To familiarize you with our program, the following is a description of the unit/theme approach that we use to teach children and a sample daily schedule. We hope you find this information helpful. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

A Sample Daily Schedule

Core Curriculum

The integrated classrooms utilize the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum. This is a preschool curriculum that is fully aligned with the NYS Common Core Standards. This program provides excellent preparation for young children who will be entering a kindergarten classroom. It features domain-based learning, content-rich instruction, emergent literacy skills instruction, and a language-focused curriculum.  The math curriculum is the math curriculum that is recognized by NYS and will meet the NYS Common Core Standards. More information about both curriculums can be found at www.engageny.org

Unit/Theme Approach

In the self-contained classrooms, each week a specific unit or theme is presented. The unit theme is incorporated into as much of the program day as possible. This approach helps the child to experience language concepts in a variety of ways. The use of a multi-sensory approach helps a young child learn, reinforce and generalize new information. For example, if the unit is color, one day may be used to talk about the color green. The following activities would correspond to the theme:

The unit activities are reported in the weekly newsletter to assure that the parent has the information to talk about the theme with the child at home. Some examples of units are:

Self-awareness
Shapes
Colors
Numbers
Weather
Food
Family
Community Helpers
Animals/Senses/Emotions

General Education

Newmeadow’s classes are focused primarily on developing kindergarten-readiness skills. We foster individual growth, in addition to encouraging the children to participate as part of a greater social community. We strive to develop social and interactive skills, such as engaging in cooperative and appropriate play with others. Understanding, respect, and empathy are also encouraged.

The full range of preschool behaviors is on display in our integrated classrooms, allowing children to work on coping with external distractions, in addition to managing their own internal distractions. This allows them to develop adaptive skills that will prepare them for learning in an environment where others may learn differently from them.

By using ABA (applied behavior analysis) as our teaching method, children are encouraged to behave properly in every setting. ABA ensures that appropriate behavior is reinforced and inappropriate behavior is ignored and redirected to an appropriate activity.

The foundation of ABA is the 3-Step Teaching Technique:

1. The teacher gives the child a directive. If the child is successful, he or she is presented with an effective reinforcement and/or showered with praise.
2. If the child is not successful, the teacher will model the correct response while verbally prompting the child to demonstrate the correct response. If the child is successful, he or she is praised with a modulated voice.
3. If the child is not successful, the teacher will verbally and physically prompt the child to complete the task successfully.

In addition to being used as a behavioral model, ABA also functions as a way to present goal acquisition in the most simple and finite form in order to help children leap in understanding between words and concepts.

Our unique educational model provides an enriched environment, where highly trained professionals in the fields of speech/language, motor, and behavior serve by their very presence and as a research and role model to teachers and aides in the classroom.

Special Education

At Newmeadow, our primary goal for our children is to treat each child as an individual who actively learns at their own pace and in their own style. Our staff help to foster the growth of the whole child – emotionally, socially, cognitively, physically, and creatively. Learning is active rather than passive. Every experience is an opportunity to learn.

The environment, activities, and social interactions are designed to stimulate individuality and positive self-esteem. The following skills (to name a few) are developed daily through Newmeadow’s certified and trained teaching staff: communication, which includes pragmatic skills (social language), adaptive, cognitive concept development, language recall, listening, attending, reasoning, transitioning, reading readiness, math, and writing. Newmeadow’s teachers, through curriculum development, collaboratively develop themes to correspond with the curriculum concepts taught weekly. The daily stimulating activities offer children the opportunity to explore and learn with a developmentally appropriate curriculum.

Newmeadow’s related services, speech, occupational, and physical therapy are developed to meet the individual needs of the child. This dedicated related service staff provides support not only individually to the child but also to the classroom teachers and parents. Sensory integration, sensory diets, physical therapy plans, and speech goals are communicated consistently to the teaching staff. The teachers create daily a language-enriched program while addressing the sensory needs of the children.

As you explore Newmeadow’s website you will learn about the ABA Clinic’s program. This outstanding program not only provides services for children on the Autism Spectrum but additionally provides ongoing training to the classrooms and all staff at Newmeadow using Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), an effective approach to behavior intervention. Behavior is the foundation of a child’s progression. Implementing appropriate behavior strategies through the use of ABA provides the positive growth of the whole child in their preschool experience at Newmeadow.

