic, social and independent living skills required, the special education teachers employ a range of research-based supported strategies which include:

Services

Assessments and Credential

Students in the middle school program participate in the New York State Standardized testing. Students in the high school program participate in the New York State Alternate Assessments (NYSAA).  AHRC NYC Middle/High School students graduate with a Skills Achievement Commencement Credential Certificate.

The Transition from School to Adult Life

MHS aims to prepare its students for life after school by teaching a combination of academic, vocational, self-care, social-communicative, self-determination, and overall independence skills. When students graduate they can Transition into a variety of different placements, including supportive college programsday habilitationsupported employment, and a range of jobs. In order to best prepare the students to achieve their desired destination, students’ educational teams participate in Transition Planning as soon as students enter the school.

A student’s Transition Plan is a working document that requires an outcome-oriented approach, is student-centered, and broad enough to allow for adaptation and flexibility. Its primary purpose is to achieve “what is desired” rather than what is “simply available.” To facilitate this planning, AHRC New York City Middle/High School staff emphasizes Person-Centered Planning (PCP), a collaborative process that helps students identify their aspirations, define the supports they require, and work together with the valued people in their life to determine their preferred pathway. CQL interviews are conducted.

Transition planning is based on the premise that all activities, whether academic or pre-vocational, are designed to increase responsibilities and independence. Emphasis is placed on teaching skills that develop employment potential: appropriate behaviors in school, home, and the community; the ability to follow directions; the skill to self-advocate; independent living skills; and an understanding of post-secondary options and goals.

MHS offers a wide array of internal and external experiences that continue for the students throughout the high school years and into adulthood. Examples include:

The students also have the opportunity to participate in a post-secondary educational experience through collaboration with PACE University, a relationship that is entering its 7th year. Every semester, two groups of students are enrolled in a PACE University Technology Course. Each enrolled MHS student is then paired with a PACE University technology student to work on a semester project. MHS students in this program receive an introduction to college campus life (i.e. campus bookstore, cafeteria, life in downtown Manhattan) as well as the requirements of a college-level course.


Weekly Schedules by Age Group

Weekly Schedule for Middle School Students

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:20 Arrival and Schedule Check
8:30 Warm-up Activities
9:00 Reading
9:30 Math
10:00 Social Studies Science Social Studies Bowling Social Studies
10:30 Art Daily Living Skills Self-Management Music Daily Living Skills
11:00 Sensory Skills Sensory Skills Sensory Skills Science Sensory Skills
11:30 Lunch
12:00 Reading Spelling Reading Spelling Spelling
12:30 Social Skills Health Education Independent Travel Instruction Health Education Social Skills
1:00 Reflection
1:30 Adaptive Physical Education Media Adaptive Physical Education Media Adaptive Physical Education
2:00 Career Development
2:20 to 2:30 Pack Up and Dismissal

DESCRIPTIONS OF LISTED ACTIVITIES APPEAR BELOW:

Adaptive Physical Education: Students receive instruction in various gross motor activities, improve cardiovascular and muscular strength, and engage in social skill-building games with appropriate support to ensure inclusion.

Arrival & Schedule Check: Students enter the classroom, unpack their belongings, locate and review the class and their individual schedules, and then complete a schedule activity.

Art: Art Teacher presents hands-on art activities with appropriate scaffolds to ensure that every student can engage in and benefit from the task.

Career Development: Students complete their assigned classroom jobs and if necessary assist their classmates in finishing their jobs. ( jobs include: cleaning the desks, emptying the trash, erasing the board, organizing class materials, etc.) Teachers provide support when necessary while aiming to promote independent task completion for all students

Daily Living Skills: Students practice skills associated with independent living and self-care. Lessons are differentiated and complex tasks are broken down into components to facilitate learning and avoid repetition.

Health Education: Students learn about important health-related topics such as physiology, safe behaviors, personal hygiene, healthy eating habits, and other age-appropriate concepts. Material is presented in accessible ways and is individualized to address specific student strengths and needs.

Math: Students focus on their individual math goals. Instruction occurs in small group settings that are created to reflect students’ math skills and learning styles.

Music: Music Teacher focuses on hands-on and interactive musical activities that reflect student strengths and challenges. Classes practice group numbers to be presented at bi-annual concerts.

Reading: In small groups based on reading and literacy skills, students receive daily reading instruction and practice. Students travel between classes to ensure they are engaging in lessons that reflect their abilities. Teachers use the Triumphs curriculum for most students and the Edmark curriculum for those who may be more challenged by literacy.

Reflection: Individually, students will answer a series of questions based on their experiences of that day. The complexity of questions and answers varies based on students’ skills and self-awareness. Answers are then sent home to encourage dialogue with families.

Science: Students engage in hands-on, experiential learning about science topics such as plants, environments, and animals. Students focus on different aspects of the concepts, (e.g. vocabulary, relationships, cause-and-effect, etc.) based on learning ability and comprehension skills.

Self-Management: Students learn to make choices and to work effectively with peers on interesting tasks, games, and leisure activities. Teachers provide support to ensure consistent engagement and appropriate participation.

Sensory Skills: In cases when particular students benefit from sensory input due to their hypo-sensitivity, students have structured access to the Snoezelen Room, which includes equipment designed to improve sensory integration skills.

Social Skills: Students focus on socialization skills such as their conversational ability. Lessons are differentiated based on students’ social skills and preferences.

Social Studies: In small groups, students learn about social studies concepts such as different communities, people’s jobs in society, and households.

Spelling: Students receive spelling lists, practice writing the words, and demonstrate their knowledge of the words in different ways, (e.g. arranging words in alphabetical order, identifying words from a list, writing out words spoken by the teacher, etc.)

Travel Training: Teachers use social stories, role-playing, and rehearsals to help students understand the necessary skills to travel safely and successfully in the community; lessons are differentiated to reflect the range of ability, (e.g. some students work on recognizing street signs while others role-play subway travel)

Warm-Up Activities: Students complete their individualized warm-up tasks: basic math problems, question and answer sheets, finishing activities on days of the week, months of the year, weather, and seasons. When students complete warm-up tasks, they can make a choice to read independently, draw, or use the computer.


Weekly Schedule for High School Students

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8:20 Arrival and Groden Relaxation Practice
8:45 Calendar and Current Events
9:00 Adaptive Physical Education Media Adaptive Physical Education Media Adaptive Physical Education
9:30 Art Home Economics Health Education Music Home Economics
10:00 Speech and Communication Internship Preparation Community-Based Instruction Independent Travel Instruction Social Skills Instruction
10:30 Library Internship Speech and Communication Bowling
11:00 Social Skills Instruction Community-Based Instruction
11:30 Health Education Self-Advocacy Computer Skills Leisure Skills
12:00 Science
12:30 Math Social Studies Math Social Studies
1:00 Lunch
1:30 Reading
2:00 Groden
2:00 to 2:30 Classroom Jobs, Pack up and Dismissal

DESCRIPTIONS OF LISTED ACTIVITIES APPEAR BELOW:

Bowling: Students travel to a nearby bowling alley to work on their travel skills, coordination, interactive skills, and sportsmanship.

Calendar and Current Events: Students participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, review daily schedules and personal schedules, and engage in a discussion of current events.

Classroom Jobs, Pack Up & Dismissal: Students independently complete their assigned classroom jobs (e.g. wiping down tables, putting away classroom materials, etc.) and pack up their belongings before leaving for the day.

Community-Based Instruction: Students prepare for and then go on an extended community-based outing that is intended to develop a wide range of independent adult skills; For example, the entire group takes an inventory of the school store, develops an order, travels to Costco, purchases items, individually prices the items, and sets them on the shelves of the school store. Students determine desired purchases, calculate required money, and then travel to a neighborhood convenience store to buy items.

Computer Skills: Students work on basic and intermediate computer skills and usage with a focus on proper database searching and information location.

Adaptive Physical Education: Students receive instruction in various gross motor activities, improve cardiovascular and muscular strength, and engage in social skill-building games with appropriate support to ensure inclusion.

Art: Art Teacher presents hands-on art activities with appropriate scaffolds to ensure that every student can engage in and benefit from the task.

Groden: Student practice their relaxation skills and self-regulation ability

Health Education: Students learn about important health-related topics such as physiology, safe behaviors, personal hygiene, healthy eating habits, and other age-appropriate concepts. Material is presented in accessible ways and is individualized to address specific student strengths and needs.

Home Economics: Home Economics Teacher presents differentiated lessons on a range of cooking, cleaning, self-care, and other household-based tasks. Tasks are broken down into sequential parts and are taught using visual supports and hands-on learning.

Independent Work: Students manage personal belongings, rehearse self-regulation strategies, and then read independently.

Internship: Students participate in community-based activities (e.g. going to the grocery store to buy items for future tasks; working at the Senior Center to serve food). Teachers provide differentiated instruction in the community setting but focus on increasing the amount of independence for each student.

Internship Preparation: Students prepare for community-based internships by creating relevant lists and role-playing future scenarios.

Leisure Skills: Students practice their ability to sustain leisure activities with peers and by themselves with teacher support where necessary.

Library: Students receive instruction on how to successfully browse online library holdings to appropriately select books to then check them out. Students are taught how to use books to learn more information about current classroom concepts (research; referencing).

Math: Students receive instruction in mathematical concepts that reflect individual student deficits (e.g. multiplication skills) and/or can help students be more independent (e.g. calculating prices). Teachers have access to different curricula, such as Everyday Math, Stern Math, Menu Math, etc.

Media: Media Teacher presents differentiated lessons that focus on important computer skills, Internet usage, graphic arts, and other relevant technology-based abilities. Students with more computer prowess engage in challenging computer tasks and responsibilities.

Music: Music Teacher focuses on hands-on and interactive musical activities that reflect student strengths and challenges. Classes practice group numbers to be presented at bi-annual concerts.

Reading: In small groups based on reading and literacy skills, students receive daily reading instruction and practice. Students travel between classes to ensure they are engaging in lessons that reflect their abilities. Teachers use the Triumphs curriculum for most students and the Edmark curriculum for those more challenged by literacy.

Science: Students engage with science concepts such as geology, life science, and space via interactive, visually-based, experiential lessons.

Self-Advocacy: Students practice skills such as resume creation, problem-solving, and other skills that increase students’ self-determination ability.

Speech and Communication: School-based Speech/Language Therapists provide individualized, small group, and whole-class instruction to help students improve communication and socialization skills

Social Skills Instruction: Students receive differentiated instruction in age-appropriate socialization, including phone manners, conversations, and smart consumer behavior.

Social Studies: Students are grouped with peers with similar skills from other classrooms to receive instruction on concepts such as geography, history, maps, and governments. Complex concepts are differentiated so students can access main ideas regardless of learning or communication issues.

Travel Training: Teachers use social stories, role-playing, and rehearsals to help students understand the necessary skills to travel safely and successfully in the community. Lessons are differentiated to reflect the range of abilities (e.g. some students work on recognizing street signs while others role-play subway travel)



AHRC Middle / High School
1201 66th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11219
718-259-4389

Principal: Christopher Uccellini
Assistant Principal: Trudy Pines