Each day is a new day looking through the eyes of our children, who bring the love of learning, creativity, and joy to Newmeadow. The children shine at Newmeadow and are the windows of light that create enthusiasm in the staff and the desire to meet the needs of all of the children we serve and support each and every day.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the foundation of all instruction and therapy at Newmeadow and incorporates some of the following techniques:

ABA Three Step

The ABA Clinic 3-Step Teaching Technique:

Newmeadow’s Three-Step Compliance Teaching is used 100%  of the day with every demand placed in our classrooms. Three-Step utilizes least-to-most prompting and is based on modulated praise. Least-to-most prompting provides an opportunity for the student to perform the demand independently, but providing modeling and physical assistance as needed.

Discrete Trial Teaching

Discrete Trial Teaching is a teaching method used in Applied Behavior Analysis to teach a skill in small achievable steps to ensure progress and mastery. Each step is tailored and individualized to each student’s needs while utilizing Newmeadow’s Three-Step Compliance Teaching. It’s a very structured way to teach any skill including attending, imitation, academic skills, self-help skills, communication skills, and social skills. Discrete Trial Teaching is often presented in 10 trial probes that allow for repetition. This repetition helps students to retain and master skills.

Incidental/Embedded Teaching

This teaching method occurs within the everyday context of a classroom setting. Throughout the day, therapists use naturally occurring opportunities to teach students new skills within regularly occurring routines without breaking the flow of the ongoing activity.

Prompting Hierarchy for Spontaneous Language

Staff members create an environment where functional language is encouraged throughout the day. We often call it sabotaging the environment! We sabotage the environment for the best possible reason, to foster functional communication. So we might put the art activity out without any paint, set up for snack and withhold a food item, place an unopened food item in front of the child, or place a toy just out of reach of a child. We then wait a brief period of time for students to independently request the item that they need/want. If they do not initiate functional communication we will use a prompting hierarchy to encourage language.

Task Analysis

Task analysis is used to break complex tasks into a sequence of smaller steps or actions.  Understanding the steps involved in a particular task can assist in identifying any steps that may need extra instruction and will help teach the task in a logical progression. An example of such a skill is tying one’s shoe, dressing skills, washing hands, or brushing teeth.

Social Skills Training

The classroom environment at Newmeadow naturally creates opportunities for social interactions. The staff helps to facilitate social exchanges and navigate social environments. We work to strengthen skills such as initiating and maintaining eye contact, responding to one’s name, reciprocating information, answering questions, and conversational language. We offer social groups and lunch bunches for children who need to work on social skills in smaller settings.

Visual Schedule

Visual schedules use a series of pictures to communicate the events occurring throughout the day. They are often used to help children understand and manage the daily events in their lives. At Newmeadow, we use visual schedules to add structure and predictability to a student’s day.

Picture Exchange Communication System

A picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that uses pictures instead of words to help children communicate. The individual is taught to give a picture of a desired item to a “communicative partner”, who immediately reinforces the exchange by giving the individual the requested item. The system goes on to teach more complex communication such as discriminating between pictures, creating sentences, and answering questions.

Positive Reinforcement

At Newmeadow, positive reinforcement is the core of our program. Students are continuously rewarded for their desired behaviors. We like to say “catch them being good!”. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of future occurrences of the desired behaviors. This is important not only for increasing appropriate behavior but also for decreasing inappropriate behaviors.

Why choose an integrated preschool

With the frequency of children who are diagnosed with autism increasing (approximately 1 in 88 births), the chances that your child meets someone in their school career with the disorder is highly probable.  This is a reason to encourage integrated learning.  The full range of preschool behaviors is on display in our integrated classrooms, allowing children to work on coping with external distractions, in addition to managing their own internal distractions. This allows them to develop adaptive skills that will prepare them for learning in an environment where others may learn differently from them

At the core of Newmeadow’s services is the Applied Behavior Analysis Clinic program.  Using our specific ABA techniques, the children are put into situations where they are not allowed to fail.  Interfering behaviors are redirected to something appropriate and functional to learning and mastering skills.  Every activity of our day-to-day schedule with the children focuses on development of communication, social and play skills.  Every day we strive to help prepare children for what they will encounter in the larger world when they leave Newmeadow.  We have seen all levels of ability improve in our program and benefit from attending Newmeadow.

Some of the questions you need to ask yourself when considering a program for your child:

Has the program your child is enrolled in been effective?
How are the activities planned?
Are the schedules and daily routines predictable?
Does your child receive the individual attention they need?
Is there data measuring my child’s progress?
Will my child’s progress and behavior be closely observed and recorded?
Will my child be given tasks and rewards that are individually motivating?
Does the environment design minimize distraction?
Does the program prepare me to continue the therapy at home?
Do the cost, time commitment, and location of the program meet my needs?
How many children who have graduated from the program have gone on to regular school? How have they performed